
ALL FILM REVIEWS
‘Reprise’ REVIEW: A sterling sketch of life’s what-ifs and could-have-beens – with a French New Wave kink
In ‘Reprise,’ amidst the hypnotic yet seemingly decaying landscape of Oslo and Paris, uncertainty is the most terrifying thing in the world, especially for twenty-somethings.
‘Fanny: The Right To Rock’ REVIEW: How do you resurrect what history has buried?
The tragedy of ‘Fanny’ is that they arrived too early and then arrived too late, but this documentary doesn’t offer a tale of wrong timing, but rather, a heartwarming ode to one of the forgotten pioneers of rock & roll.
‘The Moises Padilla Story’ REVIEW: When Propaganda Intrigues
All in all, “The Moises Padilla Story” is one of the most engaging experiences from the 60s. It’s a film whose propagandist and political elements with a mastery of fundamentals, creating something riveting and enchanting only boggled by external imperfections.
‘World of Tomorrow’ REVIEW: An absurd reflection of a future not far from our own
In Don Hertzfeldt’s “World of Tomorrow,” a 16-minute animated short film, all the sci-fi shenanigans revolve around the existential struggle of an adorable 4-year-old girl coming into contact with a third-generation clone of herself 227 years in the future.
‘Nang Maglublob Ako sa Isang Mangkok ng Liwanag’ REVIEW: A triumph of Philippine trans cinema
‘Nang Maglublob Ako sa Isang Mangkok ng Liwanag’ is proof that it is not enough to imagine a better world and humane conditions for our trans folks and queer siblings because only when we actively act on achieving this can it truly materialize, which speaks of what trans cinema really means.
‘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.
Ngayon Kaya ‘REVIEW’: Hugot-core Redux
Familiar tropes and sentiments cloud Prime Cruz's latest work, but despite its imitations and self-awareness, "Ngayon Kaya" is still capable of hitting its audience in spots and moments.
‘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.
Boundary ‘REVIEW’: One Wild Ride
“Boundary” finds itself toeing the line between right and wrong, expertly weaving between figures whose righteousness is easily questioned thanks to great pacing rarely seen from the genre.
‘Ang Kababaihan ng Malolos’ REVIEW: Purely Educational
“Ang Kababaihan ng Malolos” is clearly and consciously well-informed of the details, but struggles in imprinting itself well to the audience.
‘The Silence of Others’ REVIEW: Giving voice to the silenced
In a world where freedom and truth are always taken by those in power, this film couldn’t be more timely. The Silence of Others gave voice to the victims of the long forgotten history of Franco’s regime and courageously confronts the issues of Spain’s “Pact of Forgetting” Amnesty law.
'Tanabata's Wife’ REVIEW: A Subtle Navigation of Ethnicity and Stability
Beyond family and ethnicity, “Tanabata’s Wife” is a delicate attempt to find human nature in the flawed complexities of two vastly different characters.
‘The Souvenir: Part II’ REVIEW: Filmmaking as a creative outlet for grief
If Part I was a meandering film about a doomed romance, The Souvenir: Part II explores grief through the surreal and messy world of filmmaking. Joanna Hogg’s sequel to her semi-autobiographical film is a stunning and ambitious picture full of compassion and creativeness.
‘The Chanters’ REVIEW: A Touching Intersection of Cultures
“The Chanters”, simply put, prods its audience with an ingenious mix of contemporary and traditional cultures in a way that leaves a mark on them even after watching.
‘Days of the New’ REVIEW: An Intriguing Investigation of Post-Pandemic Absurdity
Keith Deligero's 2021 murder-mystery short divulges little about the details, but gives its audience something to earnestly pine for in a post-pandemic world.
‘The Batman’ REVIEW: A neo-noir mystery that deconstructs a tortured hero
‘The Batman’ creates a desolate environment that inhales fear and exhales vengeance, inviting us to deconstruct an erratic and tortured hero like we’ve never seen before.
‘SWAP’ (2015) REVIEW: A Mediocre, Single-Take Martial Law Experiment
Remton Zuasola's 2015 drama-thriller implicitly examines crime in the backdrop of Martial Law antics while leaving much to be desired.