[2] It explores the realities of a young, poor, rural gay man, who after being dumped by his American boyfriend, is forced to support himself and his family in Manila's seamy red-light district.

[1] Macho Dancer was a box office failure in the Philippines due to its heavy censorship, but achieved international festival and critical success.

[1] The smuggled, uncensored 35 mm print of the film is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

[8] In 2021, Joel Lamangan directed the sequel "Anak ng Macho Dancer", which focuses on Inno, the son of Pol, portrayed by Sean De Guzman.

Abandoned by his American lover who finished his tour of duty, Pol a poor, gay teenager from the mountains is forced to move to Manila and support himself and his family.

Noel leads Pol to employment at Mama Charlie's, a male strip club in the district's tourist row frequented by American, European, and Japanese foreigners.

Pol is quickly accepted into the community of sex workers and has an immediate rapport with Bambi, a young call girl that often parties on the street with Noel and his friends after work hours.

After their camaraderie grows, Noel reveals to Pol that he initially moved to Manila to fund the education of his younger sister Pining and that she has recently gone missing.

He solicits the jobs from Dennis, a fellow macho dancer with connections to the local crime lord, a corrupt police officer nicknamed Kid.

To aid their search, Bambi discreetly asks clients and sex workers about new groups of women forced into sexual slavery.

A new corrupt police officer will act as the club's liaison with the law in the place of Kid, whose murder is on the front page of the newspapers.

[10] Kevin Thomas of L.A. Times in 1989 commented that the film is "very steamy both in gay and straight situations" and the "cast seems to be living rather than acting their roles".