For months, Indonesian movie audiences have been talking about 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 has made Norma a nationwide obsession is the fact that it's based on a viral true story.
In 2022, Norma Risma, a woman in Serang City on Indonesia's Java island, exposed her husband and mother's affair in a TikTok video.
Her story quickly racked up millions of views, made headlines and ultimately brought her a movie deal that has taken South East Asia by storm.
Norma, which hit Indonesian theatres in March and Netflix in August, soon became one of the most watched movies, not just in Indonesia but also Malaysia and Singapore, where there are large Malay-Muslim populations.
It also follows a winning formula that Indonesian filmmakers have discovered: adapting viral social media scandals.
Such themes are highly taboo in Indonesia, where adultery is punishable with jail time. The country's new criminal code, which takes effect next year, outlaws sex outside marriage. Yet, in this culture of religious conservatism, experts say, a voyeuristic interest in household scandals thrives.
With the help of social media, stories that had mostly been limited to neighborhood gossip now make for viral content, a term for homewreckers featured in videos of wives confronting their husbands' mistresses.
Norma has also become a platform for empowerment, allowing women to voice their struggles against infidelity and domestic violence, signifying a shift in narrative where women are involved in shaping their stories.
Despite the heavy themes, many support the film, finding it resonates with their experiences and feelings, allowing space to reflect and discuss.
