Over the past decade, Indonesian cinema has flourished, delivering some of the most compelling films from Southeast Asia. The industry has also seen immense success as more local films are being made and have even dominated the theaters. The Indonesian film industry records ticket sales over gross for reports and in 2024, over 80 million tickets were sold for Indonesian movies, which is the highest recorded figure so far. While international audiences may identify Indonesian movies with action fare like The Raid, the industry’s success has been boosted by the success of local horror films. Nevertheless, it doesn’t close the opportunity for exciting films from other genres to be released in cinemas.
Here, the list highlights the best Indonesian films of the last decade, ranging from dramas to action films. From taking on the popular heist genre to tackling pressing social issues, these films have not only garnered critical acclaim but have also resonated with audiences both locally and internationally through notable film festivals such as the Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival. With these films, Indonesia’s filmmakers have continuously pushed the medium forward and are preparing future local films to take on the world.
10
‘Stealing Raden Saleh’ (2022)
Directed by Angga Dwimas Sasongko
Stealing Raden Saleh follows a talented painter turned forger, Piko (Iqbaal Ramadhan) who accepts a mysterious job to copy one of Indonesia’s most prized national paintings, Raden Saleh’s “The Arrest of Pangeran Diponegoro” so that he can bail out his imprisoned father. However, he then gets roped into a web of conspiracies as the man who commissioned the job is the President of Indonesia himself, who asks him to steal the real painting and replace it with Piko’s work. So now, Piko has to assemble a crew to carry out the elaborate heist.
Directed by Angga Dwimas Sasongko, whose previous film Wiro Sableng was co-produced by 20th Century Fox, the heist film stands out as a bold step forward for Indonesian commercial cinema. With its vibrant youth ensemble cast, slick visuals, and exciting set pieces, Stealing Raden Saleh proved that local blockbusters could be just as entertaining and ambitious as their Hollywood counterparts. It brought a distinctly Indonesian sensibility to the globally familiar heist genre, incorporating local politics and arts scene. As one of the few major non-horror releases, the film was a critical success and also a box office hit with over 2 million tickets sold, beating Hollywood blockbusters like The Batman and Top Gun: Maverick. A sequel with the same cast is currently being developed.
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9
‘The Night Comes for Us’ (2018)
Directed by Timo Tjahjanto
The Night Comes for Us tells the story of Ito (Joe Taslim), a former elite enforcer for a Southeast Asian triad who betrays the organization to save a young girl during a massacre. On the run and relentlessly hunted, he returns to Jakarta and reconnects with old allies to protect her while facing off against a wave of assassins, including his former best friend, Arian (Iko Uwais), who remains loyal to the triad. Ito has to go through a violent journey to gain his freedom.
Widely regarded as one of the most intense action films ever made, The Night Comes for Us helped solidify Indonesia’s reputation as a global powerhouse in martial arts cinema. Building upon The Raid‘s legacy, with the same action crew and main cast, the film leans more into stylized brutality with raw and inventive choreography. Joe Taslim, who has since starred in Star Trek Into Darkness and Mortal Kombat, leads the film with a visceral performance, while Iko Uwais (Snake Eyes, The Expendables 4) trades his hero persona for a sadistic yet human antagonist. Timo Tjahjanto’s razor-sharp direction earned acclaim from critics and genre fans alike, poising him for a Hollywood breakthrough starting with Nobody 2. It’s a landmark of Indonesian action cinema and an essential watch for any action fan.
8
’27 Steps of May’ (2018)
Directed by Ravi Bharwani
27 Steps of May centers on May, a young woman who withdraws entirely from the world after surviving a traumatic sexual assault during the devastating 1998 Jakarta riots. She lives in silence, with her only companion being her father, who is a former boxer tormented by guilt over his inability to protect her. Their days pass in muted stillness until May begins to escape into her imagination, leading her to a mysterious magician who appears from a mysterious hole in her room and might help her rediscover the courage to heal.
This is one of the most haunting and powerful Indonesian films of the last decade, offering a deeply empathetic portrayal of trauma and recovery. The film was nominated for 9 awards, including Best Film and Best Director at the Indonesian Film Festival, the local equivalent to the Academy Awards. Raihaanun’s award-winning performance as May is simply stunning and heartbreaking, while Lukman Sardi, who plays her father, brings a quiet yet impactful performance as her remorseful father. The film was widely praised for tackling sexual violence with sensitivity and respect, and for its dreamlike cinematography that compliments May’s emotional state. It stands as a vital conversation piece in Indonesian cinema’s reckoning with national trauma and personal survival, while offering a strong commentary on resilience and hope.
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7
‘Two Blue Stripes’ (2019)
Directed by Gina S. Noer
Two Blue Stripes tells the story of Bima (Angga Yunanda) and Dara (Zara Adhisty), two high school sweethearts whose world is turned upside down when Dara becomes pregnant. With different backgrounds, they face immense pressure from their families, school, and society. Coming from a more modest background, Bima is compelled by his family to take responsibility and marry her, while Dara, a high-achieving student with dreams of studying abroad, struggles with her parents’ refusal to accept Bima. The title is derived from the two stripes indicating a positive pregnancy test.
Having written numerous local hits, Gina S. Noer‘s directorial debut is one of the most grounded and emotionally resonant Indonesian films in recent memory. Its sensitive handling of teen pregnancy, family dynamics, and societal expectations struck a chord with audiences and movie reviewers. Aided by the popularity of its young actors, including Zara, who was still a part of the popular pop group JKT48 at the time, Two Blue Stripes became the second best-selling local film of the year with over 2.5 million tickets sold. The film also won two Indonesian Film Festival Awards for Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress, out of its staggering 12 nominations. The film’s success was followed up by a 2024 sequel titled Two Blue Hearts. Both films are unfortunately not streaming on any platforms at the time of this writing.
6
‘Yuni’ (2021)
Directed by Kamila Andini
Yuni follows the titular character played by Arawinda Kirana, a bright, purple-loving teenage girl living in a small Indonesian town, who dreams of going to university and pursuing an independent life. Her plans are disrupted when she begins receiving marriage proposals, a dated yet normal tradition that carries heavy expectations in her community. After rejecting two suitors, including one from a married man, she’s warned about a superstition that a woman who turns down three proposals will never marry.
Kamila Andini’s film is a quiet but powerful exploration of patriarchy, autonomy, and the coming-of-age experience for Indonesian girls in rural communities. With poetic cinematography and an intimate tone, Yuni paints a portrait of a girl stuck between her dreams and the societal forces trying to shape her future. The film won the Platform Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival and was nominated for 14 Indonesian Film Festival Awards, winning one for Best Actress. It was also Indonesia’s official entry for the 2022 Oscars Best Foreign Film category, but was not shortlisted. With its socially relevant themes and emotional depth, Yuni stands as one of the most important Asian films of the decade.
5
‘Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash’ (2021)
Directed by Edwin
Based on an acclaimed novel by Eka Kurniawan, Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash follows Ajo Kawir (Marthino Lio), a notorious street fighter known for his formidable reputation, who harbors a personal secret that he’s unable to perform sexually due to childhood trauma. When he meets the equally formidable Iteung (Ladya Cheryl), a romance blossoms through a brutal fight, and Ajo Kawir navigates his way to resolve his problem.
This film stands out as probably the most daring Indonesian film, mixing action, satire, and romance, and paying homage to classic Indonesian action exploitation films while subverting their masculine tropes. It is also a unique genre-blending film, bordering on absurd while staying true to the text that inspired it. Audiences and reviewers have lauded the film for its performances, conflict, retro setting, and thematic exploration, especially on masculinity. The film won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival and was nominated for 12 Indonesian Film Festival Awards, winning five for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor and Actress, as well as Best Costume Design. Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash is a must-watch for those who appreciate films that are as audacious in style as they are profound in substance.
4
‘Autobiography’ (2022)
Directed by Makbul Mubarak
Autobiography centers on Rakib (Kevin Ardilova), a quiet young man working as a housekeeper for a retired military general named Purnawinata (Arswendy Bening Swara). When the general decides to run for local office, Rakib is pulled deeper into his orbit, gradually becoming more involved in the man’s increasingly authoritarian campaign and personal politics. His relationship becomes more complicated as Rakib sees the general as a father figure.
Indonesia’s current political landscape still has a lingering shadow of its authoritarian past, and Makbul Mubarak’s debut feature is one of the boldest political commentaries to come out of Indonesian cinema in recent years. Through an intimate story, the film comments on the country’s politics with its slow-burn and thought-provoking plot. It shows how the past continues to shape everyday citizens’ lives. It received critical acclaim internationally, premiering at the Venice Film Festival and went on to screen at various film festivals like TIFF. While its bid for the Oscars’ Best Film Category was unsuccessful, Autobiography is still an intense political thriller, rooted in identity, power and control, with rich storytelling and strong social commentary that’s worth watching. The film is currently not streaming on any platforms outside of Prime Video in Southeast Asia.
3
‘Andragogy’ (2023)
Directed by Wregas Bhanuteja
Andragogy follows Prani (Sha Ine Febriyanti), a high school counselor whose life is upended when a video of her shouting at fellow customer at the market goes viral. This minor misunderstanding quickly spirals into a full blown witch hunt online, exposing her strong method of disciplining her students and her family’s reputation. As her private life is dragged into the public arena, Prani is forced to confront how easily public perception can shift, and how fragile her stature is in the age of social media.
Fresh off his Indonesian Film Festival win with his previous Netflix film Photocopier, director Wregas Bhanuteja crafted a timely and deeply resonant film strikes a nerve in today’s digital age. While its premise is rooted in a personal downfall, the film is a broader critique of cancel culture, mob mentality, and the intersections between class, image, and morality in Indonesian society. Anchored by Sha Ine Febriyanti’s powerful performance, Andragogy was one of the standout Indonesian films of 2023 that managed to earn critical acclaim while also being a sleeper hit at the box office with over 570 thousand admissions, a respectable figure for a local drama film with no jump scares and spicy romantic affairs. It’s an essential watch for the way in today’s landscape, and offers a glimpse into a typical Indonesian family life.
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2
‘Solo, Solitude’ (2016)
Directed by Yosep Anggi Noen
Inspired by real events, Solo, Solitude tells the story of Wiji Thukul, a poet and activist forced into hiding during Indonesia’s oppressive New Order era in the late 1990s. The film follows his life in exile in Pontianak, a city on Borneo Island, as he struggles with isolation and the constant fear of being discovered by the authorities. His poetry, once a tool for resistance, becomes his only source of solace as he moves from place to place, hoping to reunite with his family.
Yosep Anggi Noen’s restrained direction results in a film that feels contemplative, allowing the audience to sit with the silence, tension, and anxiety that mirrors Wiji Thukul’s time in hiding. The minimalist storytelling, long takes, and naturalistic performance by Gunawan Maryanto earned critical acclaim, making the film a standout at international festivals, including Locarno, where it premiered, and an important entry in Indonesian cinema. While other films may choose to romanticize rebellion, Solo, Solitude humanizes it, showing the emotional toll that political resistance can take on individuals. The film is not an easy watch due to its subject material and slow pace, but so does living under an authoritarian regime. The film is currently not available on any platforms.
1
‘Falling in Love Like in Movies’ (2023)
Directed by Yandy Laurens
Told through eight sequences just like how some screenplays are structured, Falling in Love Like in Movies follows Bagus (Ringgo Agus Rahman), a screenwriter working on a film that draws heavily from his own story. The script revolves around Hana (Nirina Zubir), his high school crush who is now a widow, and Bagus’ attempts to slowly make her overcome her grief and fall in love with him. But the line between his script and real life begins to blur, and his idea of love is not as easy to craft as a typical rom-com.
This film struck a chord with Indonesian audiences and cinephiles alike thanks to its meta storytelling and tender, thoughtful direction from Yandy Laurens. With its broad references and homages to mainstream Hollywood films, it is perfectly accessible to audiences beyond Indonesia. The film also offers commentary on the current theatrical landscape in Indonesia, where it is overrun with horror films. Refreshingly, this film enjoyed a moderate success despite being presented in mostly black and white and taking on a more mature take on love. Rather than leaning into cliché, it actively questions them, offering a refreshing take on the romance genre while delivering a love letter to cinema. It is no surprise that the film found its way as one of Letterboxd’s highest-rated romance films in the site’s 2023 Year in Review.
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