And Yet, You Are So Sweet is a cliché romance that shows us what made shoujo stories decline in the first place, not being able to adapt to present times and its more progressive audience. Watch the other JFF films instead.

We Made a Beautiful Bouquet is anchored by the meet-cute premise of two strangers trying to catch the last train home to Tokyo. It’s a love story that knows its audience well and treats them with care and respect.

The First Slam Dunk stands as a praiseworthy directorial debut from Takehiko Inoue that captures what makes basketball so thrilling to watch while weaving a deeply absorbing narrative about overcoming adversity in order to get that sweet victory.

So much of Angry Son is defined by its breadth and sincerity, and yet, the film falters for it.

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.

As the first esports film in the Philippines, GG (Good Game) exposes the often misunderstood and belittled burgeoning industry with visual flair, adrenaline rush, and typical melodrama.

After 60 years of raising the standards for animation, Studio Ghibli auteur Hayao Miyazaki continues to up the ante with his visionary and expansive storytelling. As an iconic film maestro, he not only creates yet another mesmerizing world on screen but also confronts the profound legacy he has woven throughout his illustrious career.

What Firefly speaks well to its audience is a form of sincere storytelling that fully evokes the ageless feeling of adventure.

For a film that tries to come off as having Christian values and even haphazardly throws in a silly portrayal of Jesus for extra points, its message is shockingly nihilistic.

For a piece of history that, outside of the academe, is not discussed in depth, the film treats its audience to a story accentuated by convincing production design and great performances from its ensemble cast, titular trio aside.

Instead of opting for a straightforward depiction of the infamous case of the Philippines’ first documented serial killer, Mallari chooses a wild, albeit frustratingly complex, yet enjoyably ambitious approach that may or may not impress you.

James Wan’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is the last breath of a sinking ship. A haze of ideas flashing before one’s eyes without understanding and empathizing with their significance.

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.

A weapon-wielding Iza Calzado, a scene-stealing Esnyr, and a blood-soaked Jane de Leon are some of the features you need to watch out for in the latest Shake, Rattle & Roll installment. After a nine-year hiatus, the horror franchise is now making its comeback, delivering a stacked ensemble, intensified scares, and heightened entertainment.

‘Bernadette’ has nothing new nor subversive to offer in the genre. Still, the film knows how to have fun and it does just that.

Considering how Fassbinder carefully orchestrated the drama of the ‘The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant’ and framed the shots so beautifully, Ozon's ‘Peter Von Kant’ becomes inferior in nature.

Miko Revereza's Nowhere Near shows how colonialism erases entire people and structures, even lineages and histories. There's something so potent and human in this memoir about the fear of statelessness and colonial trauma. It is something so spiritual and metaphysical.

Essential Truths of the Lake finds Lav Diaz revisiting moments that are undoubtedly familiar. It’s a story that has been previously presented in more striking fashion, but its present iteration is still an adventure worth diving into.

Even though Love is a Gun is by far from redefining the neo-noir genre, there is still something enthralling about a forlorn man desperately in pursuit of rewriting his fate.

For a film about faith and questioning, I think it’s quite ingenious to use the medium of slow cinema to convey its themes because, in a way, there are a lot of commonality with each other in the sense that you have to be ready to embrace both, and you are willing to listen. And one can’t really force either, you have to devote yourself to it.