X
  • 2019
  • TV-PG
  • Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
  • 53 m
  • 2019
  • TV-PG
  • Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
  • 53 m
On the President's Orders

Summary The searing story of President Duterte's bloody campaign against drug dealers and addicts in the Philippines, told with unprecedented and intimate access to both sides of the war - the Manila police, and an ordinary family from the slum. Shot in the style of a thriller, this observational film combines the look and feel of a narrative fe...

  • 2019
  • TV-PG
  • Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
  • 53 m
  • 2019
  • TV-PG
  • Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
  • 53 m

On the President's Orders

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 4 Critic Reviews
73
User Score Available after 4 ratings
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My Score
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Summary The searing story of President Duterte's bloody campaign against drug dealers and addicts in the Philippines, told with unprecedented and intimate access to both sides of the war - the Manila police, and an ordinary family from the slum. Shot in the style of a thriller, this observational film combines the look and feel of a narrative fe...

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 4 Critic Reviews
73
75% Positive
3 Reviews
25% Mixed
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 4 Critic Reviews
73
75% Positive
3 Reviews
25% Mixed
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
80
Oct 17, 2019
Populist politics can turn all too easily to popcorn ones; On the President’s Orders vividly captures the tipping point.
By Guy Lodge FULL REVIEW
80
Oct 17, 2019
A shockingly alarming investigation produced with the sensibilities of a social realist drama, Sarbil and Jones’ nonfiction warning should petrify U.S. viewers immeasurably.
By Carlos Aguilar FULL REVIEW
80
Oct 17, 2019
There’s barely any let-up in tension throughout the film, even during interviews with subjects who could either be concealing murderous personal histories or potential victims risking their lives to disclose the excesses of law enforcement.
By Justin Lowe FULL REVIEW
60
Oct 17, 2019
The thesis of On the President’s Orders isn’t terribly original, but in a needlessly roundabout way, it makes its case that these killings are not the work of isolated individuals, but the product of a top-down culture that stems from Duterte's assent.
By Ben Kenigsberg FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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Details

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Production Company ARTE, Frontline PBS
Release Date Oct 4, 2019
Duration 53 m
Rating TV-PG
Genres
Website http://www.onthepresidentsorders.com/
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Awards

Raindance Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
European Cinematography Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
New York Cinematography Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination

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