[The Southeast Asian Exhumation Craze①] Indonesia, Record-Breaking Korean Movie Exhumation, Southeast Asia Enthralled by Mudang Shamans

Editor's NoteThe craze for the movie 'Pamy?' shows no signs of slowing down. Surpassing 10 million domestic viewers is just the beginning. Its momentum overseas is formidable. Especially in Southeast Asia, the response is intense. It has achieved monumental success in Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and more. High interest is also evident in India, Laos, Hong Kong, Cambodia, and other countries where it will be released next month. This is a peculiar phenomenon. 'Pamy?' is an extremely Korean work. Elements like pungsu (feng shui), mudang (shaman), dokkaebi (goblin), and iron stakes support the story. The 16th-century Imjin War also serves as a backdrop. Overseas audiences find it difficult to fully understand the content. Subtitles hinder immersion. Incongruity is the most fundamental limitation of perception. The reality is quite the opposite. Language and cultural differences have not broken the film's box office momentum at all. Rather, they have acted as fresh elements connecting universal values. The phrase 'the most Korean is the most global' alone cannot explain it. So, we asked overseas distributors and theater officials, "How did 'Pamy?' become wet wood tougher than iron?"

'Pamy?' is the highest-grossing Korean film in Indonesia. As of the 27th, it attracted 2.2 million viewers over 26 days. It far surpassed the previous top-grossing film 'Parasite' (2019, about 700,000 viewers). Its box office performance in the first quarter ranks second. The first place is held by the local film 'Agak Laen' (A Little Different), a horror comedy that rose to become the second highest-grossing film in Indonesian box office history.

Horror and occult films are very popular in Indonesia. Among the top 10 box office hits, four films including the number one 'KKN di Desa Penari' (2022) are listed. Ernest Prakasa, producer of 'Agak Laen,' told the American film media Deadline, "Horror films are easy to succeed in Indonesia. The chance of failure is low." He added, "The success factor of 'Agak Laen' is the new fun and experience contained within a certain format."

The success of 'Pamy?' can be interpreted in a similar context. Korean faith, history, tradition, and ideology were received as fresh entertainment within the occult framework preferred by locals. Violet Kwan, CEO of Purple Plan, which distributes 'Pamy?' in parts of Southeast Asia including Indonesia, told Asia Economy in an exclusive interview, "Indonesians are familiar with occult and supernatural superstitions due to their unique faith and customs. Various superstitions are spread throughout the country," adding, "Some are very similar to those in Korea, making it easy for audiences to empathize."

Dukun is a representative example. A dukun is a shaman who communicates with the spiritual world and heals and protects traditional communities. They were believed to change the weather or suppress volcanic activity and were employed by royal families and others. Kwan explained, "They can be seen as Indonesian shamans, serving as a barometer for understanding Lee Hwa-rim (Kim Go-eun) and Yoon Bong-gil (Lee Do-hyun) in 'Pamy?'." She added, "Most dukuns are middle-aged men and women dressed in traditional attire, but in 'Pamy?,' they are portrayed as young and sophisticated, which resonated strongly with young audiences."

Purple Plan was captivated by the setting that blends pungsu and shamanistic concepts and purchased the distribution rights. Kwan recalled, "In just a few minutes of the promotional video, I sensed a chilling and claustrophobic fear and anxiety rarely seen in other films." She laughed, saying, "I expected it to perform well in Indonesia, but I didn't anticipate it would be this much."

The fresh concept and meticulous design are also recognized by Indonesian filmmakers. Joko Anwar, director of 'Satan's Slave 2: Communion' (2022), which attracted the fourth largest audience locally, praised 'Pamy?' as "a horror film distinguished by a sharp script and powerful direction and acting." He said, "It builds tension without jump scares (technique of startling the audience with sudden loud noises and scene changes) or slow burn (gradually introducing horror elements). The storytelling that does not exclude fantasy elements is also mature." He called the Indonesian screening itself encouraging and said, "Now our audience can also enjoy intellectual horror films."

Korean actors also influenced Purple Plan's decision to purchase the rights. Kwan said, "Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun are very well known in Indonesia through Korean dramas. The trend of younger moviegoers has helped a lot in promotion." She added, "As a buyer, I paid attention to Choi Min-sik and Yoo Hae-jin. Their proven acting brought realism to the film, which I guessed was a decisive reason proving the quality of the work."

The most painstaking work after acquiring the rights was subtitle translation. Purple Plan replaced customs like pungsu, which do not exist in Indonesia, with similar local customs. To minimize alienation, they also had experts review the translations. The problem was securing theaters. The conditions were not very favorable due to Korean films struggling and being pushed out of the mainstream over the past four years. In fact, 'Pamy?' did not secure many screens on its opening day.

Kwan said, "No matter how popular a film is, it is not easy to do a wide release for various reasons such as box office conditions." She confessed, "Since it lacks jump scares familiar to local audiences and has a relatively slow narrative pace, it was difficult to expect an expansion of theaters."

"Jump scares are a directing technique that always appears in Southeast Asian horror films. Local theaters and media tend to find films boring without them. We made persistent efforts to change this stereotype. Using Korean examples, we emphasized that horror films that slowly build tension can also receive good responses. At the same time, we raised the question in the local film market, 'What is the current trend in horror films?' We invited famous local directors and influencers and were able to get the answers we wanted. It was a positive evaluation of a different direction for horror and occult films."

The praise that sprang from this change in perception spread rapidly through social media, leading to a significant expansion of theaters within just three or four days. Now, the phenomenon is expanding throughout Southeast Asia. 'Pamy?' attracted 630,000 viewers in just three days after its release in Vietnam a few days later. It also topped the box office in Thailand during its opening week. Kwan, who opened the gates, could not hide her joy and emotion. "Recently, 'Pamy?' was screened even in remote mountain villages in Indonesia. I feel so proud to share Korean culture with many audiences."