Ma' Rosa

Ma' Rosa

I'm your mother, sister, father, brother.

Directed by Brillante Ma Mendoza

Produced by Centerstage Productions

2016110 min6.5 / 10

A gritty, intimate family drama about survival and sacrifice in poverty, where parental love and filial devotion collide with systemic corruption.

Ma’ Rosa has four children. She owns a small convenience store in a poor section of Manila where everybody knows her. To make ends meet, Rosa and her husband, Nestor, resell small amounts of narcotics on the side. One day, they get arrested. Rosa’s children are ready to do anything to buy their parents’ freedom from the corrupt police.

Questions people ask

  • Is Ma' Rosa sad? Yes. More sad than 88% of films.

  • Does Ma' Rosa end with hope? Not especially. Less hopeful than 63% of films.

  • Is Ma' Rosa violent? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

  • Is Ma' Rosa scary? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

  • Is Ma' Rosa easy watching? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

39/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

You have seen this shape before.

Rarity57

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise21

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love45

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Like Ma' Rosa

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as Ma' Rosa

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like Ma' Rosa, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like Ma' Rosa, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like Ma' Rosa, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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