Imagine a horror crew rolling cameras during the one day a year an entire island goes dark on purpose. No lights, no travel, no work, no pleasure  that's Nyepi, Bali's Day of Silence. Now imagine a Korean studio decided that silence was the scariest set piece they'd ever seen.

That's the premise behind Taboo: The Silent Day, a horror-mystery from South Korea's Showbox the studio behind the hit "Exhuma" that just dropped its final trailer and is already splitting opinion across two countries.

At a Glance

• Director: Park Kyung-kun (first feature)
• Cast: Kwon Da-ham, Choi Tae-eun, Lee Jeong-hoon, plus Indonesian actors Della Dartyan and Sujiwo Tejo
• Premiere: Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) 2026
• Setting: Shot entirely on location in Bali, Indonesia
  
  

Taboo: The Silent Day is a Korean horror-mystery film directed by Park Kyung-kun and produced by Showbox, shot entirely in Bali with a mixed Korean-Indonesian cast. The story follows a group of Korean tourists whose holiday coincides with Nyepi, Bali's sacred day of total silence, when they accidentally break a mysterious sacred urn inside a jungle temple and unleash a supernatural entity. The film is set to premiere at BIFAN 2026, with an Indonesian release date still unconfirmed.

What Is Nyepi, and Why Does It Work So Well as Horror?
Nyepi in Bali comes with four core prohibitions: no lighting fires or electricity, no working, no leaving your home, and no seeking entertainment. It's a ritual designed for stillness and spiritual cleansing. For a horror director, that's basically a built-in tension machine  a whole island where you're not allowed to run, scream, or turn on a light. 

According to the film's official synopsis, this particular Nyepi coincides with sacred days when ancestral souls return, thinning the boundary between the living and the dead  and one tourist's decision to break a sacred urn sets off events that make the group start violating every taboo, one by one. 

Who's in It, and Who's Behind the Camera ?

The film centers on a group of friends whose vacation in Bali takes a terrifying turn when they accidentally break a mysterious urn, unleashing vengeful spirits during Nyepi Day. It stars Kwon Da-ham, known for "A Killer Paradox" and "D.P.," alongside Choi Tae-eun and Lee Jeong-hoon.

On the Indonesian side, the cast includes actor Della Dartyan and the well-known cultural figure Sujiwo Tejo  a pairing that signals this isn't just a Korean crew borrowing Bali as scenery, but a genuine cross-border production.

That line, circulating on Indonesian social media since the trailer dropped, sums up exactly why local audiences are hooked  and a little uneasy.

When Does It Come Out?
The film is currently in post-production and targeting a release window later this year, with its festival debut set for BIFAN. No confirmed Indonesian theatrical date exists yet  something worth bookmarking if you're planning a watch party. 

Why Is This Film Controversial in Indonesia?
Because it uses a real, still-practiced religious ritual  one that Balinese Hindus observe every year  as the backdrop for supernatural horror aimed at a foreign audience. Some Indonesian viewers welcome the cultural spotlight; others question whether a first-time Korean director fully understands what he's dramatizing. Both reactions are visible in the same comment sections.