
Smaller and Smaller Circles
2017

2017
Director
Mikhail Red
Runtime
101 minutes
Average Rating
No ratings yetSynopsis
Toto, a teenage orphan, is recruited by a notorious death squad. Irma, the groups leader, soon becomes a maternal figure to the young boy. As the two form a familial bond, their loyalties will be put to the test when one of their targets turns out to be a familiar face.
Overall Score
Fair
Category Breakdown
LGBTQ+ Representation
The film focuses on hyper-masculine environments within law enforcement and criminal syndicates. There is no evidence of non-cisnormative identities or narratives that challenge heteronormativity.
Gender Representation
The narrative centers on male-dominated spaces and patriarchal structures of violence. While Irma offers a maternal counterpoint to Toto, the primary conflict is driven by male agency.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
The film excels by centering a predominantly Filipino cast and the specific socioeconomic textures of Manila. This disrupts Anglo-centric storytelling through authentic, localized representation.
Religious & Cultural Diversity
The story provides a profound critique of Western-style institutionalism and state authority. It portrays law enforcement as predatory, dismantling the binary of good versus evil.
Disability Representation
There is no significant evidence of characters with visible or invisible disabilities being portrayed with agency. The focus remains on physical and moral trauma.
Strengths
Areas for Improvement
AI Analysis
Neomanila is a gritty crime thriller that finds its strength in its localized, anti-institutional perspective. By centering the specific socioeconomic realities of Manila, the film avoids Western-centric tropes and offers a powerful critique of systemic corruption and state authority. However, the film remains narrow in its demographic scope. It operates within traditional, hyper-masculine power structures, resulting in low representation for LGBTQ+ individuals and characters with disabilities. The narrative relies heavily on conventional gender roles and patriarchal dynamics of violence. Ultimately, the film trades broad demographic diversity for deep cultural and racial authenticity. It succeeds as a localized critique of power, even if it lacks variety in identity-based representation.

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