Smaller and Smaller Circles (2017) User Reviews

CSI of the cloth.

[dokvader · 6/10 · 15 April 2020]

Two Jesuit priests tackles an improbable case of solving a serial killer in the slums of a garbage town. It was very well made. Dialogue was impeccable. Some would say to quote from the film "unnatural" but entirely plausible from the time period it was supposed to be shot in.

So rare for Philippine cinema to have a slow procedural film about a serial killer investigated nonetheless by expert forensic priests. There would be some shade thrown to undying issues of the church, but it never did tackle why this pair of CSI priests operate. There some dabbling on social commentary but in the end focuses solely on the mystery at hand.

Running nearly two hours long, the first half was very much episodic like and then finishes with a second half of knowing what will happen but eventually being discontented of an ending to justify the whole movie.

Totally unexpected!

[leolq · 7/10 · 6 October 2021]

The best Filipino thriller movie I have seen in years or maybe in my life. In my opinion, no other Filipino thriller movie comes close.

Almost good but not quite!

[jouleZ · 7/10 · 29 September 2022]

Okay...so this is absolutely something different for a Filipino film! I was excited to watch it when I saw it on Netflix. I've never read the book though.

As a crime-mystery fan, at first I thought "Wow, they're making something like the Zodiac and Spotlight films!" Well, it didn't really go that well if that's what they were trying to do!

Anway, the story is way too different! It's a good story though but there were times I didn't catch some dialogue especially Father Jerome Lucero played by Sid Lucero who was eating his words. It's so hard to understand when there are no subtitles on the English parts. Other than that, they all played their roles very well.

Cinematography was fine. Color was okay but the Music which I'm very critical of was sub-par in my opinion. It's still a typical filipino "type" of music!

Best Filipino Neo Noir

[ramastercalope · 7/10 · 11 March 2018]

I really like the film overall but there were some technical problems on the way to the climax of the film. One was the sound design of the footsteps as the priest walks on the wooden floor of the old building. Two is the shutter angle problem of the lightning strike or I'm guessing it was a light striking from outside the windows to fake a lightning strike.

A surprise from philippine cinematography

[verchu-72752 · 9/10 · 18 April 2018]

This film guides the viewer through a really intense thriller about a Jesuit priest trying to find the murderer of several young boys.

The story is so intriguing that the little technical problems can be left in the background. Suspense is the way the film takes to touch some hard topics that exist out of fiction.

Learning the story in this film is based on one of the first Philippino mystery novels by F. H. Batacan (Maria Felisa H. Batacan) was also an outstanding surprise .

Disappointing second half

[yaornw · 5/10 · 30 January 2022]

The book was brilliant, one of the most compelling reads I ever read. And yes, it's cliche to say the book was better, but in this case, it really was. The changes were almost entirely in the second half, and it shows. They sucked so much of the tension out of the driving pace of the book by making them, and as a result, the film suffers. Is it still well acted with a fascinating setting? Yes. But the changes about catching the killer (how, when, and events surrounding it) are far less compelling and far more Hollywood than the book, so read the book. It is considered "the first Filipino crime novel," and it won "the Philippine National Book Award" for a reason. The book unfolds at an unbelievable pace that sucks you in, and though I found the film good, after having just finished the book-a masterpiece and one of the best debuts I ever read, and I have read a lot-I can only be disappointed.

Best Filipino made thriller movie

[supladokit · 10/10 · 8 October 2021]

With all the cast, how the movie plotted and directed. This is movie.

THE BEST FILIPINO DETECTIVE FILM I'VE EVER SEEN

[reybenipayo · 10/10 · 13 December 2017]

Smaller and Smaller Circles is a movie adaptation of the book by FH Batacan of the same name. It's a crime drama set in1997. It is about a mysterious serial killer at Payatas Dumping Site who kidnap and kill children it's up to Father Gus and Father Lucero to solve the crime.

I've never read the book so I am going to focus on a film. The film is dark and eerie and surprisingly terrifying. The moment the film started, it is the moment we were introduce to a mysterious crime and when they are finally knew who is behind the killings, it intensifies. The film is never dull from start to finish! It's on detective story than a action movie. The performance of the cast are brilliant! Nonnie Buencamino and Sid Lucero are perfect as the detective priest. Carla Humphrey is a revelation here! Director Raya Martin treatment is at best! Before I forget, the musical score is haunting.

As a whole, Smaller and Smaller Circles is one the best Filipino Detective story I've ever seen! I recommend you should see this film and enjoy the ride.

Decent crime movie

[Sirfaro11 · 24 January 2018]

I don't remember a Filipino crime movie before, so when I chanced upon this, starring Lucero, I wanted to see it. More intriguing is the fact that I never heard about this movie, so I went to Cinema 76 not knowing what to expect. To be honest, I don't know why the 2 lead roles of Buencamino and Sid Lucero (also playing a priest named Lucero) were clergy people instead of police detectives, investigating the series of death in poor Payatas. There is a subplot of church politics, that could explain why the writer made their protagonists men of church. Or perhaps it wants to associate sexual abuse , which is a theme of the movie, with the church. The story moved fairly well, with the priests acting as criminal profiler, pathologists ( examined the dead bodies), and detectives-- all while teaching in school, holding mass, and attending gnights. How the story unraveled is not that impressive but not pathetic either. I get a feel of Zodiac sometimes, but not quite there yet. Several known actors contributed to the production but disappeared after 1-2 scenes. Like Christopher de Leon, who was quick to catch a suspect and the suspect himself, Alex Medina; could have m involvement. The ending was also decent and the logic behind catching the killer was also sound. I hope to get a better one in the next Filipino crime movie .