Filipiñana

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Filipiñana

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1h 40m

Comedy

Drama

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90%

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51 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Amid stifling heat and pervasive drought, Isabel (Jorrybell Agoto), a 17-year-old Ilokana from the rural north, works at a posh country club outside Manila, lining up golf balls for powerful men to drive into the verdant horizon. New to the job, she wanders the immaculate grounds sampling its luxuries as members, including an industrialist and his expatriate niece, the club president and his pampered wife, and a slew of Chinese tourists, engage in a complex dance with the club's doting and subservient staff. But something is rotting beneath the pristine fairways of the elite resort, as Isabel discovers when she tries to return a mislaid golf club to its patriarchal director, Dr. Palanca (Teroy Guzman). The deeper she journeys into its most exclusive corners, the closer she gets to the violent truths of the club, her native Philippines, and her own past.

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Critics Consensus

A visually immaculate yet increasingly sinister post-colonial satire, Filipiñana meticulously constructs a microcosm of privilege, decay, and the deep social rot lurking beneath its polished surfaces.

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Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

Sep 8, 2026

A tweaked, post-colonial revising of Dorothy’s Oz awakening. But despite a mischievous style, where an iron gleams like a talisman and a pine tree can look forlorn, it’s savagely serious about what’s in store globally — not just in the Philippines.

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Carlos Aguilar

RogerEbert.com

Aug 28, 2026

4/4

In a year of several standout debuts, Manuel’s ranks among the most impressive. The microcosm he meticulously constructs makes for a rivetingly caustic indictment of his homeland.

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Beatrice Loayza

New York Times

Aug 28, 2026

The movie feels like a swollen version of a sharper premise; overfertilized, overwatered, like the too-green pastures where it takes place.

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Lee Jutton

Film Inquiry

Oct 6, 2026

Filipiñana is a film with a flawless aesthetic that nonetheless never allows us to forget how much exploitation is necessary for a world like the one it depicts to thrive.

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Rich Cline

Shadows on the Wall

Oct 5, 2026

4/5

Writer-director Rafael Manuel is terrific at simply letting a scene unfold in its own time, often without dialog, revealing secrets as it pushes the characters and plot forward. And the serious undertones are riveting.

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Rachel Wagner

Hallmarkies Podcast

Sep 19, 2026

felt like it was a lot of watching people play golf. Not enough story here

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rain

Sep 11, 2026

A movie about my people is always great but the pacing was to slow for me.

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Michael M

@LateforDinner442 Sep 20, 2026

Don't be fooled. This movie is a snails paced one themed mess. Potential was there but inept directing, editing could not bring it out. Too bad but it is too bad.

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Alex V

@Admiral6 Sep 20, 2026

Abominable. The epitome of inept filmmaking that's so often inflicted on U.S. audiences with the help of unprincipled movie critics.

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Tony

Sep 19, 2026

I get the class struggle, the forced displacement...there ARE themes here, but 100 minutes of everyone, I mean everyone, acting like a zombie was infuriating. Establishing shots can last forever. There is one scene where the ball girls make jokes about balls that was the only scene with real life dialog in the whole movie. I was so incensed when I left this movie.

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Roy J

Sep 19, 2026

Important message, great cinematography, and commendable cast. But my god is the movie's pacing deliberately slow. Can't recommend.

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Mister B

@MisterBlister Sep 18, 2026

I saw this randomly. Wes Anderson but dark. There were times where I was bored but I respected the performances and filmmaking. It's an important story to tell and I don't see enough films about class. I'm sure this filmmaker would do good things in the future.

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Rafael Manuel

Director

Jorrybell Agoto

Actor

Angeli Bayani

Actor

Carmen Castellanos

Actor

Teroy Guzman

Actor

Carlos Siguion-Reyna

Actor

Filipiñana: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Amid stifling heat and pervasive drought, Isabel (Jorrybell Agoto), a 17-year-old Ilokana from the rural north, works at a posh country club outside Manila, lining up golf balls for powerful men to drive into the verdant horizon. New to the job, she wanders the immaculate grounds sampling its luxuries as members, including an industrialist and his expatriate niece, the club president and his pampered wife, and a slew of Chinese tourists, engage in a complex dance with the club's doting and subservient staff. But something is rotting beneath the pristine fairways of the elite resort, as Isabel discovers when she tries to return a mislaid golf club to its patriarchal director, Dr. Palanca (Teroy Guzman). The deeper she journeys into its most exclusive corners, the closer she gets to the violent truths of the club, her native Philippines, and her own past.

Director: Rafael Manuel
Producer: Jeremy Chua, Alex Polunin, Bianca Balbuena, Bradley Liew, Nadia Turincev, Omar El Kadi, Rafael Manuel
Screenwriter: Rafael Manuel
Distributor: Kino Lorber
Production Co: Epicmedia Productions, Protocol, Ossian International
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: Filipino
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 28, 2026, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $349.7K
Runtime: 1h 40m

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