From director Lucky Kuswandi comes an Indonesian body horror psychological thriller. The Netflix film stars Marissa Anita, Dion Wiyoko, and Gisella Anastasia.
The Gist: A wealthy Indonesian woman named Milla seems to have it all: she has access to the best fashion, she’s married to one of the most desirable men in the country, and they are building an online empire together. But when she starts to have unsettling dreams that turn into physical manifestations on her body, Milla is forced to dig into her past to deal with some unresolved traumas.
What Will It Remind You Of?: The film’s psychosomatic horror vibes and stylish filmmaking will definitely make you think of one of last year’s big hits, The Substance.
Performance Worth Watching: Despite a heightened premise, Marissa Anita as Milla manages to stay grounded as her life is turned inside out.
Memorable Dialogue: “Every plant I put in my room ends up dying,” Milla laments to a kind gardener. He responds with some harsh wisdom that can be applied to her current predicament: “If it dies, it’s not the plant’s fault. It’s the surroundings.”
Sex and Skin: There isn’t much sexually explicit in this film, but if you are sensitive to images of skin rashes and blood or the sound of incessant itching, tread lightly while watching this film.
Our Take: Body horror has become a trendy vessel for exploring societal and gender-based issues—just see one of last year’s Best Picture nominees The Substance. But where the film from French director Coralie Fargeat excelled in its clear vision and POV on beauty standards, Indonesia’s A Normal Woman muddles its thesis.
The Netflix film starts with a mystery: a high-powered woman who seemingly has everything begins having nightmares about a girl named Grace, and spends her days tending to such a nagging itch on her neck that she draws blood. But as her story is unraveled, it opens a dark history dating back to her childhood. A Normal Woman doesn’t completely answer all of the questions around the phenomenon, which is to its detriment in the end.
In a story about female beauty standards, the bright spot is Milla’s relationship with her daughter. Milla is trying to stop her daughter, who is self-conscious about the way she looks, from falling prey to the same societal ills that plagued her. But instead of being an overt story about female solidarity in the face of these backwards expectations, the film spends the majority of its time on a revenge plot between Milla and a childhood friend.
Unfortunately, the film’s conclusion doesn’t make the previous 1 hour 50 minute run time worth it. The final act veers into soap opera and the closing sequence feels disjointed from everything that came before it. Not even the engaging filmmaking can’t save that.
Our Call: SKIP IT. A Normal Woman doesn’t fully land the plane on its social commentary.
Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer based in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared on Vulture, Teen Vogue, Paste Magazine, and more. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.