*Suria Hani A. Rahman, Fauziah Hassan, Rosidayu Sabran, Rosninawati Hussin, Sofia Hayati Yusoff, & Norhayati Rafida Abdul Rahim

Abstract:

This paper analyses Malaysian horror films and how the films represent Islam in the realm of darkness and in various monstrous manifestations. Deemed as a popular genre, two (2) Malay films titled Al-Hijab (Partition, 2011) and Khurafat (The Superstition, 2011) were selected to identify the emergence of social and political ideology in Malaysian horror films and how these meanings are associated with the representation of Islam/religion. Although religion and horror perhaps seem antithetical, their connection can be observed through mysticism and certain traditional pre-Islamic beliefs that can be found in Malaysia. A narrative analysis was employed to facilitate in identifying the structure of the film narrative and how the horror genre signifies religion in the narrative. More specifically, the analysis identified the films’ plot structure which includes the presentation of plot and characters, time, and space (mise-en-scène) on screen.

Keywords: Horror, Malaysian films, Islam, representations, narrative analysis, gender