Dopamin

Story: Malik (Angga Yunanda) has been unemployed for a year and simply cannot find a job. To make ends meet, he and his wife Alya (Shenina Cinnamon) have borrowed money from various people, including loan sharks. The couple has also fallen behind on rent, and to make matters more complicated, Alya becomes pregnant. As if things couldn't get any worse, Malik’s car breaks down on his way home after a tire blows out. Changing the tire in the pouring rain proves difficult, but fortunately, a stranger appears and offers Malik a ride. He introduces himself as Arief (Anjasmara) and even drives Malik all the way home. Malik invites him in for a simple meal, but when Arief tries to leave, his car won't start. The couple offers to let him spend the night. Arief agrees but fails to emerge from his room the next day. When Malik breaks down the door, he finds the man dead; he has injected a fatal dose of heroin, and lying beside him is a suitcase filled to the brim with cash. Alya wants to call the police, but Malik stops her. The money could solve all their problems, and Arief had told them the night before that he had no family. So why not keep the money? First, however, they have to get rid of the body...

Review: I’m not entirely sure what I expected when the Indonesian film "Dopamin" caught my eye with its title and poster. I chose it primarily because I wanted to devote some time to films from Asian countries other than China, Japan and South Korea. I suppose I was anticipating an action-packed or at least fast-paced flick like "The Elixir". Instead, the film — particularly its opening — presents a relationship drama; while an unexpected visitor adds a touch of suspense, the overall pace is quite leisurely. That didn't bother me in the slightest, a testament to the film's quality, and I was more than willing to see where the rest of the story would lead. The narrative is engagingly executed, which is essential given the premise; after all, the setup isn't exactly original, and many of the plot points are predictable from a mile away.

It came as a surprise to learn that the two leads, Angga Yunanda and Shenina Cinnamon, are a couple in real life and got married shortly before the film was made. To be honest, the chemistry between them isn't quite as remarkable as one might expect given that background information. In fact, they come across more like a couple who have been married for a long time and whose relationship has hit a rut. Consequently, Alya often seems rather annoying in the story; she offers Malik no support, emotional or otherwise, for anything he does. That said, Malik does come across as a classic loser. Although he has been trying to find a job for a year, his reserved, passive nature is likely a contributing factor to his lack of success so far. However, a sudden death prompts him to take the initiative, perhaps leading his wife to view him in a slightly better light. At least, to the extent that’s possible when someone is trying to make a dead body disappear...

"Dopamin" works primarily thanks to its setting, which is largely confined to the house. Although the couple frequently moves through other locations — going shopping, Malik applying for jobs, and the disposal of the body, of course — the home serves as a gravitational center that creates a dense atmosphere and, at times, suffocating tension. This is evident right from the start, when Arief sits down with the couple over instant noodles; the viewer has no idea what will happen next. Thanks to the mood, the excellent use of the score and sound effects, and the strong performances, one remains glued to the screen, even though not all that much actually happens. The thriller is visually impressive, too: the visuals are polished, the cinematography is assured, and special attention has been paid to lighting, all of which pays off in the film's intensely atmospheric quality.

The screenplay is where the weaknesses lie, though. Everything is more or less predictable. Malik occasionally sees the dead Arief because his conscience is tormenting him; the couple appears to be under surveillance, and indeed, a man repeatedly makes his presence felt to engage in psychological warfare; furthermore, news reports mentioned a crime boss, making it easy to guess the money's true origin. The subsequent events lack originality, too. On top of that, the couple generally behaves with extreme stupidity. They act anything but inconspicuous while disposing of the body; the license plate of the car they are driving, which is Arief’s vehicle, is noted during a police stop; the landlord witnesses them loading something large and heavy into that car's trunk; yet, they give no thought to all these loose ends, and there are several more. There are even further issues that are bound to come back to haunt the couple later on. Sure, this is intentional, but the execution is simply too clumsy.

At the very least, Malik gives some superficial thought to how they might dispose of the body and make it unidentifiable. It is surprising to see that "Dopamin" can turn bloody when the situation demands it. Since the story does not center on action heroes, with Malik, strictly speaking, representing the exact opposite, the finale feels all the more adrenaline-fueled; it becomes a fight for sheer survival. While the ending is likely to satisfy most viewers, it ultimately proves somewhat underwhelming. It is also noticeable that certain plot points remain unresolved or simply fizzle out. The police, in particular, are portrayed as either completely incompetent or naive. Fundamentally, however, "Dopamin" aims to weave a drama around its two protagonists, exploring the familiar dilemma of a large sum of money falling unexpectedly into one's lap. Thanks to a suspenseful atmosphere and the director's technical expertise, this thriller is without a doubt a success in that regard.

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