Review: Birdshot

Birdshot

Director: Mikhail Red

Starring: Mary Joy Apostol, Arnold Reyes, Ku Aquino, and John Arcilla

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Drama

 

Birdshot tackles the story of Maya (Mary Joy Apostol) who lived in a farm beside a protected bird sanctuary, she lives with her father Diego (Ku Aquino) and they serve as the caretaker of the land. Things get difficult for the father and daughter as Maya unknowingly killed a Philippine Eagle, from there the characters of Mendoza (John Arcilla) and Domingo (Arnold Reyes) enters as they were transferred from a mysterious case of a missing bus were 10 farmers were aboard.

From there many discoveries unfolded and the search for justice gets tougher as the case of the missing Philippine Eagle leads them to a more horrifying and aghast discoveries.

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What I like about Birdshot is the raising of awareness of saving the critically endangered Philippine Eagle and also the awareness that there are lots of farmers that are enslaved in these haciendas. I also love how they used the killing of the Philippine Eagle to symbolize freedom and justice that is slowly fading away in the story.

I am really amazed on how a young girl like Mary Joy Apostol was able to portray such a brave character like Maya, I love how she was able to own the character it was subtle but very effective. Another thing amazed me was her ability and posture in holding that shotgun they owned it is as if she was a veteran in using the gun.

The three guys, John Arcilla, Ku Aquino, and Arnold Reyes delivered such magnificent and remarkable portrayal of their character, it was like a boxing of acting talent.

The cinematography was superb! Almost all the shots specially the scenic shots were beautifully executed and it is very enticing and refreshing to the eyes.

The only thing I really noticed that lacked in the movie is the timeline, there was no definite year nor a definite location of the movie. At first I thought it was in Davao because of the Bird Sanctuary and the Eagle, but when they said that the missing bus travels two hours to Manila it wasn’t Davao after all.

Birdshot is really a nice film, it raises certain awareness and causes that we are almost forgetting anything about it, like the comprehensive agrarian reform that would’ve give land to the farmers and also the conservation and saving of the environment as many species will be critically endangered or worst extinct when we don’t take care of our environment.

Watch Birdshot in cinemas near you until August 22!