Released: August 2018
Director: Erik Matti
Not Rated
Run Time: 127 Minutes
Distributor: Well Go USA
Genre: Action/Thriller
Cast:
Anne Curtis: Nina Manigan
Brandon Vera: Rico Yatco
Victor Neri: Berni Lacson
Arjo Atayde: Biggie Chen
Levi Ignacio: Chongki
Alex Calleja: Teban
Lao Rodriguez: Rudy Dela Cruz
One of the coolest things about watching action movies from other countries, is being able to see what they bring to the table. Obviously, everybody’s seen at least one or two Jackie Chan movies in their lifetime, so action films from China aren’t really anything new. When Ong-Bak showed up back in 2003, it gave us a glimpse into how Thailand approached the action genre, and it was a refreshing change of pace from all the wire-fu stuff that was being thrown at audiences. Then I started watching action films from Indonesia including the highly-regarded Raid films starring Iko Uwais. Heading back to the west, we get a taste of Chile with some of Marko Zaror’s films like The Redeemer. Hell, even Cambodia got in on the action with Jailbreak. Granted, the film wasn’t really that good, but the fight sequences were amazing. Each country brings it own style and flavor to the genre that helps them stand out, and most of the ones that I’ve seen, have a tendency to put the State’s films to shame. Now, we come to the Philippines with Buybust.
Set in the Philippines, Buybust follows rookie agent Nina Manigan as she joins a new tactical unit after her previous outfit was slaughtered because of corrupt cops. Her new team is being sent into a nearby slum to locate and arrest a brutal drug lord, Biggie Chen. As soon as they enter the slum, everything goes to hell. Surrounded by a brutal gang on one side and angry civilians on the other, the group fights to try and escape with their lives. The story is pretty good, but it is very familiar territory, as we’ve seen this kind of story in films like The Raid and Dredd, and it was done a little bit better in those films. That being said, what we’ve got here still isn’t bad, and it’s a very compelling story. It works because of its characters, because a lot of the main outfit are pretty likable. What really sets this film apart from the others is the setting. The film is set in the Philippines during the government’s war on drugs, which gives the film an added sense of realism. I’ll get into why the film’s setting is so important later on in the review, but let’s just say that it adds a whole new dimension to an already outstanding film.
Any good story is going to be driven by its characters, and Buybust has some pretty strong characters here. One of them is Rico Yatco, a giant of man who is a bit superstitious but also a physically intimidating presence. Brandon Vera does a pretty good job here, despite this being his first role. Vera is also a former MMA fighter, which makes his fight scenes authentic. Levi Ignacio plays Chongki, Biggie Chen’s second in command and a real scumbag of a human being. Levi really makes the character a legitimate threat. This character is willing to kill anybody just to make a point. Everybody does pretty good job here, but the real standout is Anne Curtis as Nina Manigan. For an actress more known for her romantic comedies, she’s really put through the grinder here as a tough-as-nails rookie that is actually smarter than most of her teammates and superiors. Anne is fantastic here. She’s not a martial artist, but she does an incredible job with the physical aspects of the film.
Speaking of action, Buybust is violent as hell. It does take a while for the action to start, about 20 minutes or so, but when it hits, it’s pretty much merciless and unrelenting. This is where the film starts showing how similar it is to The Raid while still being its own thing. The gunfights are pretty much constant and nobody is safe. Even some of the team’s characters that you may like won’t make it, because of how intense and volatile the situation is. While the film isn’t really a martial arts film, it does feature aspects of Filipino martial arts including eskrima and kali. The fight choreography isn’t really something to write home about, but it does get the point across. This also brings up another aspect that I think does work in the film’s favor: Shaky cam. I know, I know: I’ve ranted on many occasions on how much I hate that filming technique. It’s often been used to hide terrible choreography, but it does have its merits. If you’re dealing with close combat warfare, it absolutely showcases the chaos that is a part of that kind of warfare, and that’s how its used here. The battles in the slum are absolutely chaotic, and the camera-work once again gives the film an added sense of realism that you generally don’t see in a film like this. The shaky cam technique here isn’t as bad as some other movies, because I can still discern what’s going on, so kudos to the film-makers for being able to do that. The effects are mostly practical, and honestly, I’m sure there was some CGI used here, but you can barely tell because of how crazy everything is.
I mentioned how important the setting of the film is for a reason. As I said, the film is set in the Philippines during President Duterte’s war on drugs. While the film is definitely entertaining and that is its primary purpose, Buybust doesn’t shy away from the consequences of a war on drugs. As you may or may not know, President Duterte is ruthless when it comes to his war on drugs and he doesn’t seem to care who gets caught in the crossfire. Buybust shows us what happens when a ruthless government tries to take down equally ruthless drug gangs in the poorer sections of the country. Innocent people get caught in the crossfire, so they have a hard time differentiating who the actual villain is, and the film does its best to make sure that line is constantly blurred. At one point, a man is attempting to bury his child who was a victim of this crossfire, only to lose another family member when the character of Chongki kills him just because his phone’s alarm was going off. No punches were pulled here. What Buybust is, is Erik Matti basically slapping Duterte in the face and rubbing it in, even though the president isn’t specifically mentioned in the movie. The director has been an outspoken critic of Duterte and hasn’t shied away from controversy surrounding this film. There’s another thing I want to mention before I wrap this up. There is a moment in the end credits where certain police officers’ names were displayed. These were guys that were some of the police that were killed in this event, and some of them had acted as consultants on the film. This is why I think a film like this is important, despite it being a balls-to-the-wall action flick. The message here is about as subtle as a shotgun blast to the face, but its a message that needs to be sent.
If you’re looking for an action flick that pulls no punches, Buybust is one that you should see. It’s not without its flaws, but it more than makes up for those flaws with high levels of brutal action and a story that has a basis in reality. It’s one of the most compelling action movies that I’ve seen this year, and I can’t wait to see what Erik Matti comes up with next, or what other action film comes out of the Philippines. Highly recommended.
My Final Recommendation: 9/10