Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens

Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens
Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens
	Netflix release poster
Directed by	Lucky Kuswandi
Written by	Gina S. Noer; Muhammad Zaidy;
Starring	Iqbaal Dhiafakhri Ramadhan; Aurora Ribero; Nirina Zubir;
Production; company	Palari Films
Distributed by	Netflix
Release date	17 June 2021;
Running time	100 minutes
Countries	Indonesia; United States
Languages	Indonesian; English

Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens (transl. Ali & the Queens of Queens) is a 2021 Indonesian comedy-drama film directed by Lucky Kuswandi, written by Ginatri S. Noer and Muhammad Zaidy and starring Iqbaal Dhiafakhri Ramadhan, Marissa Anita, Aurora Ribero and Nirina Zubir.^[1]^[2] Ramadhan portrays the son from a divorced household visiting his mother (Anita) at New York City to reconcile.

Plot

In Jakarta, 17-year-old Ali watches his dying father, Hasan, die of heart attack. Ali's mother Mia left them for New York City (NYC) when he was five. Initially believing that Mia had died, Ali finds letters, postcards, and flight tickets for Ali to visit Mia in New York, which Hasan hid from him. Ali reveals his desire to search for his mother in NYC, and after heated negotiations, his helicopter aunt Suci gives him two weeks. He visits an apartment in Queens where his mother stayed previously and meets her friend Party, who works as a cleaner. She shares the same apartment with Biyah, a Bondho Nekat [id]-turned-paparazzi; Ance, a single helicopter mom; and Chinta, a masseuse. Compensated with money, they pledge to help Ali's search for Mia. They also guide Ali through NYC, and Ali helps them in their jobs so that they can earn US$10,000 to open an Indonesian restaurant, Ratu Ratu Queens (transl. Queens of Queens). Ali develops a crush on Eva, Ance's daughter born in NYC.

Through a friend, Biyah learns that Mia resides in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Ali decides to visit her, who is shocked at his presence and slams the door. Ali also learns that Mia has a new husband, Alex, a son and daughter. The next day, Ali re-attempts to engage with her and reveals Hasan's death. Mia expresses her condolences and shares her phone number. Ali and Mia meet up in a cafe near Ali's apartment, and the two spend the day together but end awry as Ali asks his mom to include him in her new family; she says this could ruin her household, also revealing that Hasan ignorantly prohibited Ali from flying to New York with the ticket she purchased.

Ali invites Mia to a Thanksgiving dinner at her old apartment. Mia feels taunted passive-aggressively by Biyah, Ance, and Chinta on her actions when Ali shows up at her doorstep. Feeling guilty, she hands a US$20,000 check to Party, directed towards Ali, and informs Party to convince Ali to return to Indonesia. Assuming Party and her friends are only after his money, Ali expresses betrayal and leaves the apartment. Mia reveals that she indeed provided the check, reasoning that she cannot abandon her new family and wants Ali to return. She tearfully responds that the more she meets Ali, the more guilty she feels for leaving him. Ali reluctantly asks her to disown her. Mia tearfully confesses that she has been a terrible mother and tells Ali to hate her so he can leave.

Ali leaves, staying up through predawn, and meets up with Eva, who advises him to go back to the apartment. He complies, and shows Party, Biyah, Ance, and Chinta a video he edited using videos he recorded while living with them, expressing his apology and positivity. They reconcile, and Ali accepts them as his new family. In the end, Ali is accepted into a local university, and as Christmas nears, Mia confides on Ali in private to Alex. In a mid-credits scene, Ali's cousin flies to NYC to meet Ali upon Suci's demand.

Cast

Iqbaal Ramadhan as Ali
Marissa Anita as Mia, Ali's estranged mother
Aurora Ribero as Eva
Nirina Zubir as Party
Tika Panggabean as Ance
Asri Welas as Biyah
Happy Salma as Chinta
Bayu Skak as Zulpang
Ibnu Jamil as Hasan, Ali's deceased father
Cut Mini Theo as Bude
Arief Didu as Pakde
Reza Rahadian

Release

It was released on 17 June 2021 on Netflix.

Television series

On 15 August 2024, Netflix announced that the prequel series under the working title Ratu Ratu Queens had been in production.^[3]

Accolades

Award	Date of ceremony	Category	Recipient(s)	Result	Ref.
Bandung Film Festival	23 October 2021	Best Director – Motion Picture	Lucky Kuswandi	Nominated	^[4]^[5]
		Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture	Marissa Anita	Nominated
		Best Editing – Motion Picture	Aline Jusria	Won
Indonesian Film Festival	10 November 2021	Best Picture	Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens	Nominated	^[6]^[7]
		Best Director	Lucky Kuswandi	Nominated
		Best Actor	Iqbaal Ramadhan	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actress	Marissa Anita	Won
		Best Supporting Actress	Asri Welas	Nominated
		Best Original Screenplay	Gina S. Noer	Nominated
		Best Cinematography	Batara Goempar	Nominated
		Best Editing	Aline Jusria	Nominated
		Best Visual Effects	Rivai Chen	Nominated
		Best Sound	Yusuf Patawari, Wahyu Tri Purnomo & Pat O'Leary	Nominated
		Best Original Score	Mar Galo & Ken Jenie	Nominated
		Best Theme Songwriter	Bam Mastro ("Never Look Back")	Nominated
		Best Theme Songwriter	Iqbaal Ramadhan & Tarapti Ikhtiar Rinrin ("On My Own")	Nominated
		Best Art Direction	Eros Eflin & Roxy Martinez	Nominated
		Best Costume Design	Karin Wijaya	Nominated
		Best Makeup & Hairstyling	Marshya D. Martha	Nominated
		Favorite Film	Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens	Won
Indonesian Movie Actors Awards	28 November 2021	Best Actress	Marissa Anita	Nominated	^[8]
		Best Ensemble	Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens	Nominated
		Favorite Film	Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens	Nominated
		Favorite Actress	Marissa Anita	Nominated
Indonesian Reporters Film Festival	28 October 2021	Best Film – Drama	Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens	Won	^[9]^[10]
		Best Director – Drama	Lucky Kuswandi	Won
		Best Actor – Drama	Iqbaal Ramadhan	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actress – Drama	Nirina Zubir	Won
		Best Supporting Actress – Drama	Marissa Anita	Nominated
		Best Screenplay – Drama	Gina S. Noer	Nominated
		Best Editing – Drama	Aline Jusria	Won
		Best Cinematography – Drama	Batara Goempar	Won
Maya Awards	2022	Best Feature Film	Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens	Nominated	^[11]^[12]^[13]
		Best Director	Lucky Kuswandi	Nominated
		Best Actor in a Leading Role	Iqbaal Ramadhan	Nominated
		Best Actress in a Supporting Role	Marissa Anita	Nominated
		Best Original Screenplay	Gina S. Noer & Muhammad Zaidy	Nominated
		Best Cinematography	Batara Goempar	Nominated
		Best Costume Design	Karin Wijaya	Nominated
		Best Makeup & Hairstyling	Marshya D. Martha	Nominated
Xposure Choice	21 January 2022	The Most Xposure Actor	Iqbaal Ramadhan	Won	^[14] ^[15]