- In Dead Kids, a cash-strapped, socially awkward teen is drawn into a plot to kidnap a wealthy classmate that goes very wrong
- Frustratingly, social issues are touched on in the film but not fleshed out, though director Mikhail Red elevates the undercooked material
2.5/5 stars
In Mikhail Red's Dead Kids, Netflix's first original feature from the Philippines, a cash-strapped, socially awkward teen is drawn into a plot to kidnap a wealthy classmate. What follows is a slickly executed tale of urban frustration and adolescent angst that touches on a number of social issues, while still targeting a youthful demographic.
Handsome, cocky, insufferable rich kid Chuck (Markus Paterson) is loved by those he'll splash his father's cash on, and despised by those he bullies and ridicules. It doesn't hurt that Chuck's dad is a feared local drug lord, but that inevitably makes him the target of three opportunistic, and marginalised, "dead kids".
The kidnappers, led by Blanco (Vance Larena), son of a corrupt cop, bring in provincial loner Mark (Kelvin Miranda) to use his apartment to hide Chuck. For Mark, equipped with neither the funds to keep up with Chuck's crew nor the street smarts to roll with the bad boys, a cut of the 30 million peso (US$600,000) ransom is impossible to refuse.
With Chuck out of the picture, Mark might finally have a chance with the beautiful, ambitious Janina (Sue Ramirez). Yet the whole plan goes awry almost immediately, descending into a melee of violence and betrayal not everyone will walk away from.
Penned by Red and his brother Nikolas, Dead Kids drops as many opportunities as it seizes to intertwine contemporary Filipino commentary into the narrative, acknowledging systemic corruption, juvenile delinquency and the temptations of urban life, without addressing them head-on.
Similarly, characters are drawn in broad strokes to serve the plot, rather than pose challenging ethical dilemmas for the audience. Nevertheless, 28-year-old Red directs what is already his fifth feature with an assured confidence that elevates the somewhat undercooked material.
Next to be seen helming a remake of fantasy adventure Magic Temple, Red's own future is looking very much alive.
Dead Kids is streaming on Netflix.
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