Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes successfully introduces new characters—both ape and human—who we can get behind, which is the first step in making the audience care enough to see a cinematic adventure.

‘Under Parallel Skies’ is an entertaining romcom with a captivating performance by Janella Salvador, but it takes two to tango.

The Idea of You’ tells us two stories: how more young artists find themselves getting with older people and how the media sets a double standard on women.

Civil War is less about fifty states fighting one another and more about the thrill of capturing chaotic scenes during wartime.

Distance will not make you realize how important family is, nor will it compel you to hug your family after watching it. Instead, the film affirms the emotions that are often suppressed, neglected, or set aside due to societal norms.

The Fall Guy isn’t just an ode to the daredevils of the film industry but also acts as a self-aware piece of meta-cinema that caters to the action and rom-com crowd.

Challengers is a well-crafted film with a brilliant screenplay that knows how to humanize and dehumanize its characters in a three-way love affair that is more than just tennis.

‘Mr. and Mrs. Cruz’ is a heartwarming romantic comedy that reminds us to stay positive, because eventually, we will find ourselves in a place that makes us smile. Now showing as part of the IdeaFirst Film Festival.

Its blockbuster-eyed filmmaking understands life’s urgency to move, but offers little affirmation beyond its humor and charm to those who have fewer means to change like its protagonist.

The First Omen is a noteworthy prequel to an already well-known horror classic, leaving us craving for more good Omen sequels to come.

Eight years after its 2016 MMFF debut, Die Beautiful stands tall as a passionate, post-mortem portrait of a transgender beauty queen in Philippine society.

‘About Us But Not About Us’ is a psychological thriller about two gay writers uncovering secrets on a recent death. It’s hard to listen to, but we keep listening because of the scandal that comes with it.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire feels bloated and struggles to find the balance of showcasing the new characters aside from the main group of the Spengler family.

Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B’s sensual romance offers something fresh, leaning towards the flesh as a representation of intimacy and longing in the form of people masquerading as lonely creatures of the night.

The dialogue-heavy, one-take film, ‘Anino Sa Likod Ng Buwan,’ is a marvel of calculated narrative and technical claustrophobia that will leave you gasping for breath with each frame and grab you by the neck with its unexpected twists and turns.

'Sleepless’ boldly defies the conventional Filipino rom-com formula, offering an intimate look at an enduring love not confined in romance...and opportunistic profit machines.

In Jun Lana’s struggle to make sense of past political conditions, Your Mother’s Son becomes his definitive bomba film: mired deeply in sex, and politically dense in its delirious and lustful desires.

‘Road House’ is too ecstatic to show us the intense high-octane action set pieces that it forgets to let the characters grow.

For a more Filipino semblance, White Bird: A Wonder Story captures this grandmother-grandchild dynamic of telling wondrous stories with lessons in the vein of “Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang.” Apart from the film’s setting, there isn’t that much to go further deep into things, as the film exists as an idealistic reminder of kindness conquering all.

‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ knows exactly what it wants to be: a maximalist monster affair that puts its biggest stars (literally) front and center of a vibrant and epic kaijū fisticuffs.