John Arcilla

Acting

John Arcilla

Born 1966-06-24

Romeo John Gonzales Arcilla (born June 24, 1966) is a Filipino film and television actor. He is best known for playing the titural role in Heneral Luna (2015), the film selected as the Philippine entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards. From 1991 to 1997, Arcilla was a resident actor and senior member of the Tanghalang Pilipino Actor Company, the resident theatre of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. In 2012, Arcilla had a cameo in The Bourne Legacy as a head security guard. The following year, Arcilla also appeared in Metro Manila, the British entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards. In 2021, he was awarded the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice International Film Festival for his role in On the Job: The Missing 8, making him the first Filipino and Southeast Asian actor to receive the award. He also received the Best Actor award at the Gawad Urian Awards in 2022 for the same role. He is a two-time Gawad Urian winner and a two-time FAMAS nominee.

Acting credits

The Bourne Legacy poster
6.3

New CIA operative Aaron Cross experiences life-or-death stakes that have been triggered by the previous actions of Jason Bourne.

The Bourne Legacy

2012

Beast poster
NR

After a final harvest forced upon him by the landlord, an old farmer and his loyal carabao embark on a magical road trip to Manila, chasing the ghost of a niece the years stole from him.

Beast

2026

Amigo poster
4.9

Rafael is a village mayor caught in the murderous crossfire of the Philippine-American War. When U.S. troops occupy his village, Rafael comes under pressure from a tough-as-nails officer to help the Americans in their hunt for Filipino guerilla fighters. But Rafael's brother is the head of the local guerillas, and considers anyone who cooperates with the Americans to be a traitor. Rafael quickly finds himself forced to make the impossible, potentially deadly decisions faced by ordinary civilians in an occupied country.

Amigo

2011

HB2ME poster
NR

A seemingly ordinary birthday celebration quickly spirals into chaos.

HB2ME

2026

The Entity poster
5.3

A family is haunted by what appears to be the ghost of their youngest daughter. Now they must try to figure out why she is trying to communicate with them.

The Entity

2019

Reroute poster
4.4

When a couple gets lost after taking a reroute to their town, a man offers his home nearby. As they feel something's wrong, things turn deadly.

Reroute

2022

Heneral Luna poster
7.7

Set during the Philippine-American War, a short-tempered Philippine Revolutionary Army general faces an enemy more formidable than the American army: his own treacherous countrymen.

Heneral Luna

2015

No artwork available
NR

As the carnival turns into a death trap, the guests must survive challenges while carnival freaks hunt every single one of them.

Haunted Carnival

2026

Ways of the Sea poster
NR

This film exposes the human trafficking operation and journey through the seas of Southern Philippines to neighboring Malaysia. Based on research and interviews, this dramatic narrative provides a kaleidoscope of characters hoping for a better life in Sabah, in spite of the dubiousness of the process, and uncertainty of a true job in Malaysia. It also represents a microcosm of the multi-cultural groupings of Mindanao whose diversity is bound by a common goal, an opportunity to earn a living, as they take that illegal small boat ride from their homeland to that foreign "Promised Land."

Ways of the Sea

2010

Supot poster
5.0

After refusing a ritual circumcision intended to usher him into manhood, Rene-boy (10), tries alternate methods to remove this mark of cowardice.

Supot

2016

Ay Ayeng poster
NR

A mountain maiden attempts to use education to help solve the problems of an Ifugao village, but finds that outdated traditions and military oppression stand in her way. A photojournalist documents her story.

Ay Ayeng

2008

Metro Manila poster
7.2

Looking for a brighter future in metropolitan Manila, Oscar Ramirez and his family leave their miserable life in the rice terraces of Banaue, in the northern Philippines. In the sweltering capital, where all kind of perils lurk in every corner, Oscar catches a lucky break when he is offered a steady work for an armored truck company and the senior officer Ong takes him under his wing.

Metro Manila

2013

GG: Good Game poster
6.3

Mourning the death of his beloved lola, an aspiring pro-gamer is forced to live with his estranged mother and lead his underdog esports team in secret.

GG: Good Game

2024

Lilet Never Happened poster
6.3

Lilet Never Happened is the rollercoaster story of how a young girl, struggling to survive in the streets of Manila, spirals down into child prostitution. She is a fighter. She is a dreamer. She is a rebel and she thinks she can handle the world with her wits. But she has to face up to reality when she runs out of innocent dreams.

Lilet Never Happened

2012

Penduko poster
NR

Pedro Penduko, son of a powerful traditional healer, rejects his destiny and becomes a wastrel in the big city. He is recruited by Midnight, an organization that sends healers out to people in need in exchange for money.

Penduko

2023

Sakay poster
9.0

The film covers the life of Filipino patriot and hero Macario Sakay, who was declared an outlaw and a criminal for continuing hostilities against the United States after the "official" end of the Philippine Insurrection.

Sakay

1993

Miracle in Cell No. 7 poster
7.2

Joselito is a mentally-challenged man who is wrongfully charged with sexually assaulting and murdering a little girl. In prison, he becomes friends with his fellow inmates and together they form a plan to smuggle his young daughter inside the cell! Years after, his daughter becomes a lawyer and is determined to prove her father's innocence.

Miracle in Cell No. 7

2019

A Love Story poster
3.9

Ian Montes is a picture of success. Despite being a son of a shipping tycoon, Ian refused to just ride in his father's empire. He built his own real estate company and earned his first million at a very young age. He never looked back since then. Driven by his ambition to become better, if not as good as his father, Ian managed to make it on his own. But behind all the glory is a man yearning for love and recognition.

A Love Story

2007

A Hard Day poster
5.8

After trying to cover up a car accident that left a man dead, a crooked homicide detective is stalked by a mysterious man claiming to have witnessed the event.

A Hard Day

2021

Woman of Mud poster
3.5

Mark is a college student with hidden ambitions of being a horror novelist. In his quest to write a story that will showcase his talents, a true horror invades his private life in the form of a beautiful, goddess-like woman who mysteriously emerges from inside a giant fruit. Little does he know that what appears to be a fantasy come true is actually a nightmare that's become frighteningly real.

Woman of Mud

2000

Ten Little Mistresses poster
6.4

A widowed billionaire's ten mistresses fight tooth and nail to become his new legal wife. But when he suddenly turns up dead, all ten women end up being prime suspects.

Ten Little Mistresses

2023

Big Night! poster
5.6

A gay beautician is determined to clear his name after learning he's included in a drug watchlist.

Big Night!

2021

On the Job: The Missing 8 poster
10.0

Inspired by true events, the film chronicles the story of Sisoy Salas, a corrupt journalist seeking justice for his colleagues, and convict Roman Rubio, a hired gun who is regularly brought out of prison to perform assassinations.

On the Job: The Missing 8

2022

Manila Skies poster
NR

Inspired by a true news account, this is the astounding story of a lone deranged hijacker who has struggled to survive in the chaos of modern Philippine society.

Manila Skies

2009

Behind the camera