On the Job
| On the Job | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Erik Matti |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Story by | Erik Matti |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Francis Ricardo Buhay III |
| Edited by | Jay Halili |
| Music by | Erwin Romulo |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Star Cinema |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 120 minutes |
| Country | Philippines |
| Language | Filipino |
| Budget | ₱47 million[1] |
| Box office | ₱13.4 million[2] |
On the Job (abbreviated as OTJ) is a 2013 Filipino neo-noir crime thriller film[3] written and directed by Erik Matti, who co-wrote the screenplay with Michiko Yamamoto. Starring Gerald Anderson, Joel Torre, Joey Marquez and Piolo Pascual, it tells the story of two hit-man prisoners (Anderson and Torre) who are temporarily freed to carry out political executions, and two law enforcers (Marquez and Pascual) tasked with investigating the drug-related murder case connected to the prison gun-for-hire business. The film co-stars Angel Aquino, Shaina Magdayao, Empress Schuck, Leo Martinez, Michael de Mesa, Vivian Velez, and Rayver Cruz.
The inspiration for On the Job came from a Viva Films crew member who said he had been temporarily released from prison to commit contract killings before he was reincarcerated. Star Cinema initially refused to produce the film in 2010, deeming it excessively violent compared with their usual rom-com projects; by 2012, however, they agreed to co-produce it with Matti's own film production company, Reality Entertainment. Filming took place in Manila and lasted 33 days, on a production budget of ₱47 million (about US$1.1 million).
On the Job was shown as part of the Directors' Fortnight at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, where it was praised and received a standing ovation on May 24. The film was released in the Philippines on August 28, 2013, and in the United States and Canada on September 27 of that year. It received positive reviews from foreign and domestic critics. In 2021 the film and its sequel On the Job: The Missing 8 were re-edited as a six-part HBO Asia miniseries titled On the Job.[4][5]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Dimaculangan, Jocelyn (August 15, 2013). "OTJ (On The Job) budget reaches almost P50 million; Piolo Pascual became emotional when OTJ received standing ovation in Cannes". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
- ↑ "Philippines Box Office: September 11–15, 2013". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on February 22, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
- ↑ "The 8 best action movies on Netflix right now". Business Insider. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
- ↑ "Everything We Know About HBO's On The Job So Far". Esquiremag.ph. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
- ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (July 28, 2021). "Venice Competition Philippines Title 'On The Job' Sets HBO GO Premiere in Asia, Reveals Trailer". Variety. Archived from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.