Directed by Angga Dwimas Sasongko, “Ben & Jody” is a continuation of the lives of the friends from the film “Filosofi Kofi,” directed by Angga Dwimas Sasongko and written by Dee Lestari. “Filosofi Kofi” focused more on the principles that the characters had about coffee and achieving their aspirations to open a cafe. As a continuation of that film, “Ben & Jody” shed light on their town and the bonds that called them back home to fight for it. They serve coffee in various instances, staying true to their roots. However, the focus prioritizes other issues. It was released originally on January 27th, 2022, in Indonesia and later released on Netflix on June 9th, 2022.
Spoilers Ahead
‘Ben & Jody’ Plot – What The Film Is About?
The film begins with Ben organizing a non-violent protest to save his village’s land, where they house a coffee plantation. While awaiting positive news, police raided their home and hit them. Injured, the villagers retreat, however, to secure medicine and cabs for transport, and Ben gets kidnapped. Jody gets worried when Ben does not arrive in the city on the scheduled date, so he goes back to their town to inquire about Ben’s whereabouts. On reaching there, Jody uncovers an entire conspiracy behind the company that is taking over the villages. Both Ben and Jody work towards freeing themselves from the scheme. In the end, they overthrow the illegal thugs hired by the company and return home after an epic car chase sequence.
Did Mr. Hasan Betray Them?
Ben gets kidnapped after going on a solo journey to search for a cab to take the remaining villagers home. He walks the streets while talking to his friend Jody, and after he disconnects to take a video, he is confronted with an altercation that leaves his phone capturing the video and him transported to a car. His cellphone is coincidentally found by Mr. Hasan, who gives it to Jodi as a sign of help when Jody returns to town to search for his friend. Jody tries to unlock Ben’s phone only to find a video of the altercation. He looks for the people on the video and talks to Hasan about it.
While Jody ponders over Ben’s disappearance, he comes across two boys who look exactly like the ones in the video. Immediately, Jody follows them, only to get caught and stashed away with Ben and other villagers who share the same fate. They managed to escape a few days later while the abductors were occupied with an international match between China and Indonesia. Jody and Ben manage to escape, but the chasing abductors, however, Jody gets injured, and Ben drags him towards the river so that they can get to the town. However, they get caught by a tribe residing near the river. The tribe manages to help Jody and revive him. They learn that the tribe is actually the family of one of the villagers who are still captured. They make their way back to the camp to save the other villagers.
When they reach the camp, Ben and Jody discover that they have been betrayed by Hasan, whom they had trusted. Hasan was the reason behind the police raid and Ben’s kidnap. It is clear that when Jody showed the video of Ben getting kidnapped to Hasan, Hasan might have tipped off the two guys to show their faces to Jody to lure him to the camp. Hasan was the reason behind the police not lifting a finger to help either Jody or their friends. Hasan had joined the company to scare the villagers into accepting their propositions. He was tired of fighting for nothing and had instead joined the enemy troops. Hassan planned to kidnap Ben to scare the other villagers so that they would give in and not question the decision. However, his plans were foiled, and instead, he lost his brother, who was the lead kidnapper, in a fight between the tribe and Ben and Jody, who had come to save the remaining villagers. But, it doesn’t change the fact that the entire conspiracy was the brainchild of Hasan, and his brother followed his orders.
‘Ben & Jody’ Ending Explained – Is Ben Dead?
Their return to the camp was eventful, to say the least. The tribe’s acting leader and her sister gathered some of the warriors, and they set toward the center, retracing Ben and Jody’s steps. On reaching the base, the warriors quickly dealt with some enemies. They silently but swiftly infiltrated the camp and set the villagers free. The leader and her sister had to fight Hasan’s brother; therefore, the other warriors dealing with the enemy stayed back while the first car left with the villagers.
Jody rushed to help the leader, only to be injured, and Ben arrived to assist them, only to be shot by Hasan. While lying down, Ben shoots Hasan’s brother. With a gun wound, Ben and the others boarded the other car, the goons chasing them down. Jody tried to ensure Ben stayed awake and did not succumb to his injuries. The others focused on fending off the goons. They drove the car at a breakneck speed to reach the community hospital. Ben manages to keep his consciousness till they get to the hospital. Immediately, Ben is carted off so as to be given proper medication. He survives, but it is unclear if they return to the city or stay in the town, trying to prevent the company from devouring the rest of the villages.
Hasan is left back in the camp with his brother and the rest of the goons who have already been knocked out. Hasan betrayed his best friends and even went as far as to shoot one down. His brother’s dying due to following his orders acted as a cinematic justice for all the wrong they had done. Ben and Jody escaped, not unscathed but in one piece. Jody had a change of heart to fight against the wrongful capture of the villages and decided to stay instead of returning to their coffee shop in the city. Ben joined Jody, as he was the first to conduct all non-violent protests to help out the villagers.
“Ben & Jody” does have an uncanny similarity with reality. The fact that films are defined as a mirror of society, quite rightfully so, has been proven again and again through films. The Indonesian film industry is focusing more on the happenings in their nation and is exposing wrongful actions. The companies responsible for the upheavals of the different small towns, only to relocate the inhabitants deep into the forest with next to nothing, were portrayed as the raw truth. The film also sheds light on the corrupted officials who work simply for their own gain. Most officials care not about the citizens, but rather about filling their pockets. Although apart from such a grim image, the film sheds light on people willing to fight for justice. These people are usually suppressed and overpowered, so their voices are not heard. Because if their voices were heard, the corrupted system would be overturned and crushed by the rest of the citizens hungry for justice. Through its ending, “Ben & Jody” puts forward historical instances where they eventually overturned the system, and justice was served. Ben, Jody, and the rest of the villagers finally got their cinematic justice by putting up a fight and fending off those goons in order to reach out for their escape. The film ends on a happy note, with the best friends uniting with their other friends and the villagers getting a place to live.
“Ben & Jody” is a 2022 Drama Action film directed by Angga Dwimas Sasongko.
