Green Bones

A corrections officer still grieving his sister's death opposes the release of a prisoner whose sentence is almost served. To block it he goes back through the file, and the more he digs, the less the story matches what he knew. Zig Madamba Dulay's prison drama builds its question about crime and punishment not around revenge but around the weight of not knowing. The narrative moves between the two men's points of view and keeps the audience from settling on who is right. The film won Best Picture at the 50th Metro Manila Film Festival. At the same festival Dennis Trillo won Best Actor, Ruru Madrid Best Supporting Actor, and Ricky Lee and Angeli Atienza Best Screenplay. Dulay had also taken Best Picture the previous year with Firefly. Who it's for: Viewers who like Filipino cinema, prison drama, and thrillers built on moral uncertainty. Who it's not for: The emotional pitch is high and the ending plays openly for effect. The content around violence and child abuse is also heavy.