Neomanila

For starters, this film needs a cinematography award nomination... simply outstanding use of colors, filters and angles. Showcasing the slums of Manila was done so well, it felt like you were right there, next to the characters. The directing was decent, especially coming from a novice director, but Mikhail Red should've directed the stale, emotionless and monotonic Timothy Castillo better. The rest of the casting was on point and all actors were convincing in their roles. The three (again novice) writers did a decent enough job getting their story across, and although there were very few plot and technical writing issues, some of the long, dragged out and unnecessary scenes needed to be cut/trimmed down. Even though the runtime was only 90 mins, the very slow pacing and extended scenes made the film feel like 120+ minutes. The writing could've also used more clarity in certain scenes, as the direction the story was heading, sometimes felt convoluted and/or needed more emphasis. The sound/score was just right and very fitting. All in all, this Philippine produced neo-noir thriller was enjoyable and well put together for the most part. It's a 7/10 from me.