Set against the backdrop of the Philippines Government’s crackdown on illegal drugs, a SWAT-led police force launches an operation to arrest Abel, one of the biggest drug lords in Manilla. Police Officer Espino and Elijah, a small-time pusher turned informant, provide the intelligence for the operation which quickly escalates into a violent and heavily-armed confrontation in the slums between the SWAT and Abel’s gang. Before the investigators arrive at the crime scene, Espino and Elijah walk off with Abel’s backpack full of money and methamphetamine. This gesture of survival for one and corruption for the other will soon set off a dangerous series of events, both of them risking their reputations, families and lives in the process.
Directed by the acclaimed Brillante Mendoza, the film is a gripping exploration of morality, survival, and corruption that delves deep into the socio-political complexities of President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial drug war. Mendoza employs a docudrama style that lends the film an intense sense of immediacy and realism. The camera follows the characters through the chaotic streets of Manila, into the cramped, shadowy interiors of makeshift homes, and through the tense, claustrophobic corridors of power where the fate of many is decided by few. The film's potent visual storytelling is complemented by its taut screenplay, which is grounded in thorough research and presents a stark portrayal of the systemic corruption and the personal moral dilemmas faced by those on both sides of the law.
ALPHA: THE RIGHT TO KILL doesn’t shy away from portraying the harshness of its setting—the slums of Manila become a character in their own right, reflecting the despair and decay that fuel the cycle of violence and corruption. The film’s narrative is propelled forward by high-octane sequences that are both thrilling and heart-wrenching, offering a cinematic journey that is as thought-provoking as it is visceral.
