Movie Review: Raya Martin's "Smaller and Smaller Circles" (2017)

Hard-hitting social commentary and solid performances makes Raya Martin's period crime thriller a must-see.

Based on the best-selling novel by F.H. Batacan, this crime thriller follows two Jesuit priests,  Father Gus Saenz (Nonie Buencamino) and Father Jerome Lucero (Sid Lucero) as they help in the investigation of a serial killer in Payatas, who leaves the bodies of his victims- young boys in particular- in the dump. The film, directed by Raya Martin, also Carla Humphries, Ricky Davao, Bembol Roco and Christopher De Leon. I have mentioned before in a previous post that Smaller and Smaller Circles is one of my most anticipated Filipino movies of the year. It's been months, almost a year, since I've heard about this project and I've been looking forward to seeing it in the big screen. Fortunately, the long wait is finally over and it was worth it. Raya Martin's adaptation of F.H. Batacan's novel (considered as the Philippines' first crime thriller novel) is slickly made and highly entertaining.

Screenshots from the trailer

The film is set in 1997 and opens with a voice-over from the killer, expressing his thoughts to the audience. This sets up the over-all tone of the film. It is obviously not your typical murder mystery that focuses on who is the killer. Instead, it's focused on finding out why the killer is doing all of this. What caused him to do these inhumane acts. After this, we follow Father Gus Saenz (Nonie Buencamino) who is currently trying to pin down a fellow priest who have been reported to be molesting children under the latter's parish. Unfortunately, this bastard is friends with Cardinal Meneses (in a wicked performance by Ricky Davao) who helps the son-of-a-bitch escape prosecution by transferring him to another parish (to continue his reign of terror). National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Lastimosa (Bembol Roco) and  contacts Father Saenz and asks for his expertise in  forensics anthropologiy to help to solve a series of murders, much to the dismay of lower-level agent Ben Arcinas (Raffy Tejada). Children are being murdered, their their faces, hearts and genitals removed with surgical precision, removing everything that makes them human, and then dumped like garbage. Together with his colleague Father Jerome Lucero (Sid Lucero) a clinical psychologist, they start picking up and putting the pieces of the puzzle behind the murders, while the body count continues to rise.

Though set in the 1990's, the film never relies on nostalgia. One wouldn't even notice that it is a period piece until you see one character using a beeper and an old-style chat session (plus cellphones were a luxury that time so only one character is seen using it). Instead, it relies on building up the mood of the film. From it's dark, dreary locations such as the dumpsite where the bodies are found and the narrow maze of alleyways of the squatter's residences, the film's look echoes a depressing time in our country's history. The gorgeously shot cinematography by J.A. Tadena, adds up to the bleak, somber atmosphere of the film. The film is also unapologetic when it comes to it's display of gore. The sadistic killings of the perpetrator is not shown in full detail, but the results of these murders are shown in their full glory. The desecrated bodies of the young boys are shown in detail, from their missing genitalia to their faceless heads. Some may find it downright repulsive, but for a gorehound like me, it is truly satisfying. With all this, Raya Martin successfully crafted a neo-noir world ripped right out of the novel's pages.

The film's powerful cast is one of the reasons why this movie is very entertaining to watch. Ricky Davao plays Cardinal Meneses with so much wickedness. He is a perfect match to Bembol Roco's Lastimosa, a man of authority who's only goal is to find the truth in all this evil around him. Their heated argument is probably one of my favorite part from the film. The same goes for agent Ben Arcinas (played by Raffy Tejada). his portrayal is so effective that you'll definitely feel the hate to his character, to the point that you would start conjuring plans in your head to bring him down yourself. There were some noteworthy appearances from TJ Trinidad, Gladys Reyes and Tessie Tomas that were so memorable and fun to watch (especially Reyes' character). Carla Humphries was such a delight to watch as journalist Joanna Bonifacio, a strong-willed, spirited young woman who was schooled in Paris. It seems like she is having a renaissance in her career: first is her short yet memorable portrayal in the Cinema One Originals horror flick Nay, and now this. I'm really looking forward to her next projects. Of course, Nonie Buencamino who plays Father Gus Saenz and Sid Lucero playing Father Jerome Lucero both deserve a round of applause for their outstanding performances in this movie. Nonie Buencamino was especially good whenever he is arguing with Ricky Davao and Carla Humphries' characters. His interactions with these two perfectly shows his control over his character. He can be clever and intimidating, but also has a soft spot.

But what makes Smaller and Smaller Circles one of the most important Filipino films of the year is it's hard-hitting social commentary on the corruption and incompetence of our government, the sexual abuse and abuse of power among the clergy and the poverty and injustice of the indigent. The film tackles them layer by layer and even though it doesn't offer much solution to these issues, the film can make it's audience think about them even after the movie has ended.

Raya Martin's Smaller and Smaller Circles is a film that needs to be seen by everyone. It's the type of film that sticks with you. One that lingers inside your head, long after the credits roll. Something that leaves a lasting impact even after you leave the cinema.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰  of 5

Smaller and Smaller Circles (2017) directed by Raya Martin, starring Nonie Buencamino, Sid Lucero, Carla Humphries, Ricky Davao, Bembol Roco and Christopher De Leon