
Biriyaani
2021

2025
Director
Reza Rahadian
Runtime
104 minutes
Average Rating
No ratings yetSynopsis
Sartika, a pregnant young woman, moves away from her city hoping to provide a better future for her child. She meets Maya, a coffee shop owner in Pantura. Maya takes care of Sartika and helps with her deliveries. After Sartika gives birth, Maya manipulates her into working for her as the "Kopi Pangku" waitress, a job that requires her to serve coffee on a man's lap, until one day she meets a fish distributor truck driver named Hadi and falls in love. Will she find happiness?
Overall Score
Good
Category Breakdown
LGBTQ+ Representation
The film focuses on a heterosexual romance but explores non-traditional social bonds. The connection between Maya and Sartika disrupts patriarchal family structures through a maternal mentor bond.
Gender Representation
The narrative centers on female agency and survival within a precarious economic landscape. It subverts traditional hierarchies by focusing on female-led spaces and complex power dynamics.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
This Indonesian production provides a non-Western perspective by centering an indigenous narrative in the Pantura region. The ensemble offers a rich tapestry of local ethnic representation.
Religious & Cultural Diversity
The film critiques systemic exploitation and the erosion of traditional morality due to economic necessity. It frames survivalist choices as complex responses to oppressive socioeconomic systems.
Disability Representation
There are no visible or invisible disabilities documented as central to the character arcs or plot progression.
Strengths
Areas for Improvement
AI Analysis
Reza Rahadian’s directorial debut offers a sophisticated critique of social and economic hierarchies. By centering on a female protagonist navigating systemic exploitation, the film avoids idealized storytelling in favor of a nuanced, intersectional view of class and gender. The film excels at portraying the complexities of survival. It moves beyond simple moral binaries to show how characters respond to financial crises and social displacement through morally ambiguous choices. While the film lacks explicit queer identity or disability representation, it succeeds in disrupting traditional domestic stability. It provides a localized, culturally specific lens that challenges conventional Indonesian social structures.

2021

2019

1997

1988

2013

2023

2014

2022

2024

2014

2017

2018
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!
Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.