‘Crime 101’ review
A satisfying slowburn Well-written script, solid story, and great cinematography elevate the movie’s appeal Crime thrillers are often characterized by high-octane car chases and unrelenting action to be effective. They need to have elaborate storylines that will push its characters to the limits to pull off a satisfying end. But that doesn’t apply every time. […]
‘Hamnet’ review: delightfully painful
Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet surprised—delighted, actually—me at its final act. At the start of the movie, I thought that it would be an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s longest play, Hamlet. Although it’s been ages since we studied the tragedy, I was quite certain during the first thirty minutes that what’s unfolding on the screen isn’t like […]
‘Wuthering Heights’ review: a cautionary tale
I think it’s clever that Wuthering Heights features actors who have some of the most beautiful faces in the industry today. Superficial as it sounds, their looks are most probably the only thing that will keep you from disliking the movie. Or I could be wrong. Because the movie is delightfully indulgent. I haven’t finished […]
‘Send Help’ review: Who will outwit, outplay, and outlast?
If Survivor would become a movie, this is probably it. In Send Help, director Sam Raimi returned to form by bringing together survival horror, dark comedy, and character study by putting two characters who are polar opposites in an environment where they are forced to, just like in the reality TV behemoth, outlast the elements […]
‘Mercy’ review: Edge-of-your-seat thrill makes up for its shortcomings
There are times when movies don’t need to say or do too much to be interesting, or even entertaining. A movie just needs to be enjoyable to watch. Such is the case in Timur Bekmambetov’s Mercy. Starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson, the movie centers on a futuristic AI-powered judicial program that uses an evidence-based […]
‘Primate’ review: no monkey business here
Johannes Roberts’ creature suspense-horror film Primate means serious business. It’s full-on gore and violence. It gets too brutal it can be hard to watch at certain times. There’s a lot of blood and ripping of flesh (and other body parts) it can make anyone with a weak stomach want to leave the cinema—or, at least, […]
‘Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins’ review
Evil is back in Regal Entertainment’s Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins. Horror goes full circle in the 17th installment of the most popular horror franchise in the Philippines. Evil Origins will span three timelines so that each story is connected to the horrors from the previous generation. The stories happen in 1775 where an […]
‘Rekonek’ review
Director Jade Castro brings together an ensemble cast in Rekonek, a movie that tackles the consequences of a world that is stripped of the power of the internet. When the world suddenly loses connection to the world wide web, the lives of our characters are turned upside down. Now forced to live in a society […]
‘Manila’s Finest’ review
Piolo Pascual headlines Manila’s Finest, a crime-thriller directed by Raymond Red and supported by a powerhouse ensemble including Enrique Gil, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Ashtine Olviga, Rica Peralejo, Ariel Rivera, Joey Marquez, Cedrick Juan, and Romnick Sarmienta. Set in 1960s Manila, Manila’s Finest follows police officers Homer and Billy as they navigate a crime-ridden city. Full review […]
‘Unmarry’ review
In her comeback movie, Unmarry, one of the industry’s finest actresses takes on a role that boldly raises a question to one of society’s biggest ills: the need for divorce. Angelica Panganiban and Zanjoe Marudo play a couple facing a tedious, hurtful, and lengthy process of annulling their 14-year marriage. One yearns for freedom while […]