For months, Indonesian movie audiences have been captivated by one film: Norma, the story of a seemingly blissful marriage shattered by the husband's clandestine affair with his mother-in-law.
It's the kind of plot that was always going to attract melodrama fans. But what makes Norma a nationwide obsession is that it's based on a viral true story.
In 2022, Norma Risma, a woman from Serang City on Java island, exposed her husband and mother's affair in a TikTok video, amassing millions of views, making headlines, and ultimately leading to a major film adaptation.
The film, which premiered in March and became available on Netflix in August, has rapidly climbed the charts as one of the most viewed movies in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, where the Malay-Muslim audience is sizeable.
Many Indonesian filmmakers have discovered a lucrative formula of adapting viral social media scandals into films. Before Norma, the highest-grossing film in Indonesia was KKN di Desa Penari, a horror story based on a popular thread on X, with several subsequent films also adopting a similar tactic.
Such themes of betrayal, scandal, and family turmoil are highly taboo in Indonesia, where adultery is a crime punishable by jail time. The new criminal code will enforce stricter measures against extramarital relations.
Yet, in a society shaped by religious conservatism, there exists a strong voyeuristic interest in household controversies. SM Gietty Tambunan, a representative of the Jakarta Arts Council Film Committee, noted that with movies addressing these scandals, audiences get an opportunity to peek into others’ domestic struggles.
The film's success hinges on its relatable content, enabling audiences to engage emotionally with the fictionalization of Norma's traumatic experience.
As the real Norma shares updates about her life following the affair and film, she receives overwhelming support from the public, further fostering a community that identifies with her narrative.
In an industry where women's experiences are often overshadowed, Norma stands out not just for its story, but as a potential catalyst for dialogue on infidelity and the treatment of women in a patriarchal society.
