Comedy Buddy (Indonesian: Suka Duka Tawa) is a 2025 comedy drama film directed by Aco Tenriyagelli in his directorial debut. It was written by Tenriyagelli and Indriani Agustina. The film stars Rachel Amanda as Tawa, an aspiring stand-up comedian.
The film had its world premiere as the closing film of the 20th Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival on 6 December 2025. It was theatrically released in Indonesia on 8 January 2026.
Premise
Tawa, a rising stand-up comedian, rose to fame by turning her traumatic childhood and the reputation of her estranged father, senior comedian Keset, into stand-up material.
In October 2025, it was reported that Aco Tenriyagelli would release his feature-length directorial debut film. Tenriyagelli stated that the concept for Comedy Buddy originated from his personal experience of using humor as a coping mechanism for trauma. He identified similar patterns and traits among his peers in the stand-up comedy community.
Release
Comedy Buddy had its world premiere as the closing film of the 20th Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival on 6 December 2025. It was released in Indonesian theatres on 8 January 2026. The film garnered 24,614 admissions on its opening day and concluded its theatrical run with a total of 91,772 admissions. Netflix acquired the film's distribution rights, releasing it on 21 May 2026.
