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
Category: Festival Coverage
‘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
‘Perfect Days’ is Wim Wenders and Koji Yakusho’s most important work
Princess Kinoc reviews Wim Wenders’ ‘Perfect Days’, under the Screen International section of QCinema 2023. Some spoilers may be present in this review. I have an immense bias towards films that are quiet and would rather show than tell. Wim Wenders is no stranger to depicting how observational we can
Poor Things (2023) review: Unfolding the catharsis in self-discovery, pleasure, and choice
Poor Things (2023) is the official opening film of QCinema 2023.
Toubab (2021) review: Laughing through labels
Fake it ‘til you make it. Nowadays, it’s no longer uncanny to talk about issues of homophobia and racism in comedies and so in Florian Dietrich’s attempt to discuss these in a lighthearted manner in his 2021 film Toubab seems commendable enough. That is until we get towards the third
The Ordinaries (2022) review: ‘Lights, Camera, Revolution’
‘The Ordinaries’ is one of seven films featured in this year’s Kinofest 2023, the German Film Festival. Sophie Linnenbaum’s satiric film takes meta-cinema with social commentaries that is one of the more lighter, entertaining films in this year’s festival. There’s something about Sophie Linnenbaum’s debut film that takes your breath
Republic of Silence (2021) review: Unveiling the heart of the Syrian conflict through personal perspectives
‘Republic of Silence’ is a powerful documentary that shows the Syrian conflict through personal perspectives gathered by Diana El Jairoudi and fellow activists for twelve years. Read more of our review here and watch the film at this year’s KinoFest 2023 at Gateway Cinemas. To say that Republic of Silence
A glimpse beyond the corset: ‘Sisi and I’ review
Not to confuse you with the 2022 film Corset, ‘Sisi und Ich’ (Sisi and I) offers a different perspective of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as ‘Sisi’ to her legion of fans. In this film, mixed with female-led grunge and 70s underground tunes, we see Sisi’s worldview through the
Unearthing family secrets: a review of ‘Hao Are You’
‘Hao Are You’ is a moving documentary on the history of the Vietnam war and how it coincides with the traumas a family has experienced even post-war. Dispatches from our coverage of this year’s KinoFest 2023. What does it mean to be a stranger in your own family? This is
‘Sonne und Beton’ (Sun and Concrete) is not your ordinary teen movie – a review
Sun and Concrete is a film that’s loosely based on the life of comedian-podcaster Felix Lobrecht. This film might remind you of some films in the past that tackle our youth in slum areas in the country and how they manage to survive. There’s something about Sonne und Beton (Sun
