ALL FILM REVIEWS
‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ REVIEW: All dies, no smiles
Unlike the smash hit of a song ‘Die With A Smile,’ ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ is a complete washout.
‘Her Locket’ REVIEW: Family above all
Her Locket is nothing short of an effective family drama. Its message is universal, reminding us that our loved ones are all we have at the end of the day. #SinagMaynila2024
‘The Wedding Dance’ REVIEW: The pains and pressures of childlessness
The Wedding Dance might not be the best Cinemalaya film this year, but its attempt to dissect patriarchy through the lens of marriage in the Kalinga community makes it worth watching.
‘My Boo’ REVIEW: It doesn’t get any scarier, funnier, and cheesier than this
Whether it be watching scary movies or going to attractions like Gabi ng Lagim, we love being spooked to death just as much as we love cheesy romcoms. The Thai film ‘My Boo’ is exceptional for the most part, tapping into our twisted fascination with the macabre.
'Mean Girls (2024)’ REVIEW: More is more and meaner
Mean Girls is not just a mere copy or another adaptation to avoid; it takes everything from the original and amplifies it all into a louder and more “fetch” movie with catchy tunes to boot.
'Wonka’ REVIEW: Chalamet, chocolates and childlike wonder
Like the previous movies, ‘Wonka’ plays out as a musical interspersed with magical scenes of chocolate and hope, a constant reminder that everyone with a drive to share their craft with the world gets a golden ticket in life sooner or later.
'All of Us Strangers’ REVIEW: Not just a ghost/love story
‘All of Us Strangers’ is a hymn for the lonesome, a saving grace that comes knocking at your door in the middle of the night. It is very personal, modern, and queer, tackling the long and winding road of grief but focusing more on its first stage—denial.
‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ REVIEW: Absolutely worth the wait
A story about trust and company, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish highlights chosen families, and although blood is thicker than water, the movie is a testament to the beauty of friendship that can stand the test of time.
‘Arnold is a Model Student’ REVIEW: Bad students, worse governments
Arnold is a Model Student shows rallying students and activists side by side to make everyone realize how oppression exists in all forms, a subtle jab at the current Thai administration that curtails its people’s basic right to free speech. The school is indeed a microcosm of the community, where the principal and the head of the country both boil down to a single, authoritarian evil.
‘LiveScream’ REVIEW: Filipino horror gets a fresh, bloody spin
‘LiveScream’ is a brutal and realistic mirror of society in the age of content creation, with its true horror lying in the lengths that people would go to just to have fame and money.
‘The Black Phone’ REVIEW: A dialed down spookfest
With a dash of mystery and a range of frightening, paranormal scenes, ‘The Black Phone’ is a unique take on the horror genre but ultimately falls short in the delivery of its story.
‘Elvis’ REVIEW: A biopic in Luhrmann glitz and glamour
‘Elvis’ breaks the boundaries of the biopic umbrella, taking the film scene by a storm of Luhrmann glitz and glamour and Butler magic.
‘Paano Kita Iibigin’ REVIEW: The fine line between loving and enabling
How do you begin to love someone who doesn’t know how to love themselves? ‘Paano Kita Iibigin’ attempts to answer that and more in this 2007 romcom film starring Regine Velasquez and Piolo Pascual.
‘Hey Babe!’ REVIEW: When the ‘m’ in romcom stands for misogyny
'Hey Babe!,' like other romcoms, falls under the dilemma of the genre's tendency to be misogynistic. It hides its true nature in "lessons" that don't only serve its plot, but also the patriarchy.
‘Patayin sa Sindak si Barbara’ REVIEW: Remake eclipsed by its original
'Patayin sa Sindak si Barbara’ is a two-way failure: it fails both as a remake and as a horror movie.
‘Labs Kita... Okey Ka Lang?’ REVIEW: The quintessential best friends-turned-lovers movie
'Labs Kita' is an essential viewing of Filipino cinema that serves as a blueprint for movies like 'Paano Na Kaya', 'She’s The One', 'Must Be...Love', and 'I’m Drunk, I Love You'.