The film follows three teenagers in the near future where they try to live their best lives by joining a strange organization called The Light.
The Indonesian Netflix film, A World Without, is a dystopian, sci-fi drama following three teenagers in the near future where nothing is the same. The movie is set in 2030 and in this post-pandemic world, three girls try to live their best lives by joining a strange organization where dating is forbidden and a charismatic leader promises to lead them into a brighter future.
The film is directed by Nia Dinata, who is best known for directing films of a risque nature dealing with matters like homosexuality, migrant workers, and polygamy. This film too deals with the institute of marriage and its fallacies. Lucky Kuswandi is also a co-director of the film who is best known for his work on films like Ali & the Queens, and the mini-series Gossip Girl Indonesia.
Salina (Amanda Rawles), Tara (Asmara Abigail), and Ulfah (Maizura Maizura) join the reclusive organization, The Light. The organization promises to help its members live the life they want to. The three girls have their own goals in life and join with their respective skillsets to achieve these goals. The Light forbids members from dating and instead claiming that a predetermined algorithm that matches them with the right partner will choose partners for them.
Safina finds that she has fallen for a guy named Hafiz. But the marriage algorithm chooses for him to be with Ulfah instead and they get married. Tara chooses to become a make-up developer and social media influencer. She is matched with a guy named Aditya. Safina is then chosen to partake in a documentary about The Light founders Ali and Sofia. She learns various intimate details about the couple including how Sofia had several miscarriages in the past. Soon she discovers how the algorithm was nothing but a lie and it was all decided by Ali and Sofia themselves.
Soon, Ulfah is pregnant with a child. Tara on the other hand is neglected and abused by Aditya. Meanwhile, Safina is gathering evidence of other fraudulent activities taking place at The Light and soon tells her friends about it. They decide to run away from the organization and expose its fraudulent ways.
All three girls are going through a hard time at The Light. At the same time, Ali and Sofia try to convince Salina to marry Ali and become his second wife. Salina feels troubled and soon learns that this was not the first time the couple had been up to a set-up like this. It then dawns on her that The Light is nothing but a cult and an institute to benefit its founders. She makes up her mind to run away and convinces her friends to join her. Ulfah, who had always wanted to be married, was hitched to a man who did not have feelings for her. Tara was paired with an abusive man and Salina was being asked to marry Ali so that she could bear his children to continue the legacy of The Light.
But the three decide to run away.
Safina, Ulfah, join Tara in her car. As they are making their getaway, Ulfah's water breaks. Their plan to escape has to be halted briefly as Ulfah is taken to deliver her child. Salina had helped a woman when she first joined The Light. To return the favor, she helps Ulfah deliver the baby. She gives birth to a baby girl and names her Padma.
They then put their escape into action again and got away with little to no resistance. Hafiz is left behind but does get to meet his daughter. The three women and the baby girl then drive away to their freedom. The Light served as an elaborate metaphor for the institute of marriage and them getting away from it was a powerful statement about the autonomy women should have over their own bodies and lives.
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