Pain – whether physical or emotional – is unpleasant, and many of us understandably spend our entire lives trying to avoid it. Lynlyn (Julia Barretto) has an ability that makes this easier – when she touches a person, she can determine if that person will have a positive or negative
Category: Festival Coverage
MMFF 2024 Review: Uninvited
There are some people that don’t deserve redemption, their evil so pervasive and unchecked that the normal mechanisms of justice simply don’t work anymore. Dan Villegas’ Uninvited is one of the best of the year, a thrilling, engaging tale of taking matters into your own hands. More than any other horror film
MMFF 2024 Review: Green Bones
Whenever you watch a video of a person getting their just desserts or receiving the karma that they deserve, do you ever wonder what drove them to do the things that they did? Or do you feel that whatever the circumstances may be, they got what’s coming to them? The
MMFF 2024 Review: Strange Frequencies: Taiwan Killer Hospital
There are certain aspects of streaming culture that disturb me. “Content” is a word that properly describes what is created from this activity; a word that implies a soulless, artless product made to be consumed. In the process, many have created their content in ways that are unethical and disrespectful, and
MMFF 2024 Review: And the Breadwinner Is…
Bambi (Vice Ganda) works as an OFW in Taiwan. She’s been working multiple jobs for many years in order to renovate their large family house. After not renewing a work contract, Bambi decides to return home to start a business. Unfortunately, Bambi finds the family house no better than it
MMFF 2024 Review: The Kingdom
Fairytales don’t often concern themselves with the details: once it’s happily ever after, that’s it. Anything else is in the domain of speculation (and fanmade fiction). One could see Michael Tuviera’s The Kingdom as an example of that, a modern day fairytale built on one of the rarer subgenres of
Ang Pagsasa-Dokumentaryo Ng Isang Ulat: Rebyu ng “Lost Sabungeros”
Ang “Lost Sabungeros” ay ipinalabas noong Nobyembre sa QCinema International Film Festival 2024. Nitong nakaraang Agosto, naging kontrobersyal ang pag-kansela ng Cinemalaya sa pagpapalabas ng dokumentaryong Lost Sabungeros. “For security reason” ang tanging iniwang dahilan ng nabanggit na film festival kaya hindi natuloy ang screening ng dokyu. Makalipas ang ilang
Film Review: “Simon of the Mountain”
Simon of the Mountain, what is the point of all this? Winner of the Cannes 2024 Critics’ Week Grand Prize premiered as part of this year’s QCinema – Screen International. This is a film that raises more questions as to how we see the people with disability, and how we
Sinag Maynila 2024: Reviews of All Seven Full-Length Films
Gospel of the Beast: Molded by Darkness Mateo (Jansen Magpusao) is an ordinary schoolboy who messes around in class. During one particular instance, he accidentally kills a classmate in a fit of anger. Desperate to hide his crime, he turns to his godfather (Ronnie Lazaro), who works as a hitman
‘Anak Ka Ng Ina Mo’ (Your Mother’s Son Review): Political Intrigue and Personal Turmoil in Jun Lana’s Erotic Thriller
Jun Lana’s latest sexy, disturbing, and cunning film Anak Ka ng Ina Mo (Your Mother’s Son) is a series of tug of war: son versus visitor, love versus taboo, individualism versus collectivism, and the director’s intention of establishing a subtle yet sharp political commentary versus his tendency to focus on
‘Rewind’ review: the Divine twist is a flawed redemption
John (Dingdong Dantes) is a businessman who is always on the go, to the detriment of his relationships with his loving wife Mary (Marian Rivera) and his son Austin (Jordan Lim.) It all comes to a head when several unfortunate events befall John, leading to a car accident that takes
‘Broken Hearts Trip’ review: Taken For a Ride
John Tawasil reviews Lem Lorca’s ‘Broken Hearts Trip’, one of the ten entries in this year’s MMFF 2023 Broken Hearts Trip opens with auditions for the titular reality show, where three “judgers” (Tart Carlos, Jacklyn Jose and Christian Bables) try to weed out contestants based on their sad stories. Many contestants
GomBurZa MMFF 2023 review: Martyrs Among Us
What makes a martyr? Is it what they did in life that turns them into one? Is it what they stand for? Or is it something in between that makes them what they are? This story needs no spoiler warning because even if we don’t know the specific details, we
‘Mallari’ review: Piolo Pascual’s Triple Threat in this game-changing Filipino horror film
Princess Kinoc reviews ‘Mallari’, a fictional account of the first documented Filipino serial killer of the same name. The film is part of this year’s MMFF 2023. The first documented Filipino serial killer is a priest. If that sentence has not brought a weight of thought in your mind today,
‘Firefly’ film review: beyond expectations in this hidden gem from MMFF 2023
In this review of the film ‘Firefly’, Princess Kinoc writes about Zig Dulay’s adaptation of Anj Atienza’s short story, of the same name. An entry in this year’s MMFF 2023. Firefly, to me, is undoubtedly one of the best films I have seen so far in this year’s MMFF line-up.
‘Mutt’ review: a raw portrait of transitions and relationships
Mutt is a drama directed by Vuk Lungulov-Klotz that features the journey of Feña as he transitions into a man. Ela Bicera reviews this film that was part of the QCinema International Film Festival 2023. Spoilers are present. While Transitioning is a life-changing experience, it also comes with doubts, fears
‘Foe’ (2023) review: love’s final frontier we’d already seen before
Ela Bicera reviews ‘Foe’, the science fiction thriller starring Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal, directed by Garth Davis. This film premiered at the QCinema International Film Festival 2023. Spoilers are present in this review. “Till death, do us part” is the promise we say to the love of our lives
‘Essential Truths of the Lake’ (Mga Saligan ng Katotohanan ng Lawa), isang pag-susuri | a QCinema review
Sa rebyu’ng ito ni Engelbert Rafferty, kaniya’ng sinuri ang pagka-hango ng pelikula ni Lav Diaz sa ekstra-hudisyal na pagpatay noong pamumuno ng dating presidente na si Rodrigo Duterte, at sa mga naiwang ala-ala ng pamilya ng mga biktima. Umiikot ang mga kamay ng oras sa bawat segundong tumatakbo. Sa loob
‘City of Wind’ Unravels Mongolian Mysticism | QCinema review
Engelbert Rafferty reviews Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir’s debut film ‘City of Wind’. It premiered in this year’s QCinema as part of the ‘New Horizons’ section. Spoilers are present in this review. In the last day of February 2006, renowned Mongolian shamanism figure Sarangerel Odigon passed away at age 43, which we can
Faithful Frames: a review of ‘Divine Factory’ and the spiritual significance of The Sleeping St. Joseph
There is a holy item that was mostly talked about in the entire film, which is called “The Sleeping St. Joseph”. According to the Holy story, Joseph had some doubts of being with Mary when she was pregnant, and the lord came into his dreams while he’s asleep, entrusting the
Solids by the Seashore (2023) review: the tides of liberation
John Tawasil writes about Patiparn Boontarig‘s ‘Solids By The Seashore’. The film is part of the Asian Next Wave competition at the QCinema International Film Festival 2023. Shati (Ilada Pitsuwan) works in an art gallery in a quiet seaside town. We first see her putting on a hijab as part
‘Women from Rote Island’ (2023) review: female resiliency at its finest
Ela Bicera writes about Jeremias Nyangoen’s debut film which tackles the abuse that Women from Rote Island experience, and their resiliency to fight back. Spoilers are present in this review. Rote Island is one of the many islands located in Indonesia, known as a great surfing location with amazing coral
All of Us Strangers: Power of Queer Love
Roy Narra writes about ‘All of Us Strangers’, Andrew Haigh’s heart-shattering adaptation of Taichi Yamada’s novel, Strangers. Spoilers are present in this review. Is it better to be labeled as a gay man than being a queer? In Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers, Adam (Andrew Scott, in his career-best
Tiger Stripes review: Malaysian body-horror succeeds in its depiction of growing up
This is Engelbert Rafferty’s return to Film Police Reviews! He writes about Amanda Nell Eu’s directorial debut, ‘Tiger Stripes’. The film is also the recipient of the Pylon Award for Asian Next Wave Best Picture and Best Director in this year’s QCinema International Film Festival. The Philippines and Malaysia are
QCinema 2023 | QCSEA Shorts Short Reviews
These are our capsule reviews of this year’s QCSEA Shorts. We wish these filmmakers the best of luck and here’s hoping their short films gain more traction wherever else in the world. The dystopian near-future of Stephen Lopez’s Hito feels bizarre and unfamiliar at certain points, yet feels familiar in all the
