A World Without opens with three best friends riding a bus on their way to join an exclusive community called The Light. Ten years from now – after the pandemic is over – falling birthrates force the country to outlaw dating and prompt debates over marriageable age.

Led by an enigmatic man named Ali Khan (Chicco Jerikho) and his wife, Sofia (Ayushita), The Light offers a shelter for teenagers who wish to marry once they turn 17. After being selected, these teenagers are put in dormitory rooms to learn skills – such as domestic arts for the girls.

Ali apparently has come up with a system that uses algorithms to determine relationship compatibility. Every now and then, two members of The Light are “paired” and a charming wedding ceremony follows. An idyllic apartment awaits for each newlywed couple – as well as steady jobs for both of them.

Salina (Amanda Rawles) longs for a father figure after the death of her own, while Ulfah (Maizura) simply wants to settle down and have kids. Tara (Asmara Abigail), the sassiest of the three, determines to reinvent herself after having lived a dark chapter triggered by her own recklessness.

As the movie unfolds, the three learn about the community’s secrets and realize that, while wishes can come true, they all come with a price.

Directed by Nia Dinata, who wrote the script with Lucky Kuswandi, the film attempts to portray issues such as women’s rights, social media, marriage age and domestic violence.

Dynamic duo: Director Nia Dinata (left) and co-writer Lucky Kuswandi comes up with A World Without based on their own experiences with 'life coaches"'and social media phenomenon. (Netflix) (Archive/Courtesy of Netflix)

Combining these elements in a one-hour-47-minute-long dystopian coming-of-age movie is probably a tall order even for Nia, known for her work on social-problem films such as Arisan! (The Gatherings, 2003) – which features gay characters and the ups and downs of Jakarta socialites – and Berbagi Suami (Love for Share, 2006) that discusses polygamy.

In terms of worldbuilding, A World Without allows the audience to catch glimpses of the future world we might be living in. The falling birth rate plotline bears a slight resemblance to Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, based on Margaret Atwood’s 1987 novel – where a totalitarian society replaces the United States and fertile women are forced into child-bearing slavery.

There is no slavery (as far as we know) in the universe of A World Without, however. The film – thankfully – stays clear of “torture porn” and relies on subtlety instead.

While the idea is enticing, A World Without falls short when it comes to storytelling. It starts out great, but fizzles out or – at the very least – feels rushed as the movie concludes. It feels like A World Without has too much on its plate – jam-packed with social commentaries with a touch of satire and characters from various backgrounds.

Some plotlines are inconsistent as is the characters’ development. The film ends with a bunch of unanswered questions. While there are people who would appreciate A World Without regardless of its social-commentary aspects, others might feel that the movie ends up feeling flat.

A World Without would perhaps work better as a miniseries or even a series to allow it more space for better worldbuilding and storytelling.

Social media

In an interview with The Jakarta Post, Nia Dinata acknowledged that she read Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale in college and the novel made a huge impression on her. At first, Nia thought it was impossible for such a dystopian tale to come true. That was until she saw the rise of far-right movements in recent years and more policies to control women’s bodies in various countries being introduced.

“But the trigger for [A World Without’s idea] was not that. The idea comes from what I see with [the development of] social media in Indonesia and the world. Many young people worship their idols blindly – without research or background checks,” said Nia, referring to the internet’s “instant life coaches” and “self-proclaimed leaders” who gain a huge following on social media.

“There’s also peer pressure among young people that if they do not follow [certain people] then they’re not cool,” Nia added.

Cowriter Lucky chimed in that there are “dark corners” of the internet where people could be “easily recruited” to join cults or sects. On a personal note, Lucky revealed that he almost joined a group led by a life coach while he lived in the US.

“I was almost recruited myself [by this group]. They really use our weaknesses as a weapon to recruit us,” he said.

“Actually – same with me. I even traveled to Australia to follow this life coach – until I realized my money was gone,” quipped Nia, laughing.

New teen icon?: Amanda Rawles plays the main character, Salina, on A World Without. (Netflix) (Archive/Courtesy of Netflix)

Both instances occurred when Nia and Lucky were younger, and it became the idea behind A World Without - and they added social media elements into the film, said Nia. She added that the film was relevant to the current state of Indonesia and the world in general in terms of issues such as child marriage, women’s rights and domestic abuse. 

When asked about A World’s Without’s rushed ending and whether the film is meant to be a trilogy, Nia acknowledged that the intention was definitely there.

“Hopefully, the public feels the need [for sequels] so we can continue our cooperation with Netflix. As creative people, we really want to narrate [the story] in more detail – but we have a limited time. In two hours, we can’t tell much,” said Nia, adding that the original script allowed for more story development in the future.

All in all, A World Without is a take on a social phenomenon where so-called “leaders” on the internet manage to win support from netizens. As Lucky put it, there are “variants” of The Light in real life and the movie wants to raise this particular subject.

Producer Wilza Lubis mentioned that while A World Without raises “difficult” subjects, Nia managed to make a “pop” film out of them through its characters and storyline.

“I think the story is enjoyable and easy to digest by the audience,” said Wilza.

A World Without is out on Oct. 14 on Netflix.

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Directed by: Nia Dinata

Written by: Lucky Kuswandi and Nia Dinata

Producer: Wilza Lubis

Executive Producer: Nia Dinata

Cast: Cast: Amanda Rawles (Salina), Maizura (Ulfah), Asmara Abigail (Tara), Chicco Jerikho (Ali Khan), Ayushita (Sofia), Jerome Kurnia (Hafiz, Salina's love interest)

Duration: 1 hour 47 minutes