Nobody do not know who Joko Anwar is. He is one of the most talented movie writers and directors in Indonesia. He became more famous because of the movie, Pengabdi Setan (Satan’s Slave). The movie reached approximately 4 million views at the theater when first released in 2017. Because of the hits, Joko and his team made a sequel in 2022 titled Pengabdi Setan 2 : Communion, which also succeeded with 6,3 million views at the theater.
Many people became his fans because the movie is scary and thrilling. But, many of them still do not know that Joko Anwar did not exactly make horror movies in the beginning of his career. Most of those movies even have a relaxing plot that is enjoyable for all ages. So, these are Joko Anwar’s best non-horror movies that will give a new experience for new Joko Anwar’s fans.
The first movie is an action movie, Gundala. It is the first Indonesian cinematic universe. Like the title, this movie tells about a legendary Indonesian superhero from the legendary comic, Gundala Putra Petir. From this movie that looks cinematic, Joko Anwar captures the social issues that happened in our country, Indonesia. So, the movie not only has a good visual, but also has a good moral value that can be a lesson for Indonesian people.
The second is the comedy drama, Janji Joni (Joni’s Promise). This movie is a debut from Joko Anwar as a director and a writer at once. This was released in 2005. In this movie, Joko is capturing the life story of a roll-film courier named Joni. This is one of the best Joko’s movies, because the plot is simple and interesting for many people. Everyone can watch this movie on an online streaming service platform, such as Disney+ Hotstar.
The third is a satire movie titled Arisan! (The Gathering!). This is Joko Anwar’s work as a writer collaborating with Nia Dinata as a producer and a director. The movie tells a complex story of a group of socialites that is hilarious. This movie is capturing the sad reality of living in the capital city Jakarta. It can be watched on Netflix.
So, those are the best three non-horror movies by Joko Anwar. The new fans will have a new perspective of how the director makes a movie. By those movies, fans will know that Joko Anwar truly loves and is passionate about his job as a filmmaker, especially a movie director.
