The movie opens with a statement: There are only two kinds of people in the world. You are good or bad. Such is the worldview of Xavier Gonzaga (Ruru Madrid), a newly transferred correctional officer with a hardline stance against murderers after the senseless death of his sister.

We all know the world is rarely that black and white. Most of the world exists in a grey zone where things are not so cut and dry, but the trauma of his loss cemented his belief. His sister was a kind, gentle soul, taken from the world in an act of pointless violence.

The prison seems peaceful enough, with the prisoner’s lives dominated by routine, under the watchful eye of the warden, played by industry veteran Michael de Mesa. They eat, work, sleep, all in the hopes of getting out early for good behavior.

One such inmate to catch Gonzaga’s eye is Dom Zamora, deftly played by Dennis Trillo. Zamora was jailed for killing his sister and niece in cold blood. After a decade in prison, Zamora is soon up for parole, angering Gonzaga, who has made it his life’s mission to keep men like Zamora from ever rejoining society.

The question of morality and the definition of good or bad, righteous or wicked, are just some of the themes explored in the script by National Artist Ricky Lee and award-winning writer Anj Atienza, all brought to life under the careful direction of Zig Dulay.

Are people born good or bad? Can circumstances force someone to be a righteous person? Or a wicked one? If you are one or the other, can you still change? How do you even define a moral person?

Much of the interest is drawn from the interactions and realizations that go on between Gonzaga and Zamora and how digging deeper eventually results in an erosion of his worldview; much like Javert in Les Miserables, he realizes that criminals are more than their
crime and what their report says.

The plot is tight, intricate, and supported by splendid visuals and solid performances. It brings you along and guides you, pointing you in exactly the direction you should be looking at, so that the surprise revelation that comes out of nowhere is all the more impactful.

The story focuses on the two leads and the clash of their worldviews, and while Ruru Madrid manages to hold his own, it is Dennis Trillio as the inmate Zamora who is the breakout star of
the film, immediately securing him a Best Actor nomination.

There is a belief that upon cremation, finding green in the deceased’s bones is a sign that they were moral and upright in life, and this is a hook in the film as well as the source of its title. The movie examines what it means to be righteous, as this can manifest in several ways.

While a bit underdog, Green Bones deserves a broader reach than what its currently small number of theaters provides. It is a timely, moving story about doing the right thing and the perseverance needed to be a good, righteous member of the human race. It is worth your while to watch.