It’s a rare thing for a Pinoy action movie to grasp you for two straight hours. But that’s precisely what Erik Matti’s “BuyBust” makes you feel—glued to your seat and on the verge of a full-on panic attack (believe me, I had to stop myself from shivering and calm my pulse down with everything I’ve got). Not that it’s a bad thing, but this tells us that a film has done its part when the audience is emotionally and physically invested in it.
Set in a near-accurate portrayal of the Philippines in Duterte’s “War on Drugs” era, the film succeeds in ways that the media couldn’t have imagined—it’s too real albeit technically unbelievable; raw and packs heavy punches towards an administration that’s ladened with bloodshed and shabby politics. “BuyBust” follows the story of Nina Maniban (Anne Curtis) as she joins the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s (PDEA) new elite squad, headed by Victor Neri’s Bernie Lacson. Maniban suffers from the fallout of the decimation of her previous squad at the hands of corrupt cops and shady druglords. This dilemma carries over to Maniban’s new troop with Lacson, making her think of herself as the group’s “malas.” The narrative picks up from such a personal trial that eventually branches out into massive violent proportions—with the scope as vast as the slums of Tondo, Manila.
A muted commentary on the bloody “War on Drugs,” “BuyBust” is a force that pulls off the veil and reveals the truth in a heavily violent and gruesome manner. Matti is a director known for his social commentary on particular issues that plague the country. It’s a film that pushes beyond what it means to understand the morality of killing. It also, very oddly, allows the viewer to embrace the perverse pleasure of killing a person just for the sake of survival. Thinking about this makes one realize, “is this how you’d normally feel in operations like this?”
After the buy-bust operation goes haywire, Maniban and her squad have to navigate their way through a maze-like flurry of shanties and a horde of angry dwellers. One by one, they are smoked out gruesomely—something that seems to repeat itself to Maniban. “BuyBust” is so expertly-directed that the body count seems to outnumber that of the usual action film, with an entire community wiped out in a single night. It also has similarities to Gareth Edwards’ “The Raid,” but with a tinge of imminent danger and real-life casualties. Matti was able to deliver a movie that details how it is to live in a society where the poor working class is caught up in the spat between the authorities and the cartels that seem to cement their place as kings of the neighborhood. The anger is further emphasized when one of the residents loses another family member to drug crony Chongki (Levi Ignacio) while the wake for their dead daughter is going on.
“BuyBust” cleverly encapsulates how it feels like to be caught right in the middle of the crossfire, with the regard for human life seemingly at the far end of the spectrum (both judicially and morally). The oppression that permeates throughout the film translates into a bittersweet scenario as the struggle to find out who is right and wrong intensifies. But in this society, however, one can never differentiate who is acting out of noble intentions and who is in it for the money and power. As Maniban and her team struggle to fight through the slum labyrinth, moral qualms and beliefs are slowly stripped away, with the concept of being good unceremoniously shat upon by death and the overbearing need to survive. Not even Maniban is safe from being her own twisted moral judgments. When left with a choice to spare the “Judas” among them, she chooses to shoot him point blank, saying that it’s the right thing to do. This thinking could be translated as Matti’s desire to show that no matter how you consider yourself as “good” in Duterte’s reality, there will always be a breaking point—making you handpick the ideals that would only benefit you at the moment.
“BuyBust’s” direction is something that could scream out that we are in peak Philippine cinema. We have gone a long way from action films that only seem to shed light on the actor’s ability to exude manliness. Sex, machismo, and elegant car chases are no longer a staple Pinoy action movie trope. “BuyBust” sets the bar high, with a call for a more grounded writing and solid storytelling. Cinematographer Neil Derrick Bion also adopts the use of the “vaporwave” aesthetic into the film, which is a direct breakaway from that of the noir-blue cinematography of most action films today. It’s a brilliant way of emphasizing the grim environment of the Tondo slums.
One thing that didn’t sit well with me, though, were the fight sequences. Jarry camerawork is something that’s a hit-or-miss for action films, especially when the movement is as fast as it can be. “BuyBust” wasn’t able to accurately show the choreography (which I’m sure is pretty spot-on) due to the lacking camera movement. It lacked the emphasis on arm and foot action and was a bit dragging at times. Despite that, the best sequence would arguably be the continuous shot of Curtis fighting her way through the hordes of chaos and violence. That’s the kind of action that makes “BuyBust” a genre-defining piece of cinema today.
Among the breakout actors of the movie were Curtis and Brandon Vera. The latter plays Rico Yatco, a luck-believer who is the group’s strongest physical character (I would compare him to Tom Hardy’s Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises”). Vera takes on Yatco in a physically enduring manner, that which makes him a perfect casting choice for an action film like “BuyBust.” The strength and endurance that Vera exudes in the movie translate into a compelling role for his performance. Curtis, on the other hand, temporarily says goodbye to her cheesy rom-com roles to take on a character that’s scarred with emotional baggage and moral dilemmas. Acting as the movie’s main protagonist, Curtis’ level of acting seems to break from her usual brand of cinema, with Nina Maniban as her tentpole role to date.
‘BuyBust’ Overall Verdict
BuyBust” is a timely film that doesn’t only show us a commentary of the Philippines’ current state in the “War on Drugs” era. It also cements itself into a pedestal so high, that it could go on to be a Criterion-worthy release in the future. This is a period of Philippine filmmaking where we’re now embracing the balance of art, story, and cinematography in a way that’s not dictated by the studio, but merely from the director’s creative freedom. “BuyBust” is a story that’s worthy of its own seat at the table, with action sequences that hold nothing back, and a story that’s built upon the tenets of hard truth and harsh realities.