It was the first major Filipino film to tackle rape as a feminist issue.[1]Brutal was followed by Moral (1982) and Karnal (1983), a loose trilogy of feminist films directed by Abaya and written by Lee.
Housewife Monica Real is arrested for killing three men including her husband Tato. Clara Valdez is a journalist searching for the truth why Monica was driven to kill them and remain silent by refusing to speak to her family and her lawyer. With the help of her boyfriend, Jake, Clara seeks information from Monica's best friend, Cynthia and Monica's mother to find out answers.
After the success of her directorial debut Tanikala (1980), Marilou Diaz-Abaya was approached by producer Jesse Ejercito to direct a film for him starring Amy Austria, who had recently distinguished herself in the 1979 Lina Brocka film Jaguar.[2]
