Icons in Crisis: The Characters of Kyai and Ustad in Indonesian Islamic Horror Films

Abstract

The characters of kyai and ustad in Indonesian horror films have been associated with the flawless deus ex machina, functioning as the state’s censorship. However, this study argues that this pattern has transformed the religious character from an unquestionable source of moral into a flawed character whose authority must be questioned. Those films are Qodrat (2022), Qorin (2022), and Siksa Neraka [The Torture of Hell] (2023). This study is essential in identifying at least two things, i.e.: the collective identity of pop culture consumers and the ideological battle for the hegemonic position in Indonesia. By using Hall’s representation and iconographical method, this study concludes that, first, Islamic horror films challenge gender expectations and undermine conventional concepts of traditional religious authority by generating a variety of kyai and ustad portrayal, such as the Westernized style individual, the depressed preacher, the sexually abusive male, and the helpless head of the household— all as outcomes of the political, religious, and cultural structures that support Indonesian society. Secondly, the dialectic between traditionalism and modernity, drawn quite clearly, demonstrates that Islamic modernity in pop culture reflects its consumers, who are more technologically and educationally literate.