A Jesuit priest may not seem like the most obvious leader of a criminal investigation but that is exactly where Raya Martin turns with his Filipino thriller Smaller And Smaller Circles. About to have its world premiere in Busan, Screen Anarchy is proud to present the first trailer for what promises to be a taut, unusual crime story.
A boy’s body is found in a waste disposal site in Manila. The case intrigues Father Gus, a Jesuit specializing in forensic medicine. Collaborating with Father Jerome and helped by his disciple and journalist Joanna, Father Gus goes through Manila’s narrow streets to investigate the case. They find more bodies of boys whose faces and internal organs are entirely damaged and this grotesque case comes under the media spotlight. Reviewing the clues he finds, Father Gus realizes that the victims have something in common: boys from communities suffering from poverty. Based on the renowned novel of the same title, this thriller focuses on the link between good and evil in human nature.
The oddball investigator has long been a staple of crime literature and Martin appears to have found a good one here with Father Gus - an educated man from a position of priviledge thrown into the gutters and back streets of extreme poverty. Moral conflict makes for good drama and when you throw a corpse into the mix on top of that you have the potential for something exceptional.
The international trailer for the film is below, take a look and let us know what you think!