Set in 1997-1999 during Indonesia's economic and political turmoil, Merantau follows Arman (Rizal Ramli), a young Indonesian man who flees to Malaysia to escape a corrupt village system and find work as a construction worker. Struggling with cultural barriers, language, and harsh labor conditions, Arman grapples with systemic exploitation by employers and agents who prey on migrant workers' desperation. His journey mirrors the broader challenges faced by Indonesia's migrant labor community, who often migrate for economic survival but encounter injustice abroad.