Metro Manila
Seen it?2013 | 120 min | Crime, Thriller, Drama, Action
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (94% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had almost no lasting buzz and soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime-drama fans, anyone who likes to be kept guessing and action fans. If you loved The Killing, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense, dark and gritty.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr.
- What might put you off
- It's in another language, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Looking for a brighter future in metropolitan Manila, Oscar Ramirez and his family leave their miserable life in the rice terraces of Banaue, in the northern Philippines. In the sweltering capital, where all kind of perils lurk in every corner, Oscar catches a lucky break when he is offered a steady work for an armored truck company and the senior officer Ong takes him under his wing.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
94% on Rotten Tomatoes, 65 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.3 out of 10
- AwardsSolid
Won 1 WGA Award: Writers Guild of Great Britain: Best Screenplay. Also nominated for 1 BAFTA. Plus 9 other awards.
- Reach & staying powerBelow par
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 21K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Sean Ellis
- Jake MacapagalOscar Ramirez
- Althea VegaMai Ramirez
- John ArcillaDouglas Ong
- Ana Abad SantosDora Ong
- Mailes KanapiCharlie
- Moises MagisaBuddha
- Erin PanlilioAngel Ramirez
- J. M. RodriguezAlfred Santos
- Iasha AceioBaby Ramirez
- Reuben UyJJ