First off - if you think it won just because of it's drug war related theme - you are wrong. It is 'entertaining' and it's more than just a social/political commentary film. But i have to be honest, I watched this because I heard it won the best picture award in MMFF 2021. Though i did not have high expectations as i thought the critics loved it partly because of the 'theme', i was surprised I was hooked every minute of it... It has some satire elements, comedic plots, social and political commentaries wrapped around the drama that ends with that "Big Night". Though an exaggeration (in my opinion) and a criticism of what's going on with the drug war in the Philippines - I attest that it actually provides a hint of truth around politics, power, drugs, culture and poverty in the Philippines. I grew up in a depressed area and a lot of the scenes in this movie mirrors that of the place where I grew up. Yes, including the politics, poverty and the drugs part. It was well written and yet very enjoyable. The humor were subtle yet it was effective in my opinion. Highly recommended.
