Netflix’s ‘AMO’ Might Just Be The Philippines’ ‘Narcos’

Netflix is at it again with another immersive international series; AMO wastes no time in plunging you straight into the action with a tense score and guerilla-style handheld camera work as police arrest drug users and show little sympathy for their plight. The first Netflix original series from The Philippines, AMO tells the story of Joseph, a troubled Manila high school student who starts as a meth peddler and gets caught up in the world of dangerous drug kingpins and crooked police and government officials.

Over the course of AMO‘s 13 episodes, we watch the way the drug war affects the citizens of Manila, whether they’re killed as a consequence of using, selling, or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Joseph’s uncle is a corrupt policeman, only complicating matters further for the teen. The show expertly balances the respective storylines of multiple characters in the mix, leading us to harbor ambiguous feelings about them and their fates.

Breathtakingly directed by acclaimed filmmaker Brillante Mendoza, AMO plays out almost like a documentary. It largely relies on handheld camerawork, following our characters as they travel the streets, attend classes, and come face-to-face with the horrors and occasional happy moments of their everyday lives. There is something to be said, however, for what appears to be a glorification of a drug war without fully examining the consequences of such a crackdown.

AMO didn’t make it to Netflix without its share of controversy; the story depicted by AMO is reflective of a very real problem currently facing the Philippines. Since President Duterte launched this all-out war on drugs, it’s estimated that some 12,000 people have died, many shot and killed by police. Mendoza’s series has received a handful of controversy for its strong views; the director himself is an open supporter of Duterte’s drug war, prompting criticism claiming that AMO may act as pro-Duterte propaganda. Some have even called for it to be cancelled, fearing that it might exacerbate the already toxic situation in the Philippines.

On its own, AMO is undeniably thrilling and suspenseful, a fascinating look into a city rarely depicted on screen for the world to see. It’s exciting to see a series about a traditionally underrepresented group get its place on an international platform. Knowing that it carries a lot more weight than meets the eye, however, makes it all a little more hard to swallow. Mendoza is a brilliant filmmaker, and he certainly has a talent for capturing the gritty, hard-to-look at underbelly of this city – but the very real epidemic currently sweeping the country may leave viewers wondering if there’s more to do about this problem than watch a series that supports this president’s merciless methods.