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Abstract
Childhood trauma, particularly that rooted in bad parenting styles, is able to have lasting effects on individuals’ psychological welfare. These ordeals can cause mental anxiety and shape how individuals cope with the unpleasant memories which they might use in their interaction with the world as adults. The movie Nanti Kita Cerita Tentang Hari Ini (NKCTHI) and the TV series Beef are two popular works that discuss the aforementioned issue. This paper explores how both works portray the characters’ use of defense mechanisms as adults, rooted in childhood trauma caused by bad parenting approaches. Qualitative analysis is conducted by dissecting the cinematic elements provided using the psychoanalytical framework. In both works, the portrayal of several defense mechanisms, such as: identification, displacement, regression, sublimation, projection, rationalization, and reaction-formation, employed by the characters. The significance of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the lasting effects of childhood trauma and the potential use of defense mechanisms in adulthood