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high school flick about finding love and getting lost in it.

Galau. This word may have become one of the most popular keywords in the country. It is a staple in daily conversation and shares a place on the walls of Facebook and Twitter timelines. Galau means a messy state of mind, resulting from confusion, restlessness or even insecurity. Teenagers, often seem to find themselves in such conditions, are the major users of the word.

The latest drama flick, Radio Galau FM, tried to capture the complicated, confusing and insecure experiences of young love.

Adapted from a novel with the same title written by Bernard Batubara, it is the latest addition to the long list of novel-inspired movies in the country. Some that reaped success on the silver screen with millions of viewers included Andrea Hirata’s Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Troops) and Habiburrahman El Shirazy’s Ayat-Ayat Cinta (Verses of Love).

Other novels that recently made it onto the big screen were Dewi “Dee” Lestari’s Perahu Kertas (Paper Boat) and Erwin Arnada’s Rumah di Seribu Ombak (House at the Thousand Waves).

The idea of Radio Galau FM started from a popular Twitter account @RadioGalauFM, which was created by Bernard in late 2010. Bernard said on his blog, satusungai.wordpress.com, that he had started to post some silly jokes on love and relationships from his private account and put the hash tag #RadioGalauFM. Many other users participated so he turned it into an account.

When the account attracted some 300,000 followers, the man who is dearly known as Bara got an offer to write a novel that told of his failed relationships and five stories contributed by the followers. It took just a few months until Rapi Films showed an interest to use his story in a film.

In social media-addicted nation, it is not the first take on a social media-themed movie. Earlier there was I Know What You Did on Facebook (2010) and Republik Twitter (2012), which better portrayed the addiction, especially in the search to find romance.

 Unlike the previous two, however, the movie does not engage social media much in its story plot. It is rather a backdrop, although later it plays an important role in building the conflict. It is a classic boy-meets-girl flick, falling in love many times and feeling insecure along the way.

The film centers on Bara Mahesa (played by Dimas Anggara), a good looking high school student who feels blue because he does not have a girlfriend. He finds himself attached to his laptop and listens to mellow songs on his favorite radio channel, Radio Galau FM, every Saturday evening while pondering why he does not have a date to go out.

The regular writer of short stories in the school magazine board finally finds a chance after being approached by a cute junior, Velin (Natasha Rizki).

Bara’s daily life then becomes full of sweet moments, now having a special person to text and chat to on his Blackberry, someone to pick up every morning, someone to go out with on Saturday evening and someone who listens to his passion in writing. For Bara, life has just begun.

 After a few months, their relationship goes sour. Bara is constantly annoyed by Velin’s tantrums and childish behavior. In his eyes, the cute and understanding Velin has changed into a person who has a thirst for attention and is overprotective. He feels he cannot take it anymore. Once again, Bara plunges into the pool of galau where he swims in his frustration.

At school, he accidentally meets a gorgeous senior named Diandra (Alisia Rininta) who somehow has charmed him with her arrogance. They find a similarity that makes them close. Both are not happy in their relationship.

Bara thinks he can be happy by dating another girl, but he is not. Diandra is more demanding and dominant in their relationship, sucking away his energy. More problems start to appear and he suddenly finds himself drowning in unhappiness.

The film will probably bring back memories of silly, yet dramatic romance stories of the past, as this is a storyline that is close to most people’s hearts. While Dimas can play Bara as a doubtful senior high school boy, female audiences may feel closer to Natasha, who naturally portrays Velin’s complications and insecurities.

The movie’s sound effects, such as the sounds of hearts beating and a heart monitor tool, have a good comedic impact.

The bunch of galau words that shower the first half of the movie may be too much, especially when the radio name is as far as the movie goes with its galau-ness.

Verdict: Light entertainment that makes you smile when going out to the cinema.