24 Hours with Gaspar

24 Hours with Gaspar: Indonesian dystopian thriller set in about 2050, Gaspar is a PI investigating mass graves. He seems to have links with one section of State Security but another wing kills his informant and tries to assassinate him. He's also investigating organ leggers, their past and current crimes, his childhood friend Kirana disappeared 23 years ago and he is obsessed with solving the mystery, Flashbacks to that period illustrate how important she was Gaspar. The narrative is opaque at times and you will have to pay close attention. It's all set to the background of a decaying society where health care is non existent. Locals, including Gaepar, depend on a medic from a fight Club. Due to the malfunction of the implant managing Gaspar's dextrocardia, he has only 24 hours to live. He assembles a motley crew in a last attempt to solve all of the mysteries. Good action scenes with choreographed fighting, an area that stinks of desperation, exploitation of the poor, an epidemic which took place in 2025. There's a lot going on here. It has some flaws but is well worth watching. Directed by Yosep Anggi Noen, Screenplay by M. Irfan Ramli based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Sabda Armandio. On Netflix. 7/10.

The plot was quite intricate and layered. Set in a dystopian world with very minimal world-building, the film features sci-fi elements that are mostly limited to a few gadgets and references. It's a multi-genre film (six genres!) and includes comedy as well. Interestingly, the movie begins and ends with philosophical undertones and includes several contemplative segments throughout. I found the structure a bit confusing, especially at the beginning, and it felt longer and more demanding than necessary. The frequent use of flashbacks was well-executed, though.

I didn't find Reza Rahadian's performance or his character particularly engaging. On the other hand, Shenina Cinnamon, despite her role being more of a caricature, stood out with her striking "revealing" outfit. Laura Basuki also made an impression in a supporting role.

The soundtrack, much like the film's genre mix, is eclectic and includes some Western-style tracks, which could be seen as a highlight. The film also boasts some impressive visuals. However, some of the dialogue felt repetitive and lacked inspiration. Towards the end, there's an interesting development related to a subplot, though it's almost imperceptible. The 24-hour deadline in the movie lacked any real sense of urgency or tension.

24 Hours With Gaspar is a quite interesting Indonesian neo-noir film. With themes of revenge, poverty, and death. The story presented in this film is very unique and seems very fresh because there are detective elements with a little heist in the latter half of the film. In terms of action, it is quite good, not too many fight scenes but exciting to watch. The mystery drama is a bit different from most detective films, but also the audience feels less detective elements. This film also has sci-fi elements that make the film more interesting. In terms of characterization, for some reason it's really lacking, we don't feel sympathy or get involved with some of the characters in this film because their introduction is also lacking and some just suddenly appear. In terms of pacing, at the beginning of the film, it really feels like this will be a slow film, but in the middle to the end it becomes a bit rushed. In terms of cinematography, it's really cool, especially the lighting and color grading, making the neo-noir dystopian atmosphere more pronounced. For the production design, the dystopian atmosphere is really felt at the beginning, but it slowly diminishes. For the soundtrack, it's really cool, blending with the vibes of the film. The acting of the actors here is all good, even though the dialogue is too standard, but they don't make it seem stiff. Overall, even though there are still many shortcomings, this film is enough and bold.