Joe Balinbin

Kiyoshi Kurosawa creates a genre-bender, deftly blending elements of paranoia thriller, psychological horror, shoot ‘em up, and a surprising touch of dark comedy, creating something wholly unique when genre films have become predictable.

‘Outside’ tries to carve out its own path, but in doing so, it loses touch with what makes the zombie genre resonate in the first place — primal survival and raw human emotions in collision with a world of viscera and chaos.

'Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In' captivates with its unabashed embrace of the fantastical myth-making and whimsical absurdities of a wuxia set in contemporary times.

'La Llegada' is a demanding watch due to its minimalist stylistic choices, which may alienate viewers, as the film’s commitment to realism and intimacy sometimes overshadows any cinematic flourishes.

Keith Deligero instills ‘Iskalawags’ with an unfiltered, sometimes vulgar, and humorous energy that remains playful and fun — an endearing quality that makes the film so charming and earnest

Ang Panday’ is perhaps the best example that shows how little distinction there is between FPJ’s on-screen hero, who embodies humility, justice, and selflessness, and his off-screen persona, which made him a beloved figure of Philippine cinema.

Indonesian filmmaker Edwin concocts an atmospheric and absorbing crime thriller that invites us to investigate the bewildering and grisly details beyond the machinations of the plot.

‘Gulay Lang, Manong!’ ensures a chill and fun time at the cinema while also inviting us to inquire into the challenges that our farmers face.

Fuchsia Libre’s pursuit of telling a supposedly simple tale of wrestling and reconciliations wraps up in disparate styles and inconsistent tones, giving birth to a genre-hybrid abomination that is utterly confused on what it intends to accomplish.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga forges a new path for itself, shedding the relentless pace of Fury Road for a more intimate and soulful symphony of vengeance that elevates the emotional gravity of its predecessor.

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.

‘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.

A Glimpse of Forever is problematic not because it abandons romance to convey a message about men’s mental health, but because of how it approaches its subject matter with so much insensitivity and ignorance.

While ‘The Holdovers’ may have its shortcomings in the character study of its three lonesome protagonists, it finds strength in its quick-witted, incisive, and endlessly quotable script that strikes the perfect chord between humor and heart.

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.