‘On the Job’ gritty, well-acted—Variety

Erik Matti’s “On the Job,” which premiered at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes, received a favorable review from trade mag Variety.

Senior critic Justin Chang described the Filipino flick as “a gritty, convoluted but steadily engrossing crime thriller … a tense, well-acted B movie.”

Singled out was lead actor Joel Torre. “First among equals … Torre [takes] a sledgehammer to his good-guy persona with a superbly menacing but very human performance.” Costar Gerald Anderson “fully conveys the murderous rush.”

Also praised were the “neon-smeared” cinematography, “whiplash” editing and “kicky” music scoring. Bayani San Diego Jr.