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Promotional billboards for the Indonesian horror film Aku Harus Mati (I Must Die) have been removed across Jakarta after drawing criticism that their messaging could trigger suicidal ideation.
The billboards, installed on roadside displays in Jakarta and several other cities late in March, were part of a marketing campaign ahead of the film’s theatrical release on 2 April. The boards included the phrases “I Must Die” and “Sell My Soul for the Wealth” displayed alongside an image of a blue creature with red eyes, prompting complaints from residents who said it was disturbing and inappropriate for public spaces.
The film follows Mala, a young woman living in a major city whose pursuit of a hedonistic lifestyle leaves her in mounting debt. She returns to an orphanage connected to her past, where a series of disturbing events draws her and her two friends into a mystery involving a secluded house and supernatural forces, gradually revealing hidden truths about her life.
Diyah Puspitarini, a commissioner at the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), raised concerns about the potential impact on children. “Such words can affect children’s mental health because they are not yet able to properly regulate [or interpret] the information they receive,” Diyah told The Jakarta Post, adding that the messaging could trigger suicidal tendencies in vulnerable children.
Results from the Global School-Based Student Health Survey show that the proportion of children experiencing suicidal thoughts increased from 5.2 per cent in 2015 to 8.5 per cent in 2023, while suicide attempts rose from 3.9 per cent to 10.7 per cent in the same period.
KPAI also recorded at least 115 child suicide deaths between 2023 and 2025.
According to CNN Indonesia, officials in Jakarta removed several of the billboards after residents raised complaints. Governor Pramono Anung said the administration had coordinated with relevant agencies and advertising companies to take them down. “We have taken down the billboards,” he confirmed on Monday.
Pramono also asked the creative industry to be careful with provocative advertising strategies, saying: “But the principle is that this must not happen again. Things like this are only intended to attract the public and then place sensitive advertisements, which have an impact on society. This must not happen again.”
According to Satpol PP chief, Satriadi Gunawan, at least three billboards were removed in West Jakarta and Central Jakarta.
“We have coordinated with the advertising agency to take it down immediately,” Satriadi told Detik News, adding that other billboards will be removed if they receive similar reports.
The film’s producer, Iwet Ramadhan, said at first that all the promotional material had been “evaluated and approved” by the film censorship board and the directorate general of intellectual property, and that the public’s response was “something we cannot control”, according to Kompas.
He apologised on Tuesday, and said they “have heard and fully understand the various responses that have emerged from the public regarding this film”.
“On behalf of the producers, I would like to convey that we deeply regret the inconvenience caused, particularly from how this film was introduced to the public.”
Ramadhan said the production team had taken steps to withdraw the promotional material, including removing billboards across 36 locations in major cities.
Imran Pambudi, director of health services for vulnerable groups at Indonesia’s health ministry, also warned that such promotional material could provoke copycat behaviour. “Repeated exposure to messages that romanticise or normalise such acts can be triggering for individuals with a history of depression, impulsivity, or traumatic experiences,” he said.
“Seemingly trivial wording, describing suicide as a ‘choice’ or ‘liberation’, can be perceived as legitimising by people in despair.”
Imran added that police recorded 1,350 suicide deaths in 2023, which rose to 1,450 in 2024, while calls and messages to the national crisis service “healing119” rose from approximately 400 per day in August 2025 to 550 per day in 2026.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans in confidence on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.