Dukot (literally “abducted” or “kidnapped”) is a Filipino genre film that foregrounds criminal abduction and its human costs. Sunshine Cruz and Jay Manalo, both established figures in Philippine cinema, delivered performances that anchored the film’s emotional core. This paper argues that Dukot functions as both a crime thriller and a social melodrama, reflecting anxieties about security, social inequality, and moral collapse during the period of its release.
: Directed by Antoinette Jadaone in some later interpretations or updates, the film is noted for drawing the audience into a world of despair while offering small glimpses of hope.