Synopsis and Review: Ice Cold: Murder, Coffee and Jessica Wongso (2023), Is She Really The Suspect?
Synopsis and Review-Ice Cold: Murder, Coffee, and Jessica Wongso is a documentary made in 2023 that delves into the trial of Jessica Kumala Wongso. Directed by Rob Sixsmith and produced by Beach House Pictures, a major production company in Asia, the film raises questions about the circumstances surrounding the death of Wongso’s friend, Wayan Mirna Salihin. It first aired on Netflix on September 28, 2023.
Synopsis:
This movie recounts the notorious murder of Mirna Salihin, where her friend, Jessica Wongso, an Australian citizen, was suspected of the crime. The case became widely known in Indonesia and was labeled as the “Crime of the Century” in the country’s history of homicides. However, describing it as the crime of the century might be a bit overstated.
Review:
In Indonesia, you can be sentenced to 20 years without any evidence, which is a disaster for the judicial system. Listen to the father himself saying,
“This is the longest, most explosive, most historical ever. Killing without evidence, they put in jail for 20 years. I convinced the prosecutors and the judges. That’s how it ended, happy ending. I win.”
The movie exposes the corruption in Indonesia’s legal system. It doesn’t matter if Jessica ordered coffee or showed no emotion; what matters is that there was no firm cause of death, no autopsy, no cyanide evidence in the body, and yet Jessica was still sentenced to jail.
The film effectively dissects the intricacies and flaws of the Indonesian legal system. While unique, this case is problematic due to media attention, a common issue globally. Sometimes I wonder if a better system would involve secret accusations and trials, ensuring fairness without media influence. However, this could lead to abuse of power. The documentary plays more like a sensationalistic film, highlighting an interesting perspective.
The film lacks an interview with Hani, a key witness, and focuses more on the feud between Mirna’s father and Jessica’s lawyer. This approach may reveal weaknesses in law enforcement and justice in Indonesia, but exploiting the perpetrator and victim’s family seems unethical.
I agree that the suspect was treated unfairly. Convicting someone without direct and hard evidence is unjust. While I’m not saying Jessica is innocent, there’s no motive, no evidence — just a celebratory father. The ending is anticlimactic, leaving the audience with their assumptions, typical of Netflix crime documentaries. Foreigners, beware of coming to Indonesia; it seems money can buy law here.
