Big Indonesian producers see these numbers as confirmation to keep producing horror films.
n 2024, our film industry reached the milestone of selling more than 80 million tickets for Indonesian films. According to Bicara Box Office, out of the 126.22 million tickets sold in cinemas, 65.02 percent were for local movies. This marks Indonesia’s highest achievement to date, highlighting the market’s strong demand for local films and encouraging further growth in local production
However, if we break down the numbers, one genre dominates. According to filmindonesia.or.id, among the top-10 films in 2024, the top three are all horror (or contain horror elements). Agak Laen tops the charts with over 9.1 million tickets sold, followed by Vina with more than 5.8 million tickets, and Kang Mak with 4.8 million tickets. In the fifth and sixth spots are Badarawuhi and Siksa Kubur, which collectively sold more than 8 million tickets. Additionally, there are five other horror films that each sold over 1 million tickets. When combined, more than 32 million tickets were sold for horror films or films with horror elements.
Looking at the films distributed in cinemas each month, there are at least two other horror films that sold between 500,000 and 800,000 tickets. According to Cinecrib, the total ticket sales for horror films in 2024 (as of Dec. 29) reached 54 million. This means that over 50 percent of local ticket sales were for horror films. This figure aligns with the number of horror films distributed in 2024. Cinecrib reported that 68 horror films were distributed, a 30.7 percent increase compared with the previous year.
Big Indonesian producers see these numbers as confirmation to keep producing horror films. As a business, I would say that is a good strategy. Yet, selling the most tickets does not always mean a film is of the best quality. Films that have received both national and international awards have a difficult time pulling in the audiences. Last year’s big winner at Festival Film Indonesia (FFI) Jatuh Cinta Seperti di Film-film managed to sell over 600,000 tickets. Even after winning seven Citra awards, including for best picture, the film reopened in several cinemas in Jakarta only to last less than a week or so. Last year’s Indonesia Oscar entry Women from Rote Island only sold about 30,000 tickets after winning four Citras in FFI 2023.
Hollywood faces similar challenges. Films considered frontrunners for the Oscars, and thus benchmarks of excellence, do not always sell the most tickets. However, there are two key differences between Hollywood and our film industry: their ticket prices are higher, and their cinema chains are not controlled by just two dominant players. Smaller films in Hollywood still have a chance to find their audience because there are more cinemas and regions available to them. They also do not rely on filling as many seats per screening to remain viable.
In Indonesia, films with an occupancy rate of less than 30 percent are unlikely to avoid reduced showtimes. Typically, the first opening week determines whether cinemas will continue to give a film more showtimes in the following days. Indonesian films must perform well on their opening day and during the opening week, which usually spans Wednesday through Sunday. The more people watch, the more studios are filled, and the more cinemas are willing to allocate additional showtimes.
If we keep doing this, mainstream movies will dominate the cinemas and no award will be able to create a benchmark of excellence for our industry. Smaller cinema chains have been built and have gained support from the Culture Ministry. Yet, these cinemas should not also just focus on mainstream movies. Award-winning films and those premiering in international festivals should also be given space.
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