Asian horror films are often interpreted through the lens of genre or audience psychology, while the cosmological and spiritual dimensions remain underexplored in academic discourse. This study aims to analyze the final sequence of Exhuma (2024) using Roland Barthes’s semiotic theory and Julia Kristeva’s concept of intertextuality. The research focuses on the body, blood, and wood as visual signs that embody layered cosmological and spiritual meanings while resonating with cultural texts and other Asian horror films. The study employs Barthesian semiotic analysis and Kristevan intertextual reading within a qualitative framework. The findings reveal that the demon’s body functions as an archive of transgenerational trauma, blood represents the ambivalence between death and purification, and the bloodstained wood serves as a dual symbol of destruction and healing. Intertextual analysis highlights Exhuma’s distinct position in Asian cinema by framing horror not as an external threat but as part of a family’s spiritual heritage. This study introduces a cross-cultural approach that bridges East Asian cosmology and Southeast Asian spirituality, offering a new perspective on Asian horror as a mythological and intertextual text that records trauma while enabling symbolic healing through cultural representation and ritual memory.

Authors:
Devanka Diaz Ayu Pitaloka, Indonesian Institute of The Arts Surakarta, Indonesia
Budi Setiyono, Indonesian Institute of The Arts Surakarta, Indonesia

About the Presenter(s)
Devanka Diaz Ayu Pitaloka B.A (Fine Art) is a multidisciplinary artist, choreographer, and civic engagement advocate from Surakarta, Indonesia.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/devankadiaz13/

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