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.

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.

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

A scorching hot social commentary on class hierarchy in the Philippines