AFTER PREMIERING at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in France and the 76th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, Richard Somes’s “Topakk” finally made its way to Philippine cinemas as part of the 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). 

The lone full-length action film in the 10-movie lineup, “Topakk” explores the brutal realities of war, sticking audiences into the head of a man pushed to his mental and physical boundaries as he navigates the treacherous urban underworld. 

This man is Miguel (played by actor-politician Arjo Atayde), a battle-toughened soldier with a traumatic past as a special forces operative. He struggles to cope with his post-traumatic stress disorder when he stumbles on another life-or-death mission. 

In Filipino street slang, “topak” roughly translates to “crazy” or “mad.” The idea to spotlight this mental disorder, Somes said, came during the pandemic when people were being bombarded with mentally taxing news such as the rising death toll and strict lockdowns. 

Complementing Atayde’s gripping performance is that of his supporting cast, which includes Julia Montes who plays Weng, Miguel’s sister, and Sid Lucero who portrays Romero, the antithesis of the protagonist. 

At its core, “Topakk” is an engaging action flick sure to keep MMFF moviegoers on the edge of their seats. Its high-octane sequences are meticulously choreographed and executed with precision. Additionally, Atayde’s exceptional performance as a man teetering on the brink of insanity elevates the film beyond its action-thriller genre. 

But where the film excels is where it falters, too. 

While “Topakk” shows promise by infusing psychological depth into an action-driven narrative, it ultimately fails to maintain a balance between the two, leaving some crucial introspective moments clashing with the fast-paced action sequences. 

At certain points, the 109-minute film feels overtly jarring, as its themes of trauma and warfare don’t seamlessly fuse with the explosive energy moving the plot forward. Some dialogue also lack the depth necessary to effectively support the weight of the scene. 

While it has pacing issues, “Topakk” still succeeds in delivering an adrenaline-charged viewing experience to MMFF patrons. Its true strength lies not in the physical battles the characters fight on the streets of Manila but in the psychological conflict raging within the mind of the protagonist.

“Topakk” is a bold and ambitious film. It proves that action films can be more than just a spectacle, and can be a vehicle for introspection as well. 

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