A slick, poised, noir-infused thriller which goes well beyond the gritty realism and loud melodrama so common in socially-conscious Filipino cinema.

"Neomanila" is a great film that combines entertainment with social comment, although its impact is somewhat reduced by the faulty finale.

There are times when the film becomes overindulgent, but still, Red always goes back to his commitment to the humanity that has been made obscure by all the vulgarity and violence that has become woefully prevalent.

Fast, brutal and powered by an ever-present sense of menace that makes the slower scenes the most nerve-racking of all, Neomanila... is one of those films whose roughness works in its favour.