Layangan Putus (2021) Review: A Marriage Torn Open

Is Layangan Putus worth watching?

Mostly yes. Layangan Putus is a compulsive, emotionally raw drama about a marriage in crisis, and its two leads make it far more absorbing than its soap-opera trappings suggest. Putri Marino and Reza Rahadian give the betrayal at its heart real weight, and the series tapped into a conversation about marriage and infidelity that made it a genuine cultural event in Indonesia. The reservation is craft: the storytelling can be repetitive and heavy-handed, and the drama sometimes prefers shock to nuance.

What is Layangan Putus about?

Kinan (Putri Marino) appears to have the life many would envy: a comfortable home in Jakarta, a young child and a successful husband, Aris (Reza Rahadian). When she discovers that Aris is having an affair, the picture shatters. The series follows Kinan as she confronts the betrayal, weighs what to do about her marriage, and finds that the scandal spills into the wealthy social circles around them.

The title, meaning “broken kite”, uses the image of a kite whose string has snapped as a metaphor for a relationship that has lost its anchor, and the phrase became popular shorthand for betrayal in Indonesia.

Layangan Putus is an Indonesian series in Indonesian, inspired by a story that went viral on social media, with Anya Geraldine as Lydia and Marthino Lio in the supporting cast. It premiered on WeTV and streams internationally on Viki. This review covers the complete story: a single season of 19 episodes, and the series has ended.

Putri Marino and Reza Rahadian raise the stakes

The series works above all because of its leads. Putri Marino plays Kinan’s pain with remarkable control, letting grief, humiliation and anger surface in stages rather than all at once, and her performance made her one of the country’s most talked-about actors. Her big confrontation scenes became instantly quotable online, but it is the quieter moments of doubt that linger.

Reza Rahadian, among Indonesia’s most acclaimed actors, is well cast as Aris. He resists playing a simple villain, giving the character enough charm and self-justification to make the marriage’s collapse feel painfully believable.

Why it struck such a nerve

Layangan Putus arrived at a moment when Indonesian streaming platforms were proving that local audiences wanted adult, realistic stories rather than endless broadcast soaps. Its subject, the double standards and quiet compromises of a seemingly perfect marriage, clearly touched a nerve with viewers, and its episodes became weekly talking points across social media.

The series is at its best when it looks at how Kinan’s situation is judged by others: by family, by friends, by a social world that values appearances. That social dimension gives it more bite than a simple revenge melodrama.

Where the soap takes over

For all its impact, Layangan Putus is uneven. At 19 episodes, the story circles the same conflicts more often than it needs to, and several supporting characters exist mainly to deliver information or stir up trouble. The music and editing frequently underline emotions that the performances already convey, and some turns in the plot are designed for maximum outrage rather than plausibility. It is compelling television, but rarely subtle television.

Who should watch Layangan Putus?

It suits viewers who enjoy marriage and infidelity dramas, fans of the two leads, and anyone curious about one of Indonesia’s defining streaming hits. Nineteen episodes is a moderate commitment, and the cliffhangers make it easy to binge. It deals with adultery, emotional abuse and family conflict, with adult themes throughout.

For more Indonesian drama:

• Kupu Malam, a darker adult drama from the same streaming wave, about a student living a secret double life.
• Ikatan Cinta to see the broadcast-television family romance that Layangan Putus was so often measured against.

The verdict

Layangan Putus is flawed as drama but powerful as an experience, carried by two superb lead performances and a subject that clearly resonated with its audience. It stretches its story thin and leans hard on melodrama, yet it remains a gripping, emotionally honest portrait of a marriage coming apart.

Rating: 3.5/5