6 International Movies Set in the Philippines

Pinoys take international exposure very seriously. Remember when the Banaue Rice Terraces made headlines in 2018 for briefly appearing in Avengers: Infinity War? There’s nothing we love more than getting to raise our flags and proudly say, “That’s my country!” or some other similar variant. Luckily for us, the Philippines has served as the setting for several international movies over the years. That’s to say, there’s definitely plenty enough food for Filipino pride to go around, even if it’s just for 15 minutes. Find out more from our curated list below!

6 International Movies Shot or Set in the Philippines:

1. Shotgun Wedding

The entirety of Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel‘s romantic action-comedy, Shotgun Wedding, is set in the Philippines, particularly in the fictional Mahal Island Resort. However, in reality, the film was actually shot in Dominican Republic due to travel restrictions. It centers on the couple’s wedding day-gone-wrong when a group of pirates take their guests hostage in exchange for a $45 million ransom.

2. The Bourne Legacy

Some of the action scenes in The Bourne Legacy, which starred Avengers actor Jeremy Renner, were filmed all over Manila. While the release of the movie was highly anticipated by locals, it eventually drew flak from Filipinos for only showing the “poor parts” of the country. Actor John Arcilla, however, defended the film in an online post, stating, “Am also wondering why we are so afraid of the reality that we still have a poor country (whether we like it or not) and there is this big part in Manila that really belongs to the depressed area. Remember that even New York City has its Ghetto.”

3. The Golden Holiday

Eighty percent of Korean film The Golden Holiday was filmed in the Philippines. Its plot revolves around the misfortunes faced by a South Korean detective when he flies to the Philippines for a vacation. Veteran Filipino actor Mon Confiado also starred in the action-comedy as police lieutenant Shawn Martinez.

4. Master

Master, a Lee Byung Hun and Kim Woo Bin starrer, was mainly filmed in the Philippines. It even shut down the Jones Bridge in Manila for its climactic action sequence. The 2016 action crime film was a box office success and became one of the bestselling movies in South Korea the year it was released.

5. Showdown in Manila

This movie’s title says it all. Showdown in Manila is a Russian-American action film that tells the story of two foreign private detectives who reside in Manila. When a murder investigation leads them to the camp of a terrorist group, the pair rounds up a group of daredevils to take the criminals down. The film features numerous Filipino actors, including Iza Calzado and Mon Confiado.

6. No Breathing

Lee Jong Suk and Seo In Guk starred in this coming-of-age sports drama that was partly shot in Davao. In Guk played Won-il, a once talented swimmer who quit the sport following the death of his parents. When the young man spirals into a life of delinquency, his late father’s longtime friend enrolls him into a physical education-focused school, where he meets his past rival Woo-sang, played by Jong Suk. A good 15 minutes of the film was shot in and around the Davao del Norte Sports Complex Aquatic Facility in Tagum City, where the characters went for their field training.