“A better soap opera drama adaptation to movie”

Dir: Yandy Laurens

Prod: Lachman G. Samtani, Suryana Paramita, Manoj K. Samtani

Writ: Yandy Laurens, Arswendo Atmowiloto

Cast: Chicco Kurniawan, Amanda Rawles, Freya JKT48, Maudy Koesnaedi, Kiki Narendra, Ringgo Agus Rahman

1 Kakak 7 Ponakan (or in English, A Brother and 7 Siblings) is an adaptation of the 1996 soap opera of the same name, created by Arswendo Atmowiloto. This is Yandy Laurens’ second attempt at adapting a soap opera into a movie, following the disappointing Keluarga Cemara (2018).

What is this movie about? It tells the story of a young architect named Moko, who suddenly finds all of his older siblings dying one by one. He must step up to take care of his 7 nephews and nieces. Meanwhile, he faces the dilemma of balancing his family, career, and relationship with his girlfriend

Is the movie any good? Yes, it is. It’s not as disappointing as Keluarga Cemara, but it still has some flaws that might take away from the experience. Let’s start with the positives. Chicco Kurniawan is fantastic as Moko—he’s innocent, charming, energetic, and doesn’t give up when life gets tough, even in the most challenging situations. Ringgo Agus Rahman plays Moko’s brother-in-law, who takes on the role of the movie’s anti-hero, and he does it brilliantly. This is the first time I’ve seen Ringgo play such an annoying, a-hole character, and it’s crazy to see how much range he has. Amanda Rawles, as Moko’s girlfriend Maurin, is sweet and awesome. And Freya from JKT48 outshines other JKT48 actors, including Adhisty Zara.

The movie’s technical aspects are also first class. The cinematography and editing are first rate, making it feel like a well made, proper movie.

as for flaw, there are a few, though. The score isn’t memorable at all, and the pacing is pretty messy. At 2 hours and 11 minutes, I found myself thinking, “Goodness, that’s too long.” Some of the bigger actors, like Sheila Dara Aisha, feel more like cameos. Plus, some of the humor doesn’t land, especially one joke involving a YouTuber. It was funny, but it felt like fan service that came out of nowhere.

overall, for a soap opera-to-movie adaptation, this is a fun watch. But if you’re calling this the best movie of 2025 or a masterpiece, I’m not so sure. As a January release, though, it’s definitely above average for an Indonesian film. If more movies like this came out in January, it would probably be my favorite month for movie releases.

My Rating: B+