The story of Betelgeuse and the Deetz family is so foreign to the usual Filipinos, including me. I had never heard of Beetlejuice until I looked for recommended horror films on Google. Upon watching, however, a Filipino viewer would find commonalities and comfort in the American-centric story: afterlife, ghosts, slapstick
Category: Reviews
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
A Review of Look Back: Searching for Completeness
I’ve always liked making stuff – drawing, writing, what have you – even though I’m not exactly the best at it. There have been so many times in my life where I wanted to share that process of making things with someone else, as I think sharing one’s art is
‘And So It Begins’ Review: What do we do next?
In one of And So It Begins subplots, historian, columnist, and former president Noynoy Aquino’s official Manolo Quezon III was talking to singer and anti-Marcos activist Leah Navarro about the rise of the Marcoses in a restaurant that looks like it sells Filipino food that costs thrice the price of
Review: Deadpool and Wolverine
When Marvel Comics neared bankruptcy in the late nineties, it sold the movie rights to some of its characters in order to stay afloat. While that would save the company from going under, it would then undergo massive success by establishing a cinematic universe of its own. The problem now
Filmic Duration and Liberatory Memory Work: Analyzing Lav Diaz’s ‘Evolution of a Filipino Family’ (2004)
Introduction To introduce Lav Diaz and his cinema, the simplest approach is to emphasize his distinctive use of long cinematic duration, which is not merely an aesthetic choice but a result of complex historical, material, and political transformations. For Diaz, it is his praxis—a foundational aspect of his cinematic philosophy
Daisy Ridley stars as the ‘Young Woman and the Sea’, premieres this July 19 on Disney +
Young Woman and the Sea is the extraordinary true story of the first woman to successfully swim the English channel. The inspirational drama, which was released in theaters May 31, 2024, was warmly received by critics, as was Daisy Ridley’s performance. Katie Walsh from the Los Angeles Times said, “This
Inside Out 2: Isa Pa, With More Feelings
Contains minor spoilers. “Holy sh*t. Is this really for kids?” I thought while watching Anxiety (Maya Hawke in a captivating voiceover performance) spins out of control, forming a chaotic orange whirlpool while desperately ensuring that Riley (Kensington Tallman) will make a good impression at a crucial game at the hockey
Review: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
Whether you’re a huge fan of the Planet of the Apes franchise or a casual moviegoer, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a good, safe choice to watch in the cinema. It ticks all the boxes of a good, escapist American blockbuster film while continuing the excitement and
‘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
The Seen and the Unseen review: An Indonesian Gem about Rediscovering Our Magical Childhood
Kamila Andini’s The Seen and the Unseen (2017) navigates the depths of a child’s subconscious, as seen through her cultural heritage. It recounts the story of fraternal twins, Tantri and Tantra. One fateful day, Tantra stole an egg from the gods’ altar, and Tantri subsequently prepared and consumed it. Tantri ingested the
Safe Havens or Stifled Stories? Examining ‘Rewind’ and Filipino Film Conventions | Opinion
With Rewind being the highest-grossing Filipino film of all time now, what does that say about the Filipino audience? First, we are still hooked on loveteams and romantic films. Second, Star Cinema has a firm grasp of the audience’s emotional needs in watching films. Third, Filipinos will spend their hard-earned
‘Priscilla’ review: An intimate journey in achieving agency
In almost two hours of Sofia Coppola’s latest film Priscilla, the titular character (Cailee Spaeney) had a visually and emotionally intricate journey in looking and establishing her agency, seeking her identity beyond being the woman placed and living in the shadow of the King of Rock and Roll, husband Elvis
‘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
