Evaluating Suicide Representation in Asia-Pacific Horror Film Series Using WHO Guidelines

Ani Aileen Concepcion

doi:10.34409/rjaps.40.1_62

Films can play an important role in providing information about suicide. At the same time, films produced for entertainment purposes may provide incomplete or misleading information about how and why people die by suicide. This paper explores these issues by comparing the representation of suicide in selected Japanese and Filipino horror film series. Using the World Health Organization [WHO] Guidelines for Filmmakers as the basis for content analysis, the paper finds that the sensationalized way of presenting suicide in these series is misleading due to inaccuracy and an unrealistic representation of suicide. The data further suggest that, despite stylistic differences, both series have significantly low compliance rates with the WHO guidelines. Instead of presenting details that feature a character’s inner struggles, scenes representing suicide were over-dramatized. Narrowly framing suicide based on a single factor, such as dramatic appeal, overlooks interrelated causes of suicidal behavior. The paper concludes that both series could be improved by representing suicide as preventable rather than portraying it as a rational way to solve personal problems, or considering it as a rewarding act.

Evaluating Suicide Representation in Asia-Pacific Horror Film Series Using WHO Guidelines

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