best indonesian movies

7 Best Indonesian Movies to Watch on Netflix Before 2025 Ends

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Explore the realm of Indonesian movies and series on Netflix with a curated selection of must-watch movies for your daily laughter, tears, spine-tingling chills, or moments that excite you.

These Indonesian films offer a glimpse into Indonesian culture’s perhaps some might find a connection within you. This list ensuring that whether you seek romance, drama, action, or horror, there’s a cinematic gem waiting for you to discover and enjoy!

A Must Watch Movies on Netflix: Drama, Comedy, Heartfelt and Many More

1. Harlot’s Prayer

harlots prayer
Source: Netflix

Harlot’s Prayer (or Tuhan, Izinkan Aku Berdosa) is an Indonesian drama film directed by Hanung Bramantyo that dives deep into faith, betrayal, and finding yourself again after being broken.

It tells the story how follows Kiran, a once-devout woman who joins a strict religious group hoping to get closer to God but instead ends up questioning everything she believes in.

Caught between guilt, manipulation, and her own search for truth, she makes bold choices to reclaim her life and voice. The film first premiered at Jakarta Film Festival Week in 2023 and later hit cinemas in 2024, and now you can easily watch it on Netflix platform.

It sparking strong reactions for its raw storytelling of Indonesian culture, emotional depth, and fearless take on religion and personal freedom.

2. Bolehkah Sekali Saja Kumenangis

“Bolehkah Sekali Saja Kumenangis” (translated as Can I Cry Just Once?) is a 2024 Indonesia drama film directed by Reka Wijaya that truly hits you right in the heart.

The story follows Tari starring Prilly Latuconsina, a woman carrying deep emotional scars from childhood domestic violence, as she slowly learns to heal and find strength through a support group.

This movie is depiction of a powerful reminder about vulnerability, self-acceptance, and how crying, even just once, can sometimes be the first real step toward healing.

3. A Brother and 7 Siblings

a brother and 7 siblings
Source: Netflix

This movie is a touching 2024 Indonesian drama directed by Yandy Laurens, adapted from the classic soap opera 1 Kakak 7 Ponakan.

The film centers on Moko, a young architect whose life gets flipped upside down after the sudden deaths of his sister and brother-in-law leave him the unexpected guardian of his nieces, nephews, and other dependents.

He wrestles with putting his ambitions on hold, balancing love, work, and family responsibilities, while trying to create a new sense of home and purpose. It’s rarely melodrama for drama’s sake instead, it wraps heartbreak, humor, and redemption into a warm, honest portrayal of what it means to be family.

It is one of the best Indonesian cinema in drama genre, if you are feeling like watching inspirational story.

4. Perayaan Mati Rasa

It is is a 2025 Indonesian drama directed by Umay Shahab as the filmmaker, exploring grief, expectations, and sibling bonds. The story tracks Ian (Iqbaal Ramadhan), the eldest child in his family, who has always been under pressure to live up to his parents’ hopes while his younger sister Uta (Umay Shahab) shines in her own path.

When tragedy strikes and they suddenly lose their parents, Ian and Uta are forced to lean on each other and confront years of unresolved tension, jealousy, and unspoken emotions.

What you can expect while watching this is the moments of heartache and healing, questioning if pain that numbs the soul that “mati rasa” can become a milestone toward reconnecting and rediscovering one’s true self. You can stream on Netflix for best experience.

5. Pengepungan di Bukit Duri

Pengepungan di Bukit Duri is one of those Indonesian action movies that keeps you on edge from start to finish.

Directed by Joko Anwar, it’s set in a chaotic 2027 Jakarta and follows Edwin (played by Morgan Oey) a substitute teacher who just wants to find his missing nephew, but ends up trapped in a school full of violent students when riots break out across the city.

What starts as a rescue turns into a full-blown fight for survival, packed with tension, chaos, and some brutal twists. It’s dark, intense, and surprisingly emotional.

It is the kind of movie that makes you think about how people act when the world around them completely falls apart.

6. Gowok: Javanese Kamasutra

Another movies to watch before 2025 end is Gowok: Javanese Kamasutra. It is one of those films that mixes beauty, mystery, and a bit of taboo all in one.

Directed by one of Indonesia’s famous director Hanung Bramantyo, it takes us back to 1960s Java and follows Ratri, a woman raised by Nyai Santi, who’s part of an old Javanese tradition where women known as gowok teach soon-to-be husbands about intimacy and understanding women.

Things get complicated when Ratri’s old lover, Kamanjaya, suddenly reappears, this time as the father of her student. The story turns into a swirl of love, revenge, and cultural tension. Visually, it’s stunning full of rich Javanese settings and poetic shots but what really stands out is how it dives deep into how desire, tradition, and emotion collide in the most unexpected ways.

7. A Normal Woman

a normal woman
Source: Netflix

Looking for psychological drama? A normal Woman is a must-watch. It is the kind of haunting, weird, and honestly pretty unforgettable. The story centers on Milla (Marissa Anita), a glamorous socialite whose perfect life starts falling apart when she develops a strange rash that leads to creepy hallucinations and buried memories.

What seems like a simple health issue quickly turns into a deep dive into her mind and touching on trauma, identity, and how society defines “normal.” It’s the kind of slow-burn film that leaves you thinking long after the credits roll, mixing beauty, madness, and mystery all in one.

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