Batch '81 (1982)

Original title

ΑΚΩ 81

Directed by

Mike De Leon

Genre

drama film

Country

Philippines

Runtime

1h 40m

Rating

5.8 of 10 from 19 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A pre-med student joins a fraternity and goes through its brutal initiation rites. The film follows his experience from the perspective of a new member.

tensedarkdisturbingclaustrophobicbrutalatmosphericpsychologicalunsettling

What happens

Alpha Kappa Omega Batch '81 (also known as Batch '81 or ΑΚΩ 81) is a 1982 Filipino psychological drama film directed by Mike de Leon from a screenplay he co-written with Clodualdo del Mundo Jr. and Raquel Villavicencio. The film depicts the titular fraternity's harsh initiation of new batch members as seen through the eyes of pre-med student Sid Lucero, played by Mark Gil in what is generally recognized as his breakout role. The film premiered at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival during the Directors' Fortnight, screened alongside de Leon's 1981 film Kisapmata. The Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino (Filipino Film Critics) included it on their list of the Ten Best Films of the Decade. In 2017, the film was digitally restored as part of the Venice Classics section. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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