Pengepungan di Bukit Duri

Watched on April 22nd, 2025

The Siege at Thorn High (Pengepungan di Bukit Duri) didn't hold back delivering its grim and strong message, it's in your face right from the opening scenes. This movie tells us about lots of things but the one thing that sticks out and stays with me until I have no idea when is to never stop talking about our darkest times in the past. It's basically a cautionary tale and wake-up call for Indonesia if we want brighter days ahead of us. Education is one of the most vital things that helped a nation to be at its peak and it's baffling that there's even a place for outcast students that feels more like a goddamn prison where you learn nothing else than survival. The movie throws shade on a recurring issue, which is our government seemingly couldn't care less about education being accessible for everyone while keeping green-lighting any other less urgent and more concerning programs. This is a depiction of a country on the brink of collapse where the government has abandoned its own people. Jefri is pretty much a product of the past and the future if things are still the same because the only things he knows are violence, rage, hatred, and racism.

So far, this is Joko Anwar's most well-made movie as a whole. The overall production is solid and the entire superb cast made this journey thrilling and emotional. Morgan Oey should be a leading man in more action movies. Shaky cam in fight scenes is a thing that I always hated but it's tolerable here.

Harsh words, cursing teachers and parents, everything that shouldn't be done as teenagers, Indonesian teenagers. Most of parents, schools and Indonesian government still can't solve the problem about our juvenile delinquencies. This movie add something more about cruelty, gang wars and brawling to our beloved children, our beloved teenagers. I can't see how this movie can increase public awareness of existing social issues. Also, bringing this sensitive issue about what was happened in 1998 its not wise at all. There is no wisdom in bringing racism issue into movie, especially raping issue, bringing back dark memory really hurts.

This movie is not a good example for our teenagers. They just got justification about cursing parents and teachers, street fight with weapons, lootings and raping.

I just hope this movie will not increasing the criminal act that caused by our children.

Joko Anwar is bold enough to raise the issue of racial discrimination against Chinese Indonesians.

(Apologies) Without intending to discredit Gen Z and beyond, this film can be quite provocative if viewers don't filter or approach it with an open mind.

At the very least, it will prompt them to look up historical articles about the 1998 tragedy.

Morgan Oey + Omar Esteghlal = Boom!

Fatih Unru was quite memorable for me.

Minimal plot holes, but unfortunately it loses momentum from the middle to the end.

The layered plot twists were interesting, though one of them was predictable - minus 0.5 from my rating.

Joko Anwar is (still) the best director at the moment.

Pengepungan di Bukit Duri is one of those movies that had me hooked from the start. It's intense, emotional, and really makes you feel like you're part of the story.

The actors did an amazing job-everything felt so real, especially the fight scenes and moments of violence. It didn't feel like they were acting at all. You could see the fear, anger, and desperation in their eyes, and it just hit different.

The script was super well-written too. I found myself feeling all kinds of emotions: anxious, scared, even frustrated, just like the characters. Every line had meaning, and it all helped build the overall tension.

Honestly, the movie was so intense that I was literally shaking at some points. The dark visuals, the camera work, and the background music all worked perfectly together to build that pressure. Joko Anwar really nailed the mood.

Despite its high-octane trailers, it falls flat as an action movie. The plot is thin, riddled with clichés, and never gives the audience a reason to care about the characters. It also attempts to borrow the mysterious mentor trope from Assassination Classroom, but the character falls flat. Ultimately, It feels like a checklist of tired tropes rather than a thrilling ride, making it more frustrating than fun.

It feels like the movie is too busy imitating better works without understanding what made them great in the first place.

It hints at the borrowed elements from Battle Royale and Assassination Classroom, while emphasizing the film's lack of depth or originality.