Agak Laen

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.

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.

From Podcast to the Film, The Story about The four haunted house officers are named Boris, Jegel, Bene, and Oki. It is said that the four of them served as ghosts who scared visitors to a haunted house at a Pasar Malam. However, instead of being scary and impressing visitors, the haunted house doesn't give off a scary impression at all. Even the ghosts in it fail to surprise or frighten visitors. This situation makes the ride management try as much as possible to present a scary haunted house ride. I Love Interesting Story Tealing, Acting is Very Very Good, Comedy is Amazing, Good Emotional, But the Bad Part is Product Placement, But Luckily is Short Runtime, Overall, This is Funniest Indonesia Movie I Ever See, I giving rating is 8,5/10.

**Headline

**Rating: 7.5/10**

**Suggestion:** "Agak Laen" stands out for its quirky storytelling and relatable characters. The film captures the essence of everyday life with a comedic twist, making it both entertaining and thought-provoking. The humor is often spot-on, allowing viewers to connect with the characters' struggles and triumphs.

However, some plot points feel underdeveloped, leaving certain character arcs lacking depth. The pacing occasionally dips, which might disengage some viewers. Still, the film's charm lies in its ability to portray the ordinary with a whimsical touch, making it a delightful watch overall. It successfully combines humor with heart, offering valuable life lessons without being overly preachy.

'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.