Taiwan’s hit horror franchise takes a chilling turn toward Indonesian mythology as director Liao Shih-han brings the legendary Kuntilanak to the big screen in a cross-cultural collaboration set to haunt Indonesian cinemas from October 23.

One of Indonesia’s most iconic supernatural figures is stepping onto the international horror stage. The Kuntilanak, a legendary female spirit deeply rooted in Indonesian folklore, takes center stage in The Rope Curse 4: Kuntilanak, the latest installment in Taiwan’s popular horror franchise.

Directed by Liao Shih-han, the film marks a bold new chapter for the series, which previously explored supernatural folklore associated with Thailand. This time, the filmmakers turn to Indonesia, drawing inspiration from the terrifying legend of the Kuntilanak to create a chilling story that bridges cultures through a shared fascination with the supernatural.

The film is scheduled to premiere in Indonesian cinemas on October 23, bringing together actors and production crews from Taiwan and Indonesia in an ambitious international horror project.

A Family Mission Turns Into a Supernatural Nightmare

At the heart of The Rope Curse 4: Kuntilanak is a Taiwanese man who travels to Pontianak, Indonesia, to deliver his younger brother’s ashes while searching for his biological father.

What begins as a deeply personal journey to reconnect with his family soon takes a terrifying turn. As he navigates unfamiliar surroundings and confronts buried family secrets, he finds himself caught in the grip of a supernatural curse.

The choice of Pontianak as the story’s setting adds another layer of intrigue. The city is widely associated with the Kuntilanak legend, making it a fitting backdrop for a horror film that seeks to bring one of Indonesia’s best-known ghost stories to an international audience.

Rather than relying solely on jump scares, the premise combines family drama, mystery, and supernatural terror, creating a narrative in which the search for personal identity becomes entangled with forces beyond human understanding.

Indonesian and Taiwanese Stars Unite on Screen

One of the film’s biggest attractions is its international ensemble cast, which combines familiar Indonesian faces with Taiwanese performers.

The Indonesian cast includes Ferry Salim, Andovi Da Lopez, Audi Marissa, and Yessica Tamara. They share the screen with Taiwanese actors Wilson Hsu, Travis Hu, and Liu Kuo-Shao.

The combination reflects the film’s wider ambition: to create a horror experience that draws on Indonesian cultural traditions while retaining the cinematic identity of a Taiwanese franchise.

For Indonesian performers, the project offers an opportunity to bring local stories and supernatural traditions to a broader audience. Meanwhile, the Taiwanese cast and crew gain firsthand experience working within Indonesia’s cultural landscape.

The result is a production that goes beyond a conventional international casting arrangement, using collaboration itself as part of the film’s appeal.

Why Did the Filmmakers Choose the Kuntilanak?

Speaking to the Todaystageid team at CGV Grand Indonesia in Central Jakarta on Monday, October 19, Liao Shih-han explained how the project’s creative direction began to take shape.

In the franchise’s previous two installments, the filmmakers explored supernatural elements associated with Thailand. As they began developing the fourth film, the writing team suggested turning their attention to Indonesia and its famous Kuntilanak legend.

The idea immediately caught Liao’s interest.

Once the team began researching the figure, they found that the Kuntilanak fit naturally into the central concept they wanted to develop for the new installment.

For international audiences, the Kuntilanak may be an unfamiliar name. In Indonesia, however, the figure occupies a prominent place in popular ghost stories, often portrayed as a female spirit associated with eerie laughter, long dark hair, and a haunting presence.

Its cultural familiarity in Indonesia, combined with its potential to unsettle viewers unfamiliar with the legend, made it an intriguing choice for the franchise’s next supernatural chapter.

By bringing the Kuntilanak into a Taiwanese horror series, the filmmakers also create an opportunity for Indonesian folklore to reach viewers beyond its traditional cultural boundaries.

Behind the Scenes: 190 Crew Members, Two Countries, One Horror Film

Bringing the project to life required more than a compelling supernatural story. It also demanded close cooperation between two production teams with different languages, working habits, and cultural backgrounds.

Filming took approximately one and a half months in the Cibubur area, with around 40 crew members arriving from Taiwan to work alongside 150 Indonesian crew members from Jakarta.

For Liao, the early stages of production presented a significant challenge.

Communication and cultural adaptation were among his biggest concerns, particularly because it was the first time his Taiwanese team had filmed a horror production in Indonesia.

The initial uncertainty, however, gradually gave way to confidence as the collaboration progressed.

Liao praised the Indonesian crew for their professionalism, commitment, and willingness to give their all throughout the production. Their dedication helped ease his concerns and demonstrated the potential for more international film projects between the two countries.

The director also found another reason to enjoy his time in Indonesia: the local food. With a laugh, he revealed his particular fondness for satay and avocado juice.

It was a lighter moment in an otherwise demanding production, highlighting how cultural exchange can happen both on set and around the dinner table.

A Chilling Encounter That Made It Into the Film

For a horror director, researching a legendary ghost is one thing. Experiencing an unsettling encounter during production is quite another.

Liao’s interest in the Kuntilanak deepened after he began asking Indonesians about their experiences with the supernatural. According to the director, five out of the ten people he asked claimed to have seen a Kuntilanak themselves.

He also encountered a local spiritual practitioner who was familiar with communicating with unseen entities. Through this experience, Liao learned about different forms of the Kuntilanak described in local supernatural traditions.

According to the account shared by the director, these forms were associated with four colors: white, black, gray, and red. The red Kuntilanak was described to him as the most aggressive and dangerous.

One particular incident left a lasting impression on him.

Liao recounted that the practitioner appeared to enter a trance while demonstrating how the Kuntilanak supposedly sounded and laughed. He remembered the atmosphere becoming noticeably colder and was told that five or six Kuntilanak spirits were believed to be present nearby.

The experience was so striking that the production team recorded the practitioner’s laughter and incorporated the sound into a scene in the film.

While the account reflects the director’s personal experience and the local supernatural beliefs he encountered, it also illustrates how research into folklore can influence a horror film’s atmosphere, sound design, and creative direction.

For audiences, the story adds another layer of curiosity to the film: a piece of its eerie soundscape reportedly originated from an encounter that the director found difficult to forget.

More Than Horror: Building a Cultural Bridge

Despite its terrifying premise, The Rope Curse 4: Kuntilanak is intended to accomplish more than simply frighten audiences.

For Liao, the film represents an opportunity to strengthen cultural ties between Indonesia and Taiwan through cinema.

He noted that the two societies share several cultural connections, pointing in particular to the large Indonesian community living in Taiwan. These connections, he believes, provide a strong foundation for future collaborations across the entertainment industry.

The production also demonstrates how folklore can travel across borders. A ghost story that has long circulated within Indonesian culture can become part of an international film franchise, introducing new audiences to the country’s supernatural traditions while allowing local performers and production professionals to participate in a wider cinematic project.

For Indonesia, this offers a fresh way to showcase its cultural heritage through a globally recognizable genre. Horror, with its ability to explore fear, mystery, and the unknown, provides a natural platform for stories that are deeply rooted in local beliefs.

For Taiwan, the project expands the franchise’s creative horizons by exploring a different cultural mythology rather than repeating familiar supernatural themes.

Liao expressed satisfaction with the collaboration and said he hoped to return to Indonesia for future international film projects.

October 23: Prepare for the Kuntilanak

With its Indonesian setting, Taiwanese horror sensibilities, and a cast drawn from both countries, The Rope Curse 4: Kuntilanak is poised to offer audiences a distinctive cross-cultural horror experience.

The film arrives in Indonesian cinemas on October 23, inviting viewers to discover how one of the country’s most recognizable supernatural legends can be reimagined within an international franchise.

Beyond the scares, its production tells a story of creative exchange: Taiwanese filmmakers venturing into Indonesian folklore, local talent contributing to an international project, and two film industries finding common ground through storytelling.

The Kuntilanak may be the film’s most frightening presence, but the larger ambition behind the project is far more collaborative.

As Indonesian folklore travels onto the international screen, The Rope Curse 4: Kuntilanak serves as a reminder that the most compelling horror stories often emerge from cultural traditions—and that sometimes, the things that frighten us most can also bring different worlds closer together.