For a long time, Hollywood and Bollywood dominated the film industry. And even though Hollywood has more reach in the world, Bollywood takes the trophy for the production of films of the year and has the most views. Countries such as Hong Kong are also famous for their films and are especially known for their martial arts films. Nollywood, the Nigerian film industry, has also become a popular industry over the years.
South Korea has taken Asia by storm in the past decade and recently reached the world with The Squid and the Parasite Game. However, Indonesia has not seen much of the limelight despite its prominent film industry and many award-worthy films.
‘The Night Comes for Us’ (2018)
The drama The Night Comes for Us was first adapted into a graphic novel before being released as a film later. It is also the first Indonesian movie released by Netflix. This may interest you : Best movies and TV shows to watch in Hulu / Prime Video 9-10 July 2022. The thriller follows the story of an enforcer, Ito (Joe Taslim), who must contend with the Six Seas Triad (Southeast Asia), an enforcement organization he once belonged to. The film received critical acclaim for its “disgusting performance” and has since become a sensation outside of Indonesia.
Many Indonesians felt that the film was too violent and showed the negative side of the Indonesian world. As a result, the film did better in foreign countries than in its own country. Other cast members include Iko Uwais, Julie Estelle, and Zack Lee who have collaborated on other projects such as Raid: Redemption and Headshot.
‘Photocopier’ (2021)
Photocopier, a crime mystery drama, premiered at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea. Read also : Top 33 Amazon Prime Video Movies Now (June 2022). A college student named Sur (Shenina Syawalita Cinnamon), along with other members of the college drama group, are invited to the house of the group leader Rama Soemarno (Giulio Parengkuan) for the party.
Despite her strict father’s (Lukman Sardi) warning against drinking alcohol (as alcohol is not commonly used in Indonesian culture), Sur chooses not to listen to her father’s advice. The day after the party, the whole school tells her about the inappropriate pictures of drinking alcohol, which she has no memory of drinking. The photos cost Sur her scholarship and her rights as a student on campus. Confused and terrified, Sur teamed up with a photographer to track down what happened at the party and who took the picture.
‘Kartini’ (2017)
Kartini is a biographical film based on Indonesian women’s liberation hero, Raden Adjeng Kartini. Born in 1879, Kartini (Dian Sastrowardoyo) grew up in a Javanese family in the East Indies (present-day Indonesia) and attended a Dutch primary school. Read also : JugJugg Jeeyo is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Despite mentoring women seeking education, she later realized what she loved most.
She worked tirelessly to achieve her goal of fighting for women’s education and the right to work, which made her recognized as an activist for women’s rights. Although the film was not considered a commercial success due to low viewership, it still received a rating of 7.6/10 on IMDb.
‘Laskar Pelangi’ (2008)
Since its release in 2008, Laskar Pelangi has become a staple of Indonesian cinema and a classic that remains unbeaten. The story is set in the city of Belitung in Sumatra, where the majority of the population lives in poverty, and the pottery industry is the only source of wealth for the community. Two wonderful teachers, Bu Muslimah (Cut Mini Theo) and Pak Harfan (Ikranagara), teach at SD Muhammadiyah Gantong, a small school with no equipment, ten students, and three teaching staff.
Bu Muslimah and Pak Harfan are determined to see the school open by giving their students quality education and reminding them not to give up on their goals. The thrilling and exciting film became one of the highest grossing films in the history of the Indonesian box office and won various local and foreign awards.
‘Pengabdi Setan’ (2017)
Most of the Indonesian box office consists of horror films as Indonesian culture is fond of stories that involve mystery and horror. Horror director Joko Anwar decided to remake the 1980 film Pengabdi Setan of the same name. Lacking financial support from her family, the mother of four, Mawarni Suworno (Ayu Laksmi), dies of an untreated illness.
After Mawarni’s funeral, however, strange things begin to happen in the house where the rest of the family lives, and a man who looks like their late mother haunts the family. Pengabdi Setan became the Indonesian horror film with the highest viewership at the end of any horror film in cinemas.
‘5 cm’ (2012)
5 cm follows the journey of five friends, Genta (Fedi Nuril), Arial (Denny Sumargo), Zafran (Herjunot Ali), Riani (Raline Shah), and Ian (Igor Saykoji), who embark on a mission to climb higher. mountain in one of the largest islands of Indonesia, Java.
During their journey, ten-year friends with different opinions overcome obstacles along the way and learn about who they are and the true meaning of friendship.
‘The Raid: Redemption’ (2012)
Although not Indonesian, Welsh filmmaker Gareth Evans introduced the Indonesian martial art of Pencak Silat into mainstream films through The Raid: Redemption, its sequel, The Raid 2, and his first Indonesian crime film Merantau. The Raid: Redemption has received international acclaim after being recognized for its unique approach to action film.
When the top commanders strike to eliminate the criminal Tama (Ray Sahetapy), Tama takes the opportunity to give shelter to the criminals living in his tower block in exchange for killing as many officers as possible. they can. An Indonesian officer, Rama (Iko Uwais), decides to lead the team up twenty floors to fight the criminals while trying to stay alive to reach the top floor of the tower block where Tama is. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described Raid: Escape as “This violent, intense and expert bullet from Indonesia puts Western movies to shame.” In an interview with The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, actor Samuel L. Jackson named it one of his favorite movies of all time.
‘Cek Toko Sebelah’ (2016)
Cek Toko Sebelah, which translates to check the store nearby, is a comedy film released in 2016 that deals with the reality faced by many Chinese people living in Indonesia. Despite being well educated, many Chinese-Indonesians end up working in their parents’ shops (or working in any kind of family business) instead of pursuing their dreams.
One of the writers (and the main character in the film) of Cek Toko Sebelah, Ernest Prakasa, is a Chinese-Indonesian comedian, actor, actor, director, writer who often uses his ethnicity as his subject. . stand-up comedy. The Chinese tribe is the largest ethnic group in Indonesia, so the film takes the responsibility of the Chinese culture in Indonesia.
‘Garuda di Dadaku’ (2009)
Garuda di Dadaku is a film based on the novel Dream of the Garuda by Benny Rhamdani. A thirteen-year-old boy named Bayu (Emir Mahira) dreams of becoming a football player and plays for the Indonesian under-13 football team (U-13). Despite the disapproval of his grandfather Pak Usman (Ikranagara), Bayu never gave up on his dream of becoming a professional footballer.
Indonesia’s humanitarian film has become an inspiration to Indonesians who feel they have been belittled by their aspirations. A new movie called Garuda di Dadaku 2 was made in 2011, two years after the release of the first movie.
‘My Stupid Boss’ (2016)
My Stupid Boss is a comedy film based on the series of books by the author of Chaos@work. The simple story line and characters make Stupid Boss easy to watch. Some of the most famous Indonesian actors and well-known actors, such as Reza Rahadian, who plays the mysterious boss (his character is called Bossman), and Bunga Citra Lestari, who plays the new office manager , Diana.
Indonesia’s Jakarta Post included My Stupid Boss in its list of “the 5 most watched Indonesian movies of the last decade”. A sequel to the film, My Stupid Boss 2 was released in 2019.
CONTINUE READING: The New Wave of Indonesian Horror: 9 Scary Movies to Watch Now
