TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results'Dear David' review: The first great Indonesian film of 2023
Anchored by career-best performances from Shenina Cinnamon and Caitlin North Lewis, the latest Indonesian Netflix original feature dares to ask the big questions about what it means to be young and free of judgment.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
A
nchored by strong performances from Shenina Cinnamon and Caitlin North Lewis, the latest Indonesian Netflix original feature dares to ask the big questions about what it means to be young and free of judgment.
---
**This review contains light spoilers for Dear David.**
Teen sexuality is a subject that Indonesian filmmakers have rarely gotten right. While coming-of-age pictures such as 2004's Virgin, 2019's Two Blue Stripes and 2022's Argantara have enjoyed considerable success, sex was nevertheless presented as a sort of notional antagonist – whenever the teen protagonist even remotely considers it, life-altering consequences most certainly follow suit.
On Feb. 9, director Lucky Kuswandi (Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens) and screenwriters Winnie Benjamin and Daud Sumolang attempted to put a more nuanced lens on teen sexuality, resulting in Netflix original feature Dear David. Led by Citra Award-nominee Shenina Cinnamon (Photocopier), rounding up the cast ensemble are Emir Mahira (Rumah Tanpa Jendela), Caitlin North Lewis (Paranoia), Maya Hasan (Cek Toko Sebelah 2), Jenny Zhang (Sri Asih) and a special appearance from Lutesha (The Big 4, Panduan Mempersiapkan Perpisahan).
Hot and bothered
Laras (Shenina Cinnamon) is the epitome of a teacher's pet. She is a straight-A, scholarship student whose mother (Maya Hasan) owns and runs a modest building materials store. Contrary to her wholesome persona, Laras quietly struggles with her hormones and often channels her R-rated fantasies about her secret crush, David (Emir Mahira) by writing risqué, fantasy-themed stories on her private blog, using the username DearDavid.
