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Respeto

Respeto

201796 minMidcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Starring
Dido de la Paz, Kate Alejandrino, Chai Fonacier, Nor Domingo

Hendrix dreams of hip-hop greatness, but he’s spiraling down a rabbit-hole of crime and poverty until he meets Doc, an old poet still haunted by his martial law past. Can they turn each other’s lives around before they’re swallowed by their circumstance?

Where to watch

Where can I watch Respeto?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Respeto to rent or buy on Apple TV, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Respeto?

Respeto earns 3 badges, led by Awards magnet and Divisive.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Respeto worth watching?

Respeto's Midcredits score is the 76th percentile of all films, from 3.8K ratings across 4 sources. 60% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

76th percentile

Better received than 76% of films

78th percentile among Drama76th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)83rd
Approval (how many liked it)66th

71 /100

83rd percentile of all films

86th percentile among Drama82nd percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Big peaks at both ends — people either love this or bounce off it hard.

60% liked it

66th percentile of all films

67th percentile among Drama66th percentile among 2010s
60% rated it 7–1040% rated it 1–6

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 27 wins / 51 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

53rd percentile

3.8K ratings across platforms

56th percentile among Drama56th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 21% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a political drama set against Manila's hip-hop scene, exploring corruption and poverty, with strong supporting acting but a lead performance that reads as uneven.

Fans praised

  • Raw, natural debut lead performance from rapper Abra
  • Brave political theme exposing systemic corruption and cyclic violence
  • Poetic script with excellent dialogue and layered characters

Detractors panned

  • Dragging pacing and derivative of 8 Mile
  • Awful direction and screenplay, unconvincing scenes
  • Lead actor overacts, still performing as if rapping

What stands out

CharactersDivisive75

Layered, relatable young rapper and poet mentor

DialogueDivisive75

Beautiful poetry, excellent script, but screenplay called awful by detractors

AtmosphereDivisive75

Realistic, in-your-face Manila poverty and hip-hop world

ActingDivisive70

Abra raw and natural, supporting cast strong, but lead criticized as still rapping

Emotional impactDivisive70

Uncomfortable, heart-breaking portrayal of systemic injustice

Plot and storyDivisive65

Systemic corruption and cyclic violence, but derivative and unconvincing to detractors

OriginalityDivisive60

Fresh take on hip-hop as background to political drama, but called 8 Mile copycut

PacingDivisive45

Dragging in all scenes, too ambitious for runtime

Watch experience

What is Respeto like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseContemplativeCatharticHopeful
Heaviest: throughout
Dry humor
Register
Brutal · 7% of filmsBleak · 8% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its violent subject matter with unflinching gravity, never winking at the audience.
The rideThe film sustains pressure from systemic threats and personal struggle, with moments of contemplation and eventual catharsis woven throughout.
StructureConventional linear storytelling.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's portrayal of systemic corruption and the cycle of violence lingers, leaving you unsettled and reflective.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% (this title) · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA poor rapper is drawn into violence and corruption, and ultimately seeks revenge against a corrupt policeman.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfCorruption
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% (this title) · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Power

Corruption · 3% of filmsSurvival
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film examines how systemic corruption and violence trap the poor, with the protagonist struggling to survive and eventually taking justice into his own hands.
StanceThe film interrogates systemic injustice and the cycle of violence in Philippine society through the contrasting perspectives of a young rapper and an older poet.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · hybrid
SettingThe bustling streets and poor neighborhoods of Manila, where hip-hop culture clashes with literary tradition.
MusicHip-hop tracks and poetry performances are woven into the narrative, reflecting the characters' artistic expressions.

Content guide

Is Respeto okay for kids?

As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (100/100), sexual content at intense (67/100), language at severe (100/100) and frightening material at intense (67/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 1 other country
  • PhilippinesR-13
Overall
Severe · 4 of 5 categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Severe
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Sex & Nudity
Intense
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Profanity
Severe
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Frightening / Intense
Intense
too few votes to rank (1 vote)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (4 votes across 4 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Respeto have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Respeto?

Cast

Dido de la Paz
as Doc
Kate Alejandrino
as Candy
Chai Fonacier
as Betchai
Nor Domingo
as Fuentes
Abra
as Hendrix
Loonie
as Breezy G
Ybes Bagadiong
as Payaso
Brian Arda
as Mando
Thea Marabut
as Connie
Mike Swift
as MC

Crew

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TMDB's suggestions for movies like Respeto include King Creole (1958), Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022) and The Parts You Lose (2019).

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