SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF HOROR REPRESENTATION IN THE POSTER OF PEMBANTAIAN DUKUN SANTET

Abstract

This study examines the horror film poster Pembantaian Dukun Santet (2025) through Roland Barthes’ semiotic framework. Barthes expands on Ferdinand de Saussure’s model of the signifier and signified by introducing three levels of meaning: denotation, connotation, and myth. The research employs a qualitative descriptive method with documentation techniques, analyzing visual and textual elements such as the headless body, severed head, scattered skulls, dark forest, burning torches, typography, and release date. Findings reveal that these signs function on multiple semiotic levels: at the denotative level, they explicitly depict horror imagery; at the connotative level, they evoke cultural associations with ritual killings and supernatural practices; and at the mythical level, they reproduce Indonesia’s collective beliefs about the mystical power of santet and the legitimization of violence. This study highlights how Indonesian horror film posters serve not only as marketing devices but also as cultural texts that communicate ideology and collective trauma.