Very bleak yet harshly true, this movie will give you a glimpse of what a family stricken with poverty would do for the sake of having a chance of surviving in one of the most dangerous slums in the Philippines.

Being Filipino American myself, I never watched a drama based in the country that my parents left for the sake of building a better life for the family. I always knew that Manila was not a place for the faint of heart but seeing it in film gave me a good idea of what could've happened but, thankfully, never did.

The plot of the film is something that one would typically hear through anecdotes and read as a story. The difference is that through those methods, the story misses certain components that create a consequential disconnect with the listener/reader. This film, however, fills those holes in and shows the gritty details. However, a story like this doesn't become an everyday one if there is a light at the end of the tunnel