# Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens

Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens (transl. Ali & the Queens of Queens) is a 2021 Indonesian comedy-drama film directed by Lucky Kuswandi, written by Gina S. Noer and Muhammad Zaidy and starring Iqbaal Dhiafakhri Ramadhan, Marissa Anita, Aurora Ribero and Nirina Zubir. 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

## 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.

## Accolades

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