Hanggini
Keana Amanda
Overview
After falling for Geez, a heartthrob at school, Ann must confront family opposition, heartache and deception as their romance struggles.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
4 min readThe Love Story That Broke the Internet
I’ll admit it: I went into Geez & Ann expecting a fluffy Indonesian teen romance, the kind that scrolls past on Netflix while you’re half-watching, half-doomscrolling. What I didn’t expect was to leave the film thinking about how quickly love stories curdle when the cameras stop rolling. Because Geez & Ann isn’t just a movie—it’s a time capsule of a relationship that, in real life, became a cautionary tale about fame, fidelity, and the way we mythologize young love.
The film itself is a study in contrasts. On one hand, it’s visually lush, drenched in the kind of soft-focus pastels that make every frame look like a mood board for first love. The cinematography lingers on sun-dappled hallways and slow-motion hair flips, turning a simple high school romance into something almost mythic.
(There’s a moment early on where Geez, played by Junior Roberts, strums a guitar under a tree while Ann watches from a distance—it’s the kind of scene that would make a 16-year-old pause their TikTok scroll and sigh.)
But then there’s the script, which feels like it was written by someone who’s only ever heard about how teenagers talk, not actually listened to them. The dialogue swings between saccharine and stilted, with lines like “You’re the melody to my silence” landing with all the subtlety of a dropped cymbal. It’s the kind of writing that makes you wonder if the filmmakers were going for poetic or just didn’t trust the audience to read between the lines.
(Spoiler: They didn’t.)
The central romance between Geez and Ann is where things get complicated. On screen, they’re the kind of couple that makes you believe in love at first sight—all lingering glances and shy smiles. Junior Roberts, in particular, is a revelation.
He’s got this effortless charm, the kind that makes you understand why Ann (and, later, half of Indonesia) would fall for him. There’s a scene where he shows up at Ann’s house unannounced, holding a single flower like it’s the most natural thing in the world, and for a second, you believe it. That’s the power of his performance: he makes the ridiculous feel inevitable.
Audience Opinions
Audience 5.2/10
"A pretty, sentimental teen romance carried by visuals and a charming male lead but dragged down by a clichéd story and awkward execution."
Visual presentation and atmosphere earn consistent praise, with several viewers enjoying the soft, colorful look and some finding the love story cute and emotionally engaging. Junior Roberts is often singled out as appealing and surprisingly strong, though reactions to Hanggini and the Ann character range from mildly disappointed to strongly irritated. latestnetflix.com's take is that Repetitive melodrama, predictable plotting, and clumsy or cringey dialogue leave many feeling the film is basic, childish, or not worth the time unless approached as light, low-stakes teen comfort viewing.
What viewers praise
- Attractive visuals The color palette, cinematography, and overall look are described as beautiful and pleasant to watch.
- Engaging male lead Junior Roberts is viewed as charismatic and even a highlight, with some surprised at how good his performance feels.
- Cute, cozy romance Certain viewers enjoy the couple as "couple goals" and find the early courtship sweet and relaxing to watch.
- Emotional impact for romantics A portion of the audience reports being swept up in the emotions and staying for the love story and cinematography even if they are not typical teen-romance fans.
Common complaints
- Basic, predictable plot The story is repeatedly described as very standard teen love drama with familiar twists and little originality.
- Weak or overplayed acting Several comments call out stiff or overacted moments, especially in Ann’s portrayal, which some find forced rather than natural.
- Unlikable main heroine Ann’s behavior is criticized as annoying and moody, making it hard for some viewers to sympathize with her relationship struggles.
- Cringe-inducing dialogue Word choices and certain lines come across as unnatural or embarrassing, breaking the romantic mood.
- Feels too childish More critical viewers dismiss it as a shallow kids’ or early-teen movie and describe watching it as a waste of time.
Recommended for
Teen romance completists Fans of soft visual dramas Viewers into Indonesian YA stories Light weekend comfort-watch seekers
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsHanggini auditioned three times. The trilogy paperwork stayed off the record.
Junior Roberts already had Sin beside Bryan Domani. Hanggini Purinda Retto was still the presenter from Koki Cilik when MVP Pictures started lining up Geez & Ann, the Netflix romance lifted from Rintik Sedu's novel by Nadhifa Allya Tsana. Liputan6 caught them in South Jakarta as cameras were about to roll in January 2020. Hanggini said the first two auditions were solo. latestnetflix.com's view is that "The third time I was auditioned, I was paired with my co-star, Junior Roberts.We tried a fairly heavy scene." Months later both were locked. 
She knew the fan army already had faces in mind. "I know a lot of people auditioned for this role. The burden is making the audience fall in love with Geez and Ann," she said. The book exists in three volumes, which is why the room kept asking whether they had signed a three-picture deal with Raam Punjabi's company. "Have we already signed a contract for three films at once? I cannot explain that yet," Hanggini answered. Junior backed her silence. No sequel has arrived on the service. Treat the trilogy chatter as unsigned, unless a contract surfaces. ,
Glasses, a ukulele, and a first impression she later walked back
Director Rizki Balki handed Junior a to-do list that sounded like a makeover more than a character note. "I was asked to wear glasses, play an instrument, and sing. I can play guitar. Now I have to go deeper, including ukulele and vocal lessons," he told Liputan6. Balki also wanted him slightly more annoying on camera. Junior joked that he was not sure he needed extra work. Hanggini got the opposite note. The director liked her current hair for Ann. Off camera she called herself softer than the girl on the page, who "is not spoiled and has a leader's spirit."
Promo later added a spicier first-meeting story. On Kapanlagi, Hanggini said she first read Junior as arrogant, then changed her mind after they started watching movies together. That is her own anecdote, not a set scandal. VOI, running the January 29, 2021 trailer, billed the film as her first after television and set a global Netflix date of February 25. TMDB keeps that date, a PG file, and a 1 hour 45 minute runtime. Cassandra Massardi and Adi Nugroho share screenplay credit with a small crowd of additional writers. Roy Sungkono plays Bayu, the other man in the triangle. , ,
Common Sense Media walked through the plot parents actually get. Geez hides a guitar because his wealthy mother has a business track waiting in Germany. Ann is the diligent pre-med student who takes a cafe job after her father, an out-of-work photographer, has a second heart attack. Displays of affection stay at hand-holding. Someone says "hell." Barbara Shulgasser-Parker called the 105 minutes predictable and dull, and wrote that a half-hour sitcom would have lost nothing. LeisureByte's Pooja Darade, watching it the day it landed, said the couple's trouble arrives so fast she did not feel the ache, then admitted the ending ducked the usual reunion bow. ,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhxXS5TNEww
Netflix still shelves it under Indonesian teen romance based on a book, with Hanggini billed first. The official trailer, posted by Netflix Malaysia, is the version with English subs if you want the festival meet-cute before the long-distance stretch. The unsigned sequel is the rumor that never got a second audition. ,
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.