'Salvageland': Simple crime story with a complex moral question

A big moral question is laid out early in Lino Cayetano's directorial comeback, “Salvageland.”

- By NATHALIE TOMADA

Now showing in cinemas, the action-thriller follows a father and son in the police force one world-weary and retiring, the other an idealistic rookie. They get entangled in a crime unfolding in a “salvage land,” a location “perfect” for executions and dumping of dead bodies.

(According to writer Shugo Praico, the idea was partly inspired by an actual place in Quezon City that gained such notoriety decades ago when it was less urbanized.)

What initially looks like a domestic dispute between Mon Confiado and Cindy Miranda’s characters quickly escalates into a complex conflict situation involving more people and more dangerous consequences than imagined. The moral dilemmas the lead characters face—and the choices they make in response put the father and son’s relationship to a test and their lives on the line.

The film uses a “simple,” straightforward narrative to highlight that what seems like a clear choice between right and wrong is often far from simple, especially when the stakes are personal, professional or life-threatening.

“For us, the concept is so interesting — the moral question,” said direk Lino during a talkback session following a special screening at Fishermall.