Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
    Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2 But Why Tho 10

    Spider-Man Is Coming To Magic And It’s Just Like The Comics

    08/29/2025
    Star Wars Visions Volume 3 Black

    ‘Black’ Sets The Tone For A Bold New Mixtape In ‘Star Wars Visions: Volume 3’

    08/28/2025
    Olivia Colman in The Roses

    ‘The Roses’ Is A Reimagining, Not A Remake, And That’s Why It Works So Well

    08/27/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » REVIEW: ‘A World Without’ Is Good, Hopeful YA

REVIEW: ‘A World Without’ Is Good, Hopeful YA

Jason FlattBy Jason Flatt10/15/20214 Mins Read
A World Without - But Why Tho
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

A World Without - But Why Tho

A World Without is an Indonesian Netflix Original film directed by Nia Di Nata starring Amanda Rawles, Maizura, Asmara Abigail, Chicco Jerikho, Jerome Kurnia, Ayushita, and Dira Sugandi. In the near future of 2030, the world has survived a pandemic, but climate change and other perils have been leading towards a social collapse. Three best friends, Salina (Rawles), Ulfah (Maizura), and Tara (Abigail) enroll in, well basically a cult, with a charismatic leader (Jerikho) and a promise to wed each girl when they turn 17. In this future, dating is illegal, and so is any behavior deemed antisocial. All that matters is marrying, having children, and working a good job to keep society from collapsing. And, you know, building a good brand for The Light.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Is A World Without a bit corny? Totally. Is it straightforward and predictable? Indeed. Does it have a magical grandma? Absolutely it does? Did this YA film work its hopefully magic on me? You bet it did. A World Without is a familiar type of tale. There’s great oppression in the world and the day’s youth are so accustomed to it that they don’t think twice about casting away with a cult to shed their sins and live a better life. But of course, the narcissistic and deranged couple at the head of this scheme are only pushing society’s problems even worse. What is the point of marriage if not love? They clearly love one another, why should nobody else have the privilege too? Ali and Sofia (Ayushita) are creepy from the start, sure, but they’re certainly a charismatic pair who are great to watch, especially together. And that compelling relationship only strengthens over time. It was actually grating first, but once I bought into the YA-ness of it all, their oddity became endearing.

Salina, Ulfah, and Tara’s relationship were always strong from the start though. The three of them clearly ride or die and their chemistry on-screen is nearly as strong. While their relationship follows some pretty typical twists and turns, even in their nadirs I couldn’t help but be captured by the magic of their friendship and the hope that it provides. Each of them, and Hafiz (Kurnia) too, felt like fully realized characters despite the relatively short runtime and the number of characters to keep up with. Again, I didn’t quite feel this way at first. Things felt a bit rushed at the beginning and a few scenes were painfully scripted to just dump exposition on the viewer. But by the final part of the story, their hopes and desires felt real and independent of one another.

I also appreciate Hafiz’s character specifically for not taking up too much space. While his support plays an integral role in the plot and the emotion of the story, it is delivered as a supporting role, not a co-lead, and in a story about women’s empowerment, I’m glad it didn’t become a story about how he helped save them.

From the production side, I wish the film were not lit so darkly, though I understand sometimes it was a reflection of the atmosphere or the climate crisis. However, the camera work was excellent. The way the camera changed focus in the middle of certain shots was effective every time and I really enjoyed the way the film incorporated text and voice messages as well as in-film footage. I also admire the costume design for the way it clearly denoted near future. I don’t know that I’d expect wealthy folks to dress how these wealthy folks did now, but I can totally see it being the style in 10 years. The trench coat that the members of The Light had to wear also had a really subtle but futuristic design with the wavey cut at the bottom. The film’s soundtrack is also strong, tying in the right type of music for each moment/

While the film does depict some violence, both domestic and at the hands of security forces a bit more intensely than I would prefer, it nonetheless does well demonstrating its core themes. You cannot walk away from this film without drawing parallels to our own society and the consequences of glorifying ultra-conservative societal norms. Yet, you can also watch the film through a lens of hyperbole and find escapism in the hope the film’s ending delivers.

A World Without is a good piece of hopeful YA. It’s got its corny moments, but its leads are all strong, especially the charismatic and creepy bad guys, and its message is far from trite.

A World Without is streaming now on Netflix.

A World Without
  • 7.5/10
    Rating - 7.5/10
7.5/10

TL;DR

A World Without is a good piece of hopeful YA. It’s got its corny moments, but its leads are all strong, especially the charismatic and creepy bad guys, and its message is far from trite.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘One Night In Paris’ is Uneven and Mostly Not Good
Next Article INTERVIEW: Expanding Star Wars with Visions’ with Kanako Shirasaki & Jacqui Lopez
Jason Flatt
  • X (Twitter)

Jason is the Sr. Editor at But Why Tho? and producer of the But Why Tho? Podcast. He's usually writing about foreign films, Jewish media, and summer camp.

Related Posts

Choi Gyu-ri, Shin Eun-Soo in Love Untangled
7.5

REVIEW: ‘Love Untangled’ Is Just Adorable

08/31/2025
Austin Butler in Caught Stealing
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Caught Stealing’ Marks An Exciting Pivot for Darren Aronofsky

08/27/2025
Margaret Qualley stars as Honey O' Donahue in the film Honey Don't
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Honey Don’t!’ Is A Genius Work Of Subversion And Fantasy Fulfillment

08/25/2025
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Roses But Why Tho
5.0

 REVIEW: ‘The Roses’ Lacks A Thorny Edge

08/25/2025
Mert Ramazan Demir in Abandoned Man
6.5

REVIEW: ‘Abandoned Man’ Lacks Depth In Its Take On Betrayal

08/22/2025
Ne Zha 2 promotional still from a24
10.0

REVIEW: ‘Ne Zha 2’ Is One Of The Most Epic Feats Of Animation

08/21/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Cosmic Spider-Man card details Features

[EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

By Kate Sánchez09/02/2025Updated:09/02/2025

An exclusive look at a new 5-Color Spider entering Magic: The Gathering’s Spider-Man set, and Cosmic Spider-Man is going to be a tough one to take on.

Hololive EN at Radio City Music Hall Events

Hololive EN At Radio City Music Hall Was A Pure Expression Of Fandom

By Adrian Ruiz08/31/2025Updated:09/03/2025

Hololive EN turned Radio City in New York City into the pure expression of fandom: chants, penlights, and community in perfect sync.

Karl Anthony Towns in NBA 2k26 But Why Tho
8.5
PS5

REVIEW: ‘NBA 2K26’ Brings Basketball To Life

By Kyle Foley09/03/2025

NBA 2K26 combines improved visuals with some important tweaks to keep the series feeling fresh in the latest yearly release.

Cronos: The New Dawn Nest
8.0
PC

REVIEW: ‘Cronos: The New Dawn’ Does Post-Apocalyptic Psychological Horror Right

By Mick Abrahamson09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

While not particularly sacry, Cronos: The New Dawn is a lot of fun as a survival horror that puts you in the futuristic armor of the Traveler.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here