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Indonesian action cinema has a reputation built on brutality. Since The Raid in 2011, the world has associated Indonesian action films with close-quarters fighting, pencak silat choreography and spectacular violence. Serangan Balik (Counterattack), released worldwide on Netflix on Thursday, November 12, keeps the brutality but adds something the genre often lacks: a family story worth caring about.
The story
Directed by Sidharta Tata, the 137-minute film follows Hari (Lukman Sardi), a former special forces soldier living alone in the misty highlands of Dieng, Central Java, carrying old trauma and guilt. His son-in-law (Dennis Adhiswara) leaves Hari’s two estranged grandchildren, Putri (Callista Arum) and Dimas (Sulthan Hamonangan), with him. As the three slowly get to know each other, a Jakarta gangster, Bastian (Derby Romero), arrives and causes chaos with tragic results. Bastian’s older brother Ulo (Donny Alamsyah) then comes for revenge with weapons and a small army.
Hari has to revive skills he had deliberately buried. With his grandchildren, he turns his house and yard into a fortified battlefield of traps. Putri’s archery, which she learned earlier in the film, becomes crucial.
My view: the casting is the masterstroke
The film’s best decision is casting Lukman Sardi. He is one of Indonesia’s most respected dramatic actors, and this is his first action lead, at 55. Reviewers have praised how naturally he handles the physical scenes, and it works because the audience believes Hari first as a grandfather and only later as a fighter. Derby Romero, mostly known for lighter roles, has spoken about the challenge of playing the antagonist.
The premise, an old soldier defending his family against criminals, is familiar from Hollywood films like Taken and Logan, and reviewers have noted that the conflict is not especially original. But the setting changes everything. Dieng’s fog, volcanic plateau and small farming communities give the film a texture no Hollywood version could. It also shows Indonesian landscapes to Netflix’s global audience in a way tourism adverts never could.
The bigger story is Netflix’s commitment to Indonesian originals. A few years ago, Indonesian films on global platforms were mainly horror. Now action dramas like this one are being produced at international scale. That gives Indonesian actors, stunt teams and crews valuable experience, and it offers audiences more than ghost stories.
Serangan Balik is not perfect, and some viewers will find 137 minutes long. But it is a confident, emotional action film, and suitable for older teenagers and adults watching as a family.
Sources: Liputan6; Medcom; IDN Times; Tribunnews.
