Verdict review – doggedly realistic Filipino domestic abuse drama
Fiery in its convictions but often sluggish in its pacing, this bold debut is an unpleasant watch that will reward attentive audiences
The dismal state of treatment of women and children in the Philippines comes under fire in Verdict, the doggedly authentic but sometimes sluggishly paced debut from Filipino director Raymund Ribay Gutierrez. Taking a documentary-like fly-on-the-wall approach to a domestic abuse trial, Gutierrez examines the various forms a toxic patriarchy can take, from bloody violence to a blatantly sexist justice system.
Verdict opens on its most shocking moment: protagonist Joy (Max Eigenmann) is enjoying a slice of cake with her daughter Angel when her abusive, drunken husband Dante (Kristoffer King) storms in and beats both Joy and Angel bloody. The immediate aftermath happens almost in real time as Joy flees the house with Angel to report Dante to the police and start arrangements to take him to court.
It’s a frantic, distressing opening, the chaos wrought by Dante spilling off the screen, only really slowing down once we get into the courtroom. Gutierrez dedicates most of Verdict to this trial as Joy and her flustered, overworked public prosecutor attempt to dodge all the legal pitfalls that would allow Dante to get away scot free.
It’s often infuriating, particularly whenever the asinine local police get involved, asking Joy why she can’t just work out her issues with Dante over a polite conversation, all building to an ending that is at once cathartic and horrifying. Yet there’s also an awful lot of downtime, Gutierrez’s focus on the legal minutiae of proceedings getting in the way of moving the story forward, and Verdict ends up feeling notably longer than its two-hour runtime.
Events are presented as realistically as possible, with no music or showy camerawork. It’s a choice that lends itself to immersion, and all the shaky handheld shots and sickly lighting grant Verdict an unvarnished ugliness that suits its deep dive into the grim realities of a profoundly misogynist society.
Verdict is a wilfully unpleasant watch and presents no easy answers to the hatred of women that underpins so much of society in not just the Philippines, but across the world. It’s hard to outright recommend, but there are rewards here for dedicated viewers, and it marks Gutierrez out as a talent to watch, a rigorous storyteller with real fire in his belly.
Verdict is now available on various streaming services.
Where to watch
