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lucky pot ‘Topakk’ is a gory, in-your-face portrayal of coping with trauma
Arjo Atayde in a scene from the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2024 entry “Topakk.” —Image: X/@AtaydeArjo
Action films usually follow a certain formula: a macho man is summoned by fate to be the hero, fulfills his destiny, wins the girl, and the cycle continues. Yet most of them do not delve into the hero’s lowest points and trauma—which the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2024 entry “Topakk” aims to do.
Carrying a stoic expression throughout—coupled with occasional mental breakdowns—Miguel Vergara (Arjo Atayde) struggles to heal from the aftermath of his past experiences as a special forces operative. The blankness on his face comes from his position of remaining at a standstill, until he meets siblings Weng Diwata (Julia Montes) and Bogs Diwata (Kokoy de Santos) who are pursued by a corrupt police death squad.
Article continues after this advertisementThe final battle between Miguel and Romero (Sid Lucero), who was revealed to be the central villain, was a bloody and gory fight to the finish line. Helping Weng and Bogs was able to help Miguel in dealing with his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While it’s clear that he’s damaged from the inside, he was able to summon a considerable amount of mental strength to defeat Romero for good. He was able to succeed yet his ending remains uncertain for him. Was seeing his nemesis’ bloody end enough to heal him? We’re not sure.
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It’s undeniable that Arjo Atayde is one of the finest actors. “Topakk” wasn’t his first time dipping his toes into action. But the film was an unabashed look into Atayde to portray stoicism and melancholy, traits which are usually hidden by the typical macho traits in action films. The film was nothing short of violent—almost as if filmmaker Richard Somes intentionally wanted to show how gruesome war is to understand where Miguel was coming from.
Article continues after this advertisementJulia Montes and Sid Lucero were also the strongest points of the film. While action films focus on the adrenaline rush between scenes, Montes and Lucero added a degree of emotion in the portrayal of their respective characters, with Weng and Romero desperately trying to seek justice, although the latter went off the ringer as he fully surrendered to the dark side.
Article continues after this advertisementHowever, there were moments where the film ended up focusing on the violence, rather than Miguel’s journey to healing. True enough, “Topakk” was described as an avenue to bring awareness to PTSD, and Miguel coping with the aftermath of the war is a traumatic experience in itself. But if it wasn’t for Atayde’s nuanced portrayal of Miguel’s recovery, more scenes would have sufficed in exploring the human sides of the character. Several scenes prove that humanity in Miguel remains within. However, more context exploring his struggle with himself and his inner demons would have made viewers understand the scope of his trauma more.
Article continues after this advertisementDespite this, “Topakk” is a good effort to explore the human experience in a familiar genre. More than the adrenaline-inducing scenes and the explosion of testosterone in a male-dominated action genre, it’s a refreshing glimpse of the hero struggling to save himself. The film doesn’t just focus on good and evil at face value. Instead, it shows the gray side of good and evil — and how it can affect those who are also in the face of both sides.
“Topakk,” along with fellow MMFF 2024 entries “And the Breadwinner Is…,” “Green Bones,” “Uninvited,” “Isang Himala,” “Strange Frequencies: Taiwan Killer Hospital,” “Hold Me Close,” “The Kingdom,” “Espantaho,” and “My Future You” will remain in theaters until January 14.
The Richard Somes-helmed film and its fellow MMFF 2024 entries will also be screened at the Manila International Film Festival (MIFF) from January 30 to February 2.
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