REPRESENTASI PERILAKU MANIPULATIF TOKOH GEMA PADA FILM TINGGAL MENINGGAL (2025)

Abstract

Film Tinggal Meninggal (2025), directed by Kristo Immanuel, reached the top position on Netflix Indonesia in January 2026, centering on Gema, a corporate employee who develops manipulative behaviors after experiencing systematic social neglect. This study aims to analyze how Gema's manipulative behavior is represented through denotation, connotation, and myth in Roland Barthes' semiotics. Using a qualitative descriptive approach with a critical paradigm, this research applies Stuart Hall's representation theory, Gramsci's hegemony, and Cultural Studies, with data drawn from 15 purposively selected scene lexias analyzed through Barthes' five reading codes. Findings reveal that at the denotation level, Gema's manipulation is captured through her fabrication of identity "Bima"; at the connotation level, it signifies a survival mechanism of a marginalized individual; and at the myth level, the film dismantles the assumption that manipulators are entirely culpable. This study concludes that film can deconstruct hegemonic myths surrounding social marginalization