Agak Laen

'Agak Laen' may be a bit all over the place in terms of tone, but it is quite a fun flick all in all. It's well made too, it oddly gave me vibes of 2018's 'The Festival', particularly lighting-wise, for some reason - I didn't think I'd be making a connection between those two!

Oki Rengga, Boris Bokir, Indra Jegel and Bene Dion make for good casting, they fit as a four and do come across as a friends group. Rengga and Bokir are the standouts, for me. Arie Kriting is the one I'd rank highest of the other cast members; all of whom are absolutely fine, at worst.

The plot is a strange choice, I gotta say, for a comedy, I'm not convinced by how they blend it together but it works; even if the more sincere moments didn't quite hit as intended, at least to me. Oki's part at the conclusion is the closest a non-comedy bit came to hitting.

Also, the product placement is kinda mad, proper egregious stuff. This is my first taste of Indonesian cinema, I assume this is the norm? I only guess that because I do know that their football broadcasts are/were ad-heavy; that's how I know what Torabika is, lol.

Agak Laen is a refreshing take on the comedy genre, offering a unique storyline that blends humor with thought-provoking social commentary. The film stands out for its clever script and an eccentric cast of characters who add depth to the narrative, each bringing their own quirks to the story. This balance between lighthearted comedy and moments of introspection gives the film an enjoyable, layered quality.

The humor in Agak Laen often leans on witty dialogue and situational comedy, making it relatable and enjoyable for a wide audience. The film's ability to highlight everyday experiences with a comedic twist keeps viewers engaged while also encouraging them to think about larger themes. The performances are authentic, with each actor adding a unique charm to their roles, and the direction brings out both the fun and sincerity in each scene.

While it might not aim to be a blockbuster, Agak Laen shines with its fresh approach, creative storytelling, and entertaining mix of humor and social insight. It's a film that will leave audiences smiling and reflecting on its messages.

I think Indonesian comedy movies are saturated with stand-up talents with one-liner jokes that spread throughout a simple, nice backdrop for the main story. This caused a string of box office hits but no substance that could differentiate one movie from the others. Agak Laen proved that the formula could be fresh if brought by a really amazing story backdrop and sense of realism.

The movie has a perfect sitcom setup. A haunted house attraction becomes viral after a real person died there. It's full of great scenes with cool comedic timings, they know how to turn between drama and funny scenes well. I feel like the four characters are too many since their traits seem to be similar, hence it's blurry to remember who's who. The plot tries to give nuance with more chemistry and personal issues, and it works!

The climax is one of the best I've ever seen. It goes realistic and does not ignore basic logic even though it's comedy. I am still hugely disappointed by how they keep making blunt advertisements throughout the movie, which I think could be better. Still, watching Agak Laen gives me hope that Indonesia comedy movies do have great future.

With that tittle it is indeed delivers just that .. stranger things in a funny way that is. From the befinning of the movie maybe one will think it is another ordinary slapstick comedy movie from Indonesian which is the norm all this years or decades if you will.

Then the pace of the movie starts to pick up . One thing leads to another. And that is when the movie is worth the watch all the way right up till the end.

Worth to mention as well that this is oen of the movie that you will want to keep backing up the bad guys . The story telling was done in way that wont bore you down .

And yes in time the story build all around the guys and thats the pillars of it all . Yes life is hard and nothing is easy but the way life was endure was really another level.

To be honest, I don't like Indonesian comedy films, which usually consist of empty jokes that have no content and are just weird.

But this time was a little different, I and the audience at the cinema were made to laugh with jokes that strangely made me laugh.

As for the plot, actually the plot in a comedy film doesn't really matter, because comedy films aim to entertain the audience.

But the plot in this film is arguably unpredictable, all the plot in this film always contains elements of jokes and there is even a bit of scathing criticism of the Indonesian government that can be said to be brave. And the most annoying thing is that there are several sponsors in the story in this film.

8/10 A film that made me interested in Indonesian comedy films again.