Review 'NA WILLA': Kids Get Light Entertainment, Parents Get Parenting Knowledge

Kapanlagi.com - NA WILLA tells the story of Na Willa (Luisa Adreena), a six-year-old girl in the 1960s who believes that her tiny world in Krembangan Surabaya is the most perfect and magical place. There, the songs from the radio come to life, the favorite kiosk always has surprises, and every day is an exciting adventure with her friends.

Unfortunately, that beautiful world slowly changes. When her best friend has an accident and one by one her playmates start going to school, Willa's days begin to feel lonely. Not wanting to lose that togetherness, Willa is determined to enter kindergarten, hoping everything can return to the way it was before.

But school actually opens the door to a new world that feels foreign. There are many rules, limitations, and moments where Na Willa feels not fully understood. From that experience, Willa begins to slowly learn that growing up means accepting change. That magic doesn’t always disappear; sometimes it just changes places and forms.

NA WILLA is said to be one of the best films released during the Eid holiday period in 2026. The theme of family and children in this film by Ryan Adriandhy is said to attract many viewers from various backgrounds, just like Ryan Adriandhy's other children's film, JUMBO. KLovers, here is the review by NA WILLA from the editorial team of KapanLagi.com. Warning, this review contains some spoilers.

1. Casual Entertainment for Kids

Trailer snippet NA WILLA - Credit: Visinema

NA WILLA is presented with a warm color tone typical for children. The scoring, soundtrack, plot, tempo, and dialogue are all set up to be enjoyable for kids, especially preschoolers. The storyline, which is not too complicated, makes it easy for children to digest scene by scene as well as the messages that Ryan Adriandhy wants to convey through NA WILLA.

Several messages for children in NA WILLA include not lying, always following parents' advice, being diligent in school, and accepting whatever circumstances they face, even if they are bitter.

2. Parenting Science for Parents

Trailer snippet NA WILLA - Credit: Visinema

Not only serving as casual entertainment for children, NA WILLA also teaches parents without being preachy. Several scenes show how to behave towards inquisitive, sulky, or fussy children.

NA WILLA can also be an inspiration for parents to maximize their child's potential and talents. Moreover, this film seems to teach parents that choosing the right learning environment significantly impacts a child's cognitive and psychological development.

3. Bringing Back Lots of Nostalgia

NA WILLA trailer snippet - Credit: Visinema

Setting the story in the 1960s makes many adult viewers feel nostalgic about their childhood. Besides gaining parenting knowledge, parents who come to the cinema with their children experience several nostalgic elements perfectly presented by Ryan Adriandhy.

Just to name a few: radios, bicycles, rickshaws, chalkboards & chalk, dialogues, clothing, sodas sold in the market, post offices, letters, strict teachers, and newspapers depicting life in that era.

4. Points of Attention

Snippet of the NA WILLA trailer - Credit: Visinema

The two-hour duration of the film makes many children watching feel a bit bored. From the author's observation in the cinema, many children were fussy, causing their parents to take them out of the cinema to calm them down or to go to the restroom.

There is a dialogue when Na Willa faces discrimination from her peers. For parents, this certainly presents homework to explain to their children about the 'taunts' from Na Willa's friends at that school.

Some characters introduced do not significantly impact the storyline and are considered 'wasteful'. One of them is the character Ny Chang (Ira Wibowo). Although she is portrayed as a caring figure and the first person to suggest that Na Willa should not only study at home, in the end, Na Willa does not attend the school recommended by Ny Chang.

5. Other Points of Attention

Snippet of the NA WILLA trailer - Credit: Visinema

The plot of NA WILLA feels shallow and vague. In general, the plot is 'just' Na Willa's journey to start learning outside the home until she finds the right school for her. It could be that Ryan intentionally made the plot relatively shallow to make it easily digestible for children. On the other hand, this makes the story boring due to a lack of conflict and a flat impression.

Some dialogues feel stiff because this film presents a setting in the 1960s. The use of Javanese to emphasize the setting in Surabaya also feels somewhat awkward.

6. Rating from the KapanLagi.com Editorial Team

Trailer snippet NA WILLA - Credit: Visinema

Based on several points outlined above, the KapanLagi.com Editorial Team gives a rating of 7.5/10 for this non-animated debut film by Ryan Adriandhy. Overall, this film is suitable for family viewing during the holiday season and is also a good option for parents to take their children to the cinema for the first time, but it does not leave a deep impression, especially when compared to JUMBO as another powerful work from Ryan Adriandhy in all aspects.

(kpl/ums)