Something is in the water this year that makes Indonesian films, collectively, seem to be bigger, stronger and better. All of the releases seem to be fusions of each other: The dramas are getting calmer, the actions are getting wilder, the thrillers are getting more thoughtful and the horrors are getting more… fun?

It is not just the post-pandemic elation; the filmmakers and the audiences are all enjoying making and watching films this year. That mutual love resulted in jam-packed theaters with 53 million admissions across 2022, and local movies targeted for festival releases also charmed mainstream audiences.

This is the biggest fusion this year, in which arthouse films and mainstream blockbusters collide. Here, we pick some of the best ones that blur the lines separating the two.

‘Penyalin Cahaya’

Released in festivals (and showered with awards) last year, Penyalin Cahaya (Photocopier) finally hit Netflix earlier this year. Even as 2022 draws to an end, the film’s plot and premise remain a fresh take on Indonesian film history. The drama-thriller about a victim of gender-based violence within the campus community is a commendable debut by rising filmmaker Wregas Bhanuteja, a name festival-goers have known for a while.

Packaged in a whodunnit subgenre that hearkens back more to the Jodie Foster-led 2005 Flightplan than the 2019 murder mystery Knives Out, Penyalin Cahaya opens up new ground for other filmmakers attempting to tackle a similar issue of exploitation and sexual harassment, possibly with better execution, too.

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