A Long Way to Come Home Review: A Long Way to Come Home (Jalan yang Jauh Jangan Lupa Pulang) is an Indonesian drama film directed by Angga Dwimas Sasongko, the screenplay is written by Angga Dwimas Sasongko and Mohammad Irfan Ramly, and the movie is based on the novel by Marchella F.P. It stars Sheila Dara Aisha, Jerome Kurnia, Lutesha, Rio Dewanto, Ganindra Bimo and Rachel Amanda in lead roles and has a runtime of 109 minutes.
– A Long Way to Come Home Review Does Not Contain Spoilers –
A Long Way to Come Home follows the story of Aurora, who finds her life turned upside down after a rather traumatic incident. Things become more complicated after her family starts to interfere with her decision-making, pushing her over the edge. However, will time heal this wound? Will she be able to get through to her siblings and pull her life back on track?
There are some movies which, in spite of being in a language foreign to you, feel so familiar that it’s almost like having a friend who understands your problems. A Long Way to Come Home, a rather slow-paced drama about life, is that kind of movie. As the movie moves on slowly from one incident to another in Aurora’s life, it feels familiar in a whole lot of different ways. Maybe you’ve been in a bad relationship, maybe you’ve had (or are having) a hard time being accepted, maybe you feel out-of-place where you are and are struggling to find a way to make things right – the film taps into those parts of you and makes you feel heard.
The movie is an emotional rollercoaster ride that takes its sweet time to get its point across. It’s about the family that you choose and the one that you are born with and how both shape the person you become. The way the movie is set up makes these emotions come out better; the chapters and the songs blend together so well with the content that we see and bringing things into perspective and making you relate to the characters emotionally.
A Long Way to Come Home breaks the story down into small moments that weave in and out constantly, and things work out if you stick around and watch it till the end. The small bits and pieces come together only when you give them time, something that makes Aurora’s life fall into place in the end as well. It’s a really hopeful movie, one that makes a lot of sense if you submit to it and, like Aurora, you get to find some sort of peace as the right time comes along.
Aurora’s struggle with her home and her sense of peace when she is able to run away from everyone in Jakarta is something that many youngsters staying away from home might be able to relate to the most. The struggles of the middle child, combined with the responsibilities that come with being a child whose parents struggle to send them to school outside the country and the weight that puts on one’s shoulders, is all too familiar. Aurora’s impassioned rant to her siblings, who also don’t understand her point of view, might be cathartic to some who go through this problem every day.
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On the other hand, Aurora’s struggles at home are masked by her two friends, who are the polar opposite of her family – the family we chose sometimes end up being the ones that we truly need to succeed. There’s nothing more wonderful than having people who understand you through and through and just let you live without any baggage. The difference between these two factions of Aurora’s life makes her character shine through and bring out her true colours. The others are in the movie to support her metamorphosis from a broken individual to someone who can shine as bright as the sun.
The various moving parts of A Long Way to Come Home make this a movie worth watching if you just need someone to understand your point of view. A sequel to the 2020 film Nanti Kita Cerita tentang Hari Ini, the 2023 movie focuses on the other sibling and how different she is from her sister. It brings out the need to give individuals the space to be heard, seen and understood instead of simply pushing your views on them.
Lastly, the film talks about all-consuming romantic relationships that swallow you up whole and break you down so much that you don’t understand that what happened to you was incorrect. It’s an interesting point to note, especially when Aurora mentions that she chose to give up her dreams to support Jem – she doesn’t realise that she was losing herself in the process of helping her boyfriend, who, by all means, is extremely manipulative, abusive and toxic. There are moments in this sphere, too, that will leave your heart aching, and although we don’t see physical violence between the pair (thankfully), what we see is extremely relatable, and the implications are also extremely scary.
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Sheila Dara Aisha is the star of this movie, and she plays that role extremely well. Her chemistry with the rest of the cast is quite exceptional as well. Jerome Kurnia and Lutesha, as Kit and Honey respectively, are also great, and their chemistry with the protagonist is so well that their friendship just makes sense. Ganindra Bimo plays Jem really well, and you will hate and fear him simultaneously throughout the course of the movie. Rio Dewanto and Rachel Amanda, as Angkasa and Awan, don’t have a lot of time in this movie but are great for however long they are there.
A Long Way to Come Home Review: Final Thoughts
There’s something really nice about watching a movie that feels like it gets you. There are moments in the movie that might just move you to tears. This is a movie worth watching if you’re in the mood for something slow and relatable.
A Long Way to Come Home is streaming on Netflix.
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