Berbalas Kejam (2023), A Freshly-Crafted Thriller Drama

*SPOILER*

After two years away from the industry, acclaimed director Teddy Soeriaatmadja is back in the game, ready to explore new genre with his latest project, "Berbalas Kejam" (translated as "Innocent Vengeance") for Prime Video. Though his attempt at horror with "Affliction" didn't quite hit the mark, my faith in Teddy's ability to make a great movie has not been diminished. This time, he's taking on the revenge-thriller genre. 

In Teddy Soerjaatmadja's "Berbalas Kejam", Reza Rahadian, Laura Basuki and Baim Wong head the cast. The story follows Adam (Reza Rahadian), an architect who has been trapped in a prison of trauma and loneliness since witnessing the tragic death of his wife and child by three robbers two years prior. Unable to move on, he is eventually directed to a Amanda (Laura Basuki), a doctor, for help. But when Adam coincidentally reunites with one of the killers of his family, his decision to take revenge is made.

"Berbalas Kejam" kicks off with a set-up that's reminiscent of Law Abiding Citizen: three robbers break into the main character's home, resulting in the death of his child and spouse. While there are some tweaks, the same outcome is sought after: revenge. However, this execution is not as extreme as the one in Law Abiding Citizen.

As the film progressed, Adam's journey to combat his trauma became increasingly visible, anchored by Reza Rahadian's stellar performance. His acting range is simply unparalleled; no matter the character, he will always be nothing short of brilliant. The narrative began to pick up speed when Adam was finally able to determine what was needed to move on from his trauma: revenge and justice for his family.

In Adam's pursuit of vengeance for his family's death, I noticed a clear reference to Shane Meadows' 2004 British film, "Dead Man's Shoes". The horror inflicted in this film was comparable, though Dead Man's Shoes was arguably more savage in its execution. The film does contain brutality, though not to a shocking extent. However, the critical aspect of this revenge drama is the emotion of remorse and dread that the villains feel when they realize the gravity of their actions. Teddy expertly portrays this aspect of the film.

While this film certainly has its merits, its drawbacks are also obvious. In particular, its inconsistency is glaring. We see Adam emerge from his car and suddenly become a vigilante, beating up thugs. This could have been a great opportunity to show Adam's character growth as he copes with trauma, but instead it is just used to demonstrate his newfound bravery. Also, the addition of a romantic relationship between Adam and Amanda in the middle of the film comes across as a bit too much, and I feel that it detracted from the intensity that the film had. It would have been better to give this part to Diaz, the detective, to investigate further. These missteps make the film feel uneven in terms of pacing.

The climax of this film also proved somewhat underwhelming, as it lacked the punch and novel perspective on revenge one might have hoped for. Rather, it ended in a manner that felt all too familiar and ordinary — not bad, but not particularly electrifying either. Nothing particularly groundbreaking transpired, no big explosions or showy finales.

Overall, "Berbalas Kejam" stands as a solidly crafted thriller drama, boasting convincing performances from its actors. This addition to the relatively meager and underwhelming library of Indonesian films in this genre is something of a breath of fresh air.