I don't know what to think of this mini-serie. On one side it is a very bare and direct confrontation with the daily struggles of people living in slums. It perfectly shows how quick a young distracted boy finds his way into the world of drugs. This serie deals with the current situation and corruption, the war on drugs. You see pretty much the "same" as in documentaries about this country when it comes to the topic how the government deals with trafficers and addicts. On the other side it's sad that the caracters are poorly thought through... You don't really feel with them because you only get some superficial views into their caracters... You see how they live, their families but you don't see "them" as people with own characters and stories... There are only tiny hints and you have to guess...
The other reason why I only gave 5 stars out of 10 is that the story line gets lost... Somewhere when the young Joseph ends up in the capitol with his brother-in-law there is like a cut and you find yourself again with his uncle and his police co-workers chasing after an Japanese "drug lord"... And there the story gets pretty wicked.
All in all it was worth watching it because of the realistic and authentic view on the war on drugs in a country where we don't know much about but I wouldn't watch it again or recommend it to someone who is not really interested in this topic.
35 Reviews
This show probably isn't about the characters
yungmehtroe18 April 2018
Four stars were taken off because of the production value. Everything's pretty low budget.
If you don't know anything about the Philippines, this show is for you. If you kind of know about the Philippines, this show is for you. If you know about the inner workings of Philippine society, this isn't for you.
I honestly thought the series was pretty bad in the storytelling department since there was no main goal for the entire season, but after thinking about the series, I don't think the series is supposed to be about the characters. It's probably about the current state of the Philippines' streets and police force. Joseph, Bino, and Rod are just a vessel for viewers to understand what the Philippines has been going through ever since Ferdinand Marcos' rule. The cinematography, especially in the first episode, highlights this focus. We get glimpses of school life and squatter villages in several long and wide-angle shots. Small montages with rap music mostly highlight life of the people around the main characters while speaking about different affairs in Philippine society. I don't think we're supposed to care about the characters at all, but to learn about the state of the Philippines.
Compared to other Filipino shows (especially on TFC or GMA), Amo is Oscar-worthy, especially for its relative originality, but the production is still pretty low budget. The Philippines doesn't seem to want to invest into its own visual arts, so that's understandable.
If you care about the acting, everyone's much, much better in their native language. If you've ever been around a Tagalog-speaking family and their Tagalog-speaking friends, the main and secondary characters in Amo are pretty much the same as that. Everyone else ranges from absolutely terrible to decent.
If you don't know anything about the Philippines, this show is for you. If you kind of know about the Philippines, this show is for you. If you know about the inner workings of Philippine society, this isn't for you.
I honestly thought the series was pretty bad in the storytelling department since there was no main goal for the entire season, but after thinking about the series, I don't think the series is supposed to be about the characters. It's probably about the current state of the Philippines' streets and police force. Joseph, Bino, and Rod are just a vessel for viewers to understand what the Philippines has been going through ever since Ferdinand Marcos' rule. The cinematography, especially in the first episode, highlights this focus. We get glimpses of school life and squatter villages in several long and wide-angle shots. Small montages with rap music mostly highlight life of the people around the main characters while speaking about different affairs in Philippine society. I don't think we're supposed to care about the characters at all, but to learn about the state of the Philippines.
Compared to other Filipino shows (especially on TFC or GMA), Amo is Oscar-worthy, especially for its relative originality, but the production is still pretty low budget. The Philippines doesn't seem to want to invest into its own visual arts, so that's understandable.
If you care about the acting, everyone's much, much better in their native language. If you've ever been around a Tagalog-speaking family and their Tagalog-speaking friends, the main and secondary characters in Amo are pretty much the same as that. Everyone else ranges from absolutely terrible to decent.
When you grew up in slums you will know this is the closest depiction of it
jgumanid3 May 2018
Forget about the quality, forget about the cinematography, forget about the acting skills. When you grew in one of poverty stricken slums in the Philippines and have watched this series, you will know how close the depiction was in real life. Even the moduses, the actuation, the "kalakarans" are shown in a perspective of educating people who are well-off enough. I personally grew up in a squatters area where drug trade is rampant, gang fights and street riots are part of our daily lives. I must say, this series is the truest depiction of the kind of life we wish our children won't have to grow up to. Probably the reason it became so controversial in the Philippines, having the so called "elites of society" even made a petition to take it down Netflix is because it destroys their narrative. The kind of narrative that puts all the blame to the current administration but turns a blind eye to the reality on the ground. Kudos to the cast, kudos to the director, kudos to the writers and researches who captured the reality on the ground.
The trailer looks good but the series itself will send you to sleep
ninjaking-724567 April 2018
If you want to sleep, watch this series. It has nothing new to offer, everything in this series is recycled from better western series of the same genre. The director is probably a newbie I don't know who directed this but I think he's a newbie who needs to learn more before embarking into TV series creation.
Wow
nylinr4 May 2018
This is really well done... far from the usual teleseryes being shown in tv. I appreciate the cinematography as well as the different kinds of human scum shown. I don't see how it "glorified" the drug war... it's actually showing its good and bad parts. Reveals how everything can have a loophole and the problem is hard to fix. The rapping was ok. It gave an authentic slum/street vibe. Pretty sure the people that gave really low reviews didn't really watch the series with the intent to understand its context or underlying message. But whatever... it is still a must watch~
And I'm from the Philippines. I can't believe someone wrote a review stating how "nobody watched it here in the Philippines." Psshh. Stop spreading fake news.
And I'm from the Philippines. I can't believe someone wrote a review stating how "nobody watched it here in the Philippines." Psshh. Stop spreading fake news.
Another Poor Creation of Brillante Mendoza
generalkiller7 April 2018
The director is Brillante Mendoza but this poor series is anything but brilliant, there is no brilliance here, only cliches and recycled stuff. This series is obviously pretentious and this adds to the ugliness of this series. The drug war in the Philippines is misrepresented in this series, Mendoza is trying hard to make the drug war appear as if it's good.
The acting of some actors are okay but mostly the people in the film are obviously acting, you can see that you are watching a poorly-made series, unlike when you are watching something like Breaking Bad or Narcos where you forget that you are watching a series because Narcos and Breaking Bad were brilliantly made. This Amo series is poorly made, it lacks originality even in the shot, the cinematography, musical score, etc, all elements in this series screams cliches. I am rating this one star, yes, I am generous enough to give this a one star for the effort.
The acting of some actors are okay but mostly the people in the film are obviously acting, you can see that you are watching a poorly-made series, unlike when you are watching something like Breaking Bad or Narcos where you forget that you are watching a series because Narcos and Breaking Bad were brilliantly made. This Amo series is poorly made, it lacks originality even in the shot, the cinematography, musical score, etc, all elements in this series screams cliches. I am rating this one star, yes, I am generous enough to give this a one star for the effort.
Amo is the the Underrated Filipino TV series
reybenipayo23 March 2018
Amo is about a teenager who slowly become involved in the drug industry. The series is set in the Philippines and the themes of the show is very timely as it deals with drugs and corruption. It's timely because this show deals with War on Drugs which is currently going on in this country. Kudos to the whole cast for realistic acting and the great Brilliante Mendoza for realistic portrait of war on drugs. This show sometimes may lack the action of Ang Probinsyano, a show also deals with the same theme but this show is all about cautionary tale about drugs. As a whole, even if you're not a fan of Direk Brilliante Mendoza, you will surely like this show. Amo is one of the underrated TV show of 2017! It's a show we should be proud of for it's originality and daring. Amo is definitely a worth recommended!
Obviously Ostentatious, Done in Poor Taste
marisapuday9 April 2018
Brillante Mendoza is not brilliant and this series is one of his worst creations. I don't know if he was paid to misrepresent many things in this series. This series is obviously promoting the bloody war on drugs that is currently happening in the Philippines.
Aside from it's ugly political color, this series is also obviously ostentatious and done in poor taste. Mendoza is obviously trying to come out fresh but the sad reality is that pretentiousness of his style makes the series rancid.
Aside from it's ugly political color, this series is also obviously ostentatious and done in poor taste. Mendoza is obviously trying to come out fresh but the sad reality is that pretentiousness of his style makes the series rancid.
A good Filipino series!
kathynaza23 July 2018
This is a refreshing Filipino tv series to watch. I liked how it shows the other side of the Philippines and not just the province or the rich side as opposed to typical Filipino series. It shows a part of the Philippines that is often forgotten, the slums. As hard as it is to accept, it shows some of the realities of those living in the Philippines who sells their bodies and/or does drugs. I like how the series is realistic. The acting of the cast are also great! it's a breath of fresh air compared to the acting on mainstream tv. Drugs and poverty is in reality a big problem in the Philippines.
Hoped it was better
sabelohilario12 April 2018
A propaganda glorifying the war on drugs in the Philippines. I would have given this show a better score. Wouldn't matter if it's lopsided as long as it's entertaining. However, the acting was sloppy and the story was predictable. Brillante Mendoza is an acclaimed director? Seriously? How? Why? The first Philippine series on Netflix should have been directed by someone better than this guy.
Snoozefest!!!
heltskelt110 April 2018
I barely stayed awake to finish the first episode that I decided it was not worth my time. It's riddled with cliches , bad screenplay, and cringeworthy dialogues. If the goal here was to create something similar to Narco, this was an utter failure. This feels more like a propaganda piece that fails to depict the character development and realism that Narco was able to achieve.
Technically Poor Execution
fparon13 April 2018
THIS IS MY REALITY
kiko-neto29 June 2018
Don't you guys care about what those people who rate 1/10 say because I grew up in a poor slum located in the northest of Brazil and I'll tell you what... This is the perfect representation of what the slum life is like. The acting and pacing here is not the most important, if you lived this you'll know what the directo wants to show. Every single time that the rap band appears they sing about different stages of the criminal life. Watch this and you'll know exatcly what is like to grow up in a slum area where the traffic and gangs are the law and the sole hope to the child who is growing up with any kind of expectations in studies or life, they just want to be recognized by the others and for that they steal, kill, sell and do drugs, etc.
Interesting show
bdumlaojr13 April 2018
I don't know why there are so many negative reviews. I think this show is awesome. It may not be perfect and it could have been better but overall it's not a bad show and it definitely deserves more than just a 1-star rating. The reason why Amo is relevant today is due to Duterte's controversial war on drugs with the use of death squads and corrupt police officers unjustifiably killing suspects on the spot. Overall, the PNP is trying their best to crack down on drugs and shoot only when shot at. But unfortunately, there are corrupt elements within the police force abusing their powers. Some didn't want this show to be broadcasted on Netflix since they feel this glorifies Duterte's anti-drug campaign but Brillante covers all perspectives from drug users and dealers, to honest cops, bad cops to innocent victims. Depending on what side of the fence viewers are on, they will have their own opinion for or against Duterte's war on drugs and the same applies for this show. Each episode is based on true events that occurred in the Philippines. For example, the Japanese businessman who was kidnapped, this storyline is based on the Korean businessman Ick-joo Jee in Angeles City, Pampanga, who was kidnapped by rogue elements of the PNP demanding P5 million then an extra P4.5 million. Amo is not a bad show that gets people to reflect on Duterte's anti-drug campaign from different perspectives with many of the scenes looking very realistic.
Missed opportunity
criskeys11 April 2018
On the plus side you really walk away from this with a sense that, for the slum dwelling poor at least, the Philippines is a police state. Just an oppressive environment of massive police presence and random arrests without due process. However the story told seems to skate over the surface. As a viewer I never really get drawn into the characters - some of whom are poorly acted. Worse, I never really care for what happens to them. In this case less would have been more - get deeper into a few key characters. Certainly this is no Breaking Bad or Narcos.
It's almost like watching reality TV.
retsimnamxat31 July 2018
Could have been better...
micromacro-2890110 April 2018
The plot comes from the current mess of the war on drugs in The Philippines focusing on the lack of any due process for drug offenders in The Philippine "justice system" as well as corruption in the police force and government.
Acting isn't too great for most of the cast. There's definitely an unnatural over done feel of their acting.
What's with the street rap group being in each episode? Their screen time could have been used to add needed depth to the series. The soundtrack could have definitely been better and makes the series feel low budget.
Acting isn't too great for most of the cast. There's definitely an unnatural over done feel of their acting.
What's with the street rap group being in each episode? Their screen time could have been used to add needed depth to the series. The soundtrack could have definitely been better and makes the series feel low budget.
Excellent!
khantot19 April 2018
Binge-watched the series and found it to be really good. Contrary to naysayers, I find this work as indictment of the current bad state of affairs in the Philippines, especially the war on drugs.
The characters and situations are on point: bad cops, foreign drug dealers, poverty, corruption within government agencies, etc.
Only thing missing is a clear protagonist that viewers can rally behind.
When does Season 2 start?
The characters and situations are on point: bad cops, foreign drug dealers, poverty, corruption within government agencies, etc.
Only thing missing is a clear protagonist that viewers can rally behind.
When does Season 2 start?
Sleepy poverty porn.
Nzojl13 April 2018
Wanted to see how this director could spin this story but instead battled lethargy throughout most of the show.
The characters seem inhuman, I guess in the director's wish to show his personal take on this issue, he forgot to humanize his characters for his narrative leaving characters as charicatures, without much depth. No one seemed to have any sense, the actions were not natural, no one chose actions based on reason but instead were plot devices to show a narrative; because of this no character was really compelling, the story you just wanted to leave since everyones actions frustrated you(since none of the choices made sense), you couldn't really get attached to anything or anyone here.
In the end the whole story was shallow, the director's bias was too blatant that you as a viewer could not suspend amy disbelief at any point to enjoy the story, and when done could not have any reflection about your own points of view on the subject matter.
It's bad art because you're left with no points to ponder upon. for those who support this type of carnage you just get a mirror into your own biases, for those against it -you get this sense that yep this story is bull, and so is is this war on drugs.
Sad that this is the first Filipino show on Netflix.
The characters seem inhuman, I guess in the director's wish to show his personal take on this issue, he forgot to humanize his characters for his narrative leaving characters as charicatures, without much depth. No one seemed to have any sense, the actions were not natural, no one chose actions based on reason but instead were plot devices to show a narrative; because of this no character was really compelling, the story you just wanted to leave since everyones actions frustrated you(since none of the choices made sense), you couldn't really get attached to anything or anyone here.
In the end the whole story was shallow, the director's bias was too blatant that you as a viewer could not suspend amy disbelief at any point to enjoy the story, and when done could not have any reflection about your own points of view on the subject matter.
It's bad art because you're left with no points to ponder upon. for those who support this type of carnage you just get a mirror into your own biases, for those against it -you get this sense that yep this story is bull, and so is is this war on drugs.
Sad that this is the first Filipino show on Netflix.
Great storyline and cinematography
johnmicahmiguel14 April 2018
This is the first attempt of the Philippines to showcase how the war on drugs campaign is happening in the country without the bias take from mainstream media to an international audience. Fantastic cinematography, good actors, and great storyline. It has a unique take on how police force, oligarchs, politicians, abusers, perpetrators, and the addicts show their roles in the series that you cannot usually see on mainstream media. Even I, living in the Philippines, I was appalled that there were some abrupt scenes that you cannot always see on media reports. It is a very interesting series indeed.
A very honest portrayal of the poor areas in the Philippines
samgalang20 April 2018
This is how i imagined what life is like in the slums. Every episode tackles a dilemma people encounter living in the slums.
Pro-EJK or not, this series hits home and should be watched by filipino elitists to have an idea on what it's like to live in the depressed parts of the country.
Also, I love the music of the show, very ghetto manila :P I like how the actors are not the mainstream, talentless actors who just got the role because of their skin color. And I absolutely love the guys that are hanging out rapping on the street corner in every episode!
Underrated show with a very nuanced view on the current affairs
NanetteNette6 January 2019
This show surprised me. Production values may not be on par with Western cinema but way better and more thought out then what I usually see from the Philippines. I like this show for a variety of factors, but please don't take my word for it... Watch it yourself!
Where do I start? Is it refreshing because I'm looking at Philippine society at large on screen, not just the few select mestisa actors that I see on TV and mainstream movies? Is it engaging because there is no clear right or wrong just the consequences? Is it frightening because the reflection is too close for comfort? I can say the backdrops are close to my own experience visiting family from different socioeconomic backgrounds. It blows my mind the blatant difference in treatment depending on your status/wealth. Watching this show was also like seeing the news stories I've read unfold in front of me. I appreciated that this series denied us the comfort of offering a clear protagonist, a hero, but instead paints a picture of humanity, complete with its flaws and resilience, that happens to be in a drug fueled setting. It is what it is. See the many facets and take what you want from it. I'm looking forward to season 2!
Side note: Watching this has been great in helping me learn and practice my Tagalog. The rapping, while setting the story, was a little cringe. I've seen lots of reggae but not much rap in the Philippines. Anyway, hoping to find more stuff like this!
Where do I start? Is it refreshing because I'm looking at Philippine society at large on screen, not just the few select mestisa actors that I see on TV and mainstream movies? Is it engaging because there is no clear right or wrong just the consequences? Is it frightening because the reflection is too close for comfort? I can say the backdrops are close to my own experience visiting family from different socioeconomic backgrounds. It blows my mind the blatant difference in treatment depending on your status/wealth. Watching this show was also like seeing the news stories I've read unfold in front of me. I appreciated that this series denied us the comfort of offering a clear protagonist, a hero, but instead paints a picture of humanity, complete with its flaws and resilience, that happens to be in a drug fueled setting. It is what it is. See the many facets and take what you want from it. I'm looking forward to season 2!
Side note: Watching this has been great in helping me learn and practice my Tagalog. The rapping, while setting the story, was a little cringe. I've seen lots of reggae but not much rap in the Philippines. Anyway, hoping to find more stuff like this!
See also
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