Netflix is going big on thrillers lately, and you can’t blame the streaming service either. Its subscriber base seems to gobble up intense and twisting flicks with glee, so there’s a good chance “A Normal Woman” will be the latest original to make a real splash.
It wouldn’t surprise me if this Indonesian psychological thriller resonates. There’s quite a lot to like here, from the hooky premise of a woman slowly spiralling into madness as her seemingly perfect life crumbles, to the strong leading performance from Marissa Anita.
But its strengths are mostly skin-deep. Underneath the intrigue and the unsettling moments (of which there are quite a few), director Lucky Kuswandi never manages to elevate the proceedings above its daytime TV tone, and it can be quite a patience-testing watch.
Curious to know more? Here’s everything you need to know about “A Normal Woman” to help you make the call on whether to add it to your Netflix watchlist or give this one a skip.
What is ‘A Normal Woman’ about?
![A Normal Woman - Official Trailer [English] | Netflix - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/xyRJxvB18_E/maxresdefault.jpg)
Milla (Marissa Anita) has a seemingly perfect life. She's the wife of a successful businessman (Dion Wiyoko), and living in luxury, her list of problems or stresses seems to be extremely small.
However, looks can be deceiving, and the pressure to be perfect weighs heavily on her. And this anxiety begins to manifest itself in increasingly skin-crawling ways. First, as a rash on her neck before spreading to cover her entire face. And the itching becomes unbearable.
Under the stern eye of her mother-in-law, Liliana (Widyawati), Milla’s sanity begins to spiral, and she also struggles to recall her childhood. It’s not long before dark secrets surface.
‘A Normal Woman’ will make you seriously itchy
“A Normal Woman” dives deep into the pressures that come with trying to keep up a facade. Initially, Milla appears to have it all, but it quickly becomes apparent that her perfect life is anything but a dream. She faces relatable insecurities and lacks a sense of self and direction.
It certainly doesn’t help that the people around her do little but pile on more pressure. Her husband seems far from concerned about her struggles, more annoyed to be “forced” to deal with her problems, and her mother-in-law is quite a nasty piece of work. Blaming Milla’s woes on things like not attending church regularly, while doting endlessly on her son.
Milla is also struggling to raise her young daughter, who has deep insecurities of her own, bemoaning her appearance, and desperate for plastic surgery to make herself feel pretty. You probably won’t be surprised to know that her self-loathing is only exacerbated by scrolling social media, observing people who present themselves as impeccably put together.
When Milla’s rash breaks through, it starts small, just a small red patch on her neck, but as her psyche cracks further, and she can’t help but scratch, it becomes a festering wound, leaking blood and spreading across her entire face. It’s an effective way of showing Milla’s troubles bubble to the surface, and for body horror fans, it’s effective enough to make you itch your own skin.
Throw in the mystery surrounding Milla’s childhood, surreal nightmares and teasing glimpses of a dark past, and “A Normal Woman” has plenty to hook viewers in its early stages. But despite its initial narrative strength, it has quite a soap-opera-like quality, often opting for a melodramatic approach.
"A Normal Woman" has grand ideas, exploring its characters' deep-rooted insecurities and incorporating uncomfortable elements of gaslighting, but it often presents them in ways that feel cheap and look more than a little shoddy. Poor green screening on some outdoor scenes doesn’t help this issue.
However, I think what will really turn some viewers away is the plodding pacing. The movie clocks in at almost two hours, but barely has enough material for a 90-minute movie.
It labours its central point, with multiple scenes dedicated to the same idea and repeating details endlessly. I don’t mind a slow-burn thriller, but “A Normal Woman” lays down its cards very early on and has precious few tricks up its sleeve to keep you invested until the very end.
Should you stream ‘A Normal Woman’ on Netflix
Answering this key question is surprisingly tricky. “A Normal Woman” has quite a bit to say, and much of it is valuable. It’s a relatable feeling to be fixated on your outward appearance, and to struggle with anxiety about how you’re perceived in the pressure cooker of modern life.
But, at the same time, “A Normal Woman” has a lot of major faults that make it quite a slog to sit through. Too often it trades subtlety for melodrama, and it forgets that sometimes less or more. Plus, I feel the slow-burn pacing is going to be a dealbreaker for an awful lot of viewers.
Genre fans may want to give this new psychological thriller a chance, but I expect many people will switch off before they can reach the ending. And considering it doesn’t do enough to retain your interest for almost two hours, I can’t exactly blame anybody for deciding to dip out early.
“A Normal Woman” seems destined to go down as a Netflix thriller movie with interesting ideas that never quite coalesce into a truly satisfying whole. It could have been a must-watch, but instead is ultimately merely passable. Another Netflix movie that will get lost in the platform’s vast library. Which, in some ways, is more irritating than even the itchiest rash.
Looking for more Netflix recommendations? Check out our guide to all the new movies on Netflix in July 2025. Or why not try the streamer’s new twist-filled thriller with a shocking ending?
Watch "A Normal Woman" on Netflix now
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