Dennis Trillo and Ruru Madrid star in a powerful prison drama that shows the complexity of justice and redemption
Slight ‘Green Bones’ spoilers ahead.
Growing up watching American movies, I was used to happy endings. In contrast, the Filipino movies and long-winded teleseryes I’ve watched frustrated me, as the heroes I grew to love died tragic deaths.
At first, I found this death unnecessary, even melodramatic. But over time, I came to understand these stories mirror a harsh reality, especially in the Philippines’ more dangerous and vulnerable areas where death is a common occurrence, particularly exacerbated during the Duterte era.
‘Green Bones’ doesn’t shy away from this reality.
The 2024 drama-thriller—directed by Zig Dulay, written by Ricky Lee and Anj Atienza, and based on a story concept by JC Rubio—follows the dual perspectives of prison guard Gonzaga (Ruru Madrid) and soon-to-be-released inmate Domingo Zamora (Dennis Trillo).
Through these characters’ intertwining stories, “Green Bones” weaves such a powerful narrative that, at least at my showing, accomplished what few films manage today—uniting a theater in tears and thunderous applause as the credits rolled in.
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A rehabilitative prison gone bad
The story opens with Gonzaga mourning his murdered sister. He cites the local superstition that the truly good and virtuous develop “green bones.” In their exhumed remains, these bones bear a distinctive green tinge. Gonzaga wears fragments of his own deceased sister’s bones in a vial around his neck, flecked with green powder.
We see him assigned to an open prison reminiscent of the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, known as “The Prison Without Walls” in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
Here in “Green Bones,” the prisoners are under minimal security and focused on rehabilitation rather than penalization. Inmates earn trust and responsibility, freely moving outside prison walls to farm rice and craft woodwork for sale.
But Gonzaga, embittered by personal tragedy, harbors deep distrust toward the inmates. In particular, he resents those charged with murder that the former superintendent planned to release for good behavior. He fixates on Zamora who is accused of the murder of his sister and niece. Seemingly mute, Zamora’s silence only deepens the mystery around him. When Gonzaga spots Zamora engaged in questionable dealings with an NGO worker (Alessandra de Rossi) and later misinterprets a sign language exchange, his suspicions intensify.
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What follows is a whirlwind of events: a mass inspection, prison break, and brutal guard violence (portrayed by Wendell Ramos) eerily reminiscent of the Stanford prison experiment. The film exposes the deep-rooted corruption and powerful syndicates operating within the prison system.
Among the inmates, we also meet a loveable group of reformed prisoners played by Ronnie Lazaro, Gerhard Acao, and Mikoy Morales, among others. Their stories reveal the justice system’s flaws, such as one young man forced to kill his rapist uncle, and whose claim of self-defense was dismissed at trial. These narratives remind us that human lives resist simple categorization.
Gradually, the truth about Zamora emerges: He’s not the murderer of his sister and niece he’s believed to be but rather a petty thief wrongly condemned. Zamora was framed for the slaughter of his sister (Iza Calzado) by her criminal husband (Victor Neri), a man involved in online gambling and implied child exploitation.
Through all this, we see the dehumanizing state of Manila’s central prison, with men in cells piled on top of one another, and are reminded, regularly of the reality of the Philippine justice system where so many are falsely accused.
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“Green Bones” and its excellence in craft
Throughout, “Green Bones” demonstrates masterful filmmaking on multiple levels.
From its opening scenes of lush countryside, the cinematography makes statements through its contrasts of darkness and light.
Ricky Lee’s script is strong as always, maintaining perfect pacing. Each scene is purposeful, neither dragging nor rushing.
The film also thoughtfully incorporates deaf representation through young Kiwi Filipina actress Sienna Stevens, with both Stevens and Trillo learning sign language for their roles.
Perhaps the most stellar acting is done by Trillo. His scenes with his deaf niece can come across soppy but are instead genuinely heartwarming, indicative of good, nuanced directing.
The controlled expressions on Trillo’s face are keen and calculated, measuring his character development as he shifts from what we presumed to be a villain, to later believing in his goodness as a person.
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**
Perhaps surprisingly, “Green Bones” ends beautifully.
Though Zamora dies, he lives on through a ritual. At every release ceremony for inmates who showed good conduct, Zamora’s name is called out. It is met with silence, then poignant applause. And in this symbolic act, we feel his spirit freed.
A recurring element in the open prison is a wishing tree. Its branches are heavy with tags bearing the inmates’ simple desires. Wishes range from “toothbrush” to “pagkain para kay kuting.”
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In a final revelation, Gonzaga recalls seeing Zamora bury something beneath this tree. When he unearths the soil, he finds a tin can containing a single note with the hopeful words “maging mabuting tao.”
Like the wishing tree, “Green Bones” glistens with hope, for the transformation of judicial systems and empathy for those cast aside.