REVIEWS
Timely and timeless, a film that is important for every Filipino to see. - Richard Bolisay, CNN Life
A fine example of Filipina feminist filmmaking. - N. Balce, G. Deviles, F. Lopez
Bravely dives deep into the desperately beating heart of a nation. - Oggs Cruz, Rappler
Spellbinding yet deeply disturbing in both content and form….It nails the purpose of art in comforting the disturbed and disturbing the comfortable. - L.S. Mendizabal, Kodao
It stays on the streets, sticking to what's essential. It tells the stories of the victims, and of the quiet heroes trying to do some good in the face of insurmountable evil. - Philbert Dy
Isang nagpapatuloy na eulohiya sa tokhang ni Duterte at sa pagdanas nito sa mga ordinaryong buhay na sapilitang hinigop ng sandali ng karahansan, ang hindi maiibsang trauma ng pagkawala ng mahal sa buhay, ang panghihinayang gayon wala namang rekurso sa katarungan. - Dr. Roland Tolentino
A gripping cinematic experience. - (Jury Statement) IDFA
A grim but compassionate, compelling picture of present-day life on Manila's exceedingly mean streets. Examining the painful human impact of the Filipino government's "war" on drugs in a clear-eyed manner that pulls no punches. - Neil Young, The Hollywood Reporter
Arumpac obviously knew the tragedy and sorrow of her country and her fellow Filipinos intimately. Here, she has lovingly constructed an important, unredacted record for these dark times for our own use, free of pretense or agenda. - Karl de Mesa, CNN Life
Through one heart-rending sequence after another, the film forces you to take a long, hard look at what’s going on, and the effect is as agonizing as it is unforgettable. - Mikhail Lecaros, 8List
Patunay ang Aswang sa bisa ng dokumentaryo at pelikula bilang mga pormang pansining at pangkultura. - Teo S. Marasigan, Pinoy Weekly
A prescient document of a cultural nightmare, bringing national rhetoric down to the personal level. - Jacob Mouradian, FilmBook
Aswang frames its subjects in impeccable aesthetics… And of course, there is the genius of Arumpac’s narrative gambit: the aswang has long been used to terrorize and lull—Aswang asks us if we will ever wake up. - Andrew Paredes, ANCX
For Manila’s poorest, dehumanised and stripped of their dignity, life can resemble a walking death sentence. - Carmen Gray, Modern Times Review
A compelling and necessary documentary that highlights the desperate inequality and state-operated oppression of the region. - Nick Davie, One Room With A View
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Testaments to the violence — Gideon Lasco, Inquirer
Emerging Aswangs in the Urban Landscape: Intentional Horror in Realism and the Conscious Visual Language of ‘Aswang’ — Sineliwanag
State Monstrosity and the Political Resonance of Dissident Cinema — Pelikula: A Journal of Philippine Cinema
To stare the beast in the eye — Young Critics Circle
Award-winning film documents Duterte's bloody drug war — Nikkei Asia
Anti-drug war ‘Aswang’ first doc to win Gawad Urian Best Film — The Philippine Star
Documentary in the time of a thousand deaths —MIRAJ Special Issue: “Artists’ Moving Image, Isolation and Covid-19”
The Haunting Power of Sound in Aswang — The Asian Journal of Literature, Culture, Performance
‘Aswang’ makes FAMAS history as first docu to win best picture — The Philippine Star
The 10 Best Filipino Films of 2020 — Rappler
Aswang, a Docu on the Drug War, Wins Best Picture at FAMAS — Esquire Philippines
Pinoy Rebyu names ‘Aswang’ Best Film of 2020 - Unreel
The Best Filipino Films of 2020 — CNN Philippines Life
Myth-making through documentary — SINDIE
The ‘Aswang’ syllabus: Articles to read after watching the documentary — Rappler
Aswang: Drug war documentary cuts to the bone — GMA News Online
'Aswang' captures the horror that is the war on drugs — ABS CBN Life
Movie Review: Aswang — Cinephilia.ph
'Aswang' tells the urgent and gritty reality of the Philippines — Vox Magazine
Sheffield DocFest Review: Aswang — The Backseat Mafia
Critique: Aswang — Le Polyester
Borders of the City — Docs in Orbit
The Spectre of Shattered Lives — Inquirer USA
Documentary Takes Viewers to the Mean Streets of Philippine Drug War — Benar News
Review: Aswang — Asian Movie Pulse
‘Aswang’, ‘Midnight in a Perfect World’ win big at first Pinoy Rebyu Awards — Society of Filipino Film Reviewers