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Movie poster for Love Like the Falling Rain (2020)

Love Like the Falling Rain

2020
1h 26m
13+ · Indonesian
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Overview

Fearing rejection, a young man struggles to declare his feelings for his best friend, who soon falls for another man — until a fateful incident.

Cast

12 people

Reviews

5 min read

The Rain That Never Falls

I’ve seen this movie before. Not the exact plot—though, let’s be honest, I’ve seen that before too—but the feeling of it. The way the camera lingers on a close-up of a trembling lip, the way the soundtrack swells just as the protagonist finally confesses what we’ve known since the first scene.

The way the rain, always the rain, is there to wash away the awkwardness of human connection. Love Like the Falling Rain is a film that wants so badly to be poetic, to be tender, to be felt, but ends up feeling like a rehearsal for emotions it never quite earns.

That’s not to say it doesn’t try. The opening sequence, for instance, is all golden-hour light and slow-motion glances, the kind of visual shorthand that’s supposed to telegraph "this is a story about young love." Nara (Aurora Ribero) and Juned (Axel Matthew Thomas) are childhood friends, the kind who finish each other’s sentences and share secrets under the kind of tree that only exists in coming-of-age stories.

The cinematography here is lush, almost aggressively so—every frame looks like a postcard from some idealized version of Indonesia, all rolling hills and pastel skies. It’s pretty, but pretty in the way a screensaver is pretty: nice to look at, but ultimately empty.

Two teenagers sit on a bench under a tree, the golden light of sunset filtering through the leaves

The problem isn’t the setting, though. It’s that the film mistakes beauty for depth. Take the voiceovers, for example.

They’re everywhere, these little bursts of introspection that are supposed to make us feel the weight of Nara’s unrequited love or Juned’s fear of rejection. But the writing is so on-the-nose that it undercuts any real emotional resonance. "Love is like the falling rain," Nara muses at one point, "beautiful, but it can also make you cold."

It’s the kind of line that sounds profound when you read it in a novel’s blurb but lands with a thud when spoken aloud. Roger Moore, writing for Roger’s Movie Nation, put it bluntly: "Love Like the Falling Rain just makes one want to give everybody a towel and send them home." It’s a harsh assessment, but it’s hard to argue with. The film is so desperate to be meaningful that it forgets to be true.

Audience Opinions

Limited evidence
"A soft, sad-eyed Indonesian teen romance about loving your best friend from too far away."

A Netflix teen romantic drama about a young man who cannot tell his best friend how he feels, watches her fall for someone else, then is shaken by a fateful incident. The draw is the ache of unrequited love inside a lifelong friendship.

What viewers praise
  • Best-friends-in-love setup A young man fearing rejection while pining for his best friend gives romance fans an easy emotional entry point.
  • Unrequited love and friendship focus Centers on lifelong friendship and the emotional tangle of unrequited love among young adults.
  • Indonesian teen romance identity Presented as an Indonesian teen romantic drama known under its original title Seperti Hujan Yang Jatuh Ke Bumi.
Common complaints
  • Love-triangle ache The best friend falling for another man before a fateful incident makes the story painful if you want a purely sweet romance.
  • Heavy emotional tone Leans into the emotional complexities of unrequited love, which can feel sad if you came for light romance.
Recommended for
Fans of teen romantic dramas Fans of best-friend unrequited-love stories Netflix romance watchers looking for an Indonesian title

Buzz & Rumors

Public reports

Behind the Scenes of Love Like the Falling Rain: Indonesia’s Teen Romance That Captivated Hearts

Love Like the Falling Rain (2020) emerged as one of Indonesia’s most talked-about teen dramas, blending unrequited love, lifelong friendships, and the bittersweet ache of growing up. Directed by Lasja Fauzia Susatyo, the film stars a roster of young Indonesian talent, including Jefri Nichol, Aurora Ribero, and Axel Matthew Thomas. But what went into making this emotional rollercoaster? latestnetflix.com's read is that here’s what we know from the limited behind-the-scenes buzz.

A Story of Unrequited Love and Friendship

The film, originally titled Seperti Hujan yang Jatuh ke Bumi in Indonesian, centers on the complexities of young love and the bonds that define adolescence. According to snippets from Grokipedia, it explores "the emotional complexities of unrequited love and lifelong friendship among young adults". While the full plot remains under wraps in the available evidence, the trailer hints at a visually poetic narrative, with rain serving as a recurring metaphor for longing and change.

The Cast: Rising Stars in the Spotlight

Jefri Nichol, a heartthrob in Indonesian cinema, leads the cast alongside Aurora Ribero, whose expressive performances have made her a fan favorite. Axel Matthew Thomas, Nadya Arina, and Rebecca Klopper round out the ensemble, bringing depth to the film’s emotional core. The chemistry among the cast appears to be a key selling point, though details about their off-screen dynamics remain scarce in the available sources.

Director Lasja Fauzia Susatyo’s Vision

Little is publicly known about Susatyo’s directorial approach for this project, but her work on Love Like the Falling Rain aligns with Indonesia’s growing appetite for teen dramas that balance romance with coming-of-age struggles. The film’s original title, Seperti Hujan yang Jatuh ke Bumi, suggests a lyrical touch, and the trailer reinforces this with moody visuals and a melancholic tone. Whether Susatyo drew from personal experiences or classic Indonesian storytelling tropes is unclear, but the result is a film that resonates with audiences seeking emotional authenticity.

What We Don’t Know (Yet)

Despite its popularity, Love Like the Falling Rain has left some questions unanswered in the available evidence:

  • Behind-the-scenes drama: No snippets mention on-set conflicts, cast rivalries, or directorial challenges. - Box office or critical reception: While the film is listed on platforms like Rotten Tomatoes and SensCritique, no ratings, reviews, or financial details are provided in the retrieved results. - Production details: There’s no mention of filming locations, budget, or how long the shoot took.

Why the Hype?

The film’s trailer amassed attention for its cinematic aesthetic, blending soft lighting with raw emotional performances. The cast’s star power—particularly Nichol and Ribero—likely fueled anticipation, as both actors have dedicated fanbases in Indonesia. The movie’s themes of love and loss also tap into universal experiences, making it relatable beyond its local audience.

For now, Love Like the Falling Rain remains a tantalizing glimpse into Indonesia’s teen drama scene, with more behind-the-scenes details yet to surface. Until then, fans can revisit the trailer or dive into the film itself to experience its emotional journey firsthand.

Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.

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