Review of PRIMETIME: Entrapment for Entertainment

October 6, 2026

It was 2006. Dateline NBC had a sensational series called "To Catch a Predator" starring journalist Chris Hansen (Robert Pattinson). This show planned and executed entrapment operations against pedophiles on camera for broadcast on TV. Hansen and his crew entered the scene to confront the pervert and have them arrested on the spot. The show turned out to be a very big hit, so NBC bosses decided to move it to air on primetime at 9:30 pm, even putting it on the same timeslot to compete with ABC's hit series "Lost." 

Hansen and his producer Andie Bender (Merritt Wever) worked with Xavier Von Erck (Matthew Maher) who led a vigilante group against pedophiles called Perverted Justice. They hired young actors of legal age to act as the decoys for these pedophiles. Their original decoy was a woman named Del Harvey (Phoebe Bridgers) who can pass as girls or boys. A new recruit was Dan Plum (Skyler Gisondo) whose main incentive for getting into this show was the hope that this gig could help him earn his own Screen Actors Guild card. 

This is the first narrative film directed by Lance Oppenheim, veteran documentarist at the ripe old age of 30. Based on a 2007 article on Esquire magazine "Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die" by Luke Dittrich which was adapted into a screenplay by Ajon Singh, Oppenheim was essentially also doing a documentary here, but with actors playing the parts to heighten the tension and the behind-the-scenes drama. Oppenheim often employed the four-way split screen technique to replicate the show's multi-angle coverage of the sting operations. 

The topic of pedophilia is urgent for sure, but also ripe for sensationalization as far as television goes. Audiences could not resist the guilty lure of the lurid and the salacious, the scandalous and the perverse. Hansen and his group knew their goldmine was right there, ripe for the picking. Yet, with every child sex offender arrest they make, they still could pat themselves on the back and consider themselves superheroes for the invaluable service of saving kids from sexual predators who hide behind the anonymity provided by the internet. 

I have never seen the actual TV show nor do I know the real Chris Hansen, but Robert Pattinson played him with a sweaty, sleazy type of energy and vibe. Pattinson was so into his role that those scenes he had convincing Skyler Gismondo's Dan to join his team was uncomfortable to watch, even more cringe-inducing than the actual pedophile scenes. It was just too bad that after his climactic fight with his big "whale," we did not exactly get a clearer picture of how this major televised conflict affected Hansen nor his show. 7/10

Review of VERITY: Pulpy Psychological Potboiler

October 5, 2026

Writer Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson) had been published, but she still could not find a strong enough market yet. One day, she was offered to ghostwrite for best-selling novelist Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway) who had been rendered invalid after a  accident. According to Verity's husband Jeremy (Josh Hartnett), he was looking for a writer whom Verity liked to finish her popular Noble Virtues series, written from the wicked point of the villains. 

This was the surprise hit over the weekend when it upended the big-budget film "Digger" starring Tom Cruise and wound up as the top film in the USA box office. Because of this, Anne Hathaway had now starred in three films that debuted at Number One on opening weekend this year, following "The Devil Meets Prada 2" and "The Odyssey." I honestly had never even heard of this title at all before reading this startling piece of news last Monday. 

While I was watching this new film develop, the story being set up immediately brought to mind "The Housemaid" (2025). In that potboiler of a film, a pretty younger woman becomes the live-in maid for a wealthy family whose household hides dark secrets, which is essentially the same plot here. Both husbands were irresistibly handsome and solicitously kind, while both wives were mysterious, seemingly hiding dark skeletons in her closet. 

The wife in both films had a history of causing physical harm to their daughters, coincidentally both related to drowning. It was also no surprise when the conveniently conducive situation in both films led to the husbands falling in love with the younger woman, with them cavorting around his large house. Even the final twist about the real score between husband and wife also sounded very similar, it was just presented differently. "The Housemaid" did it better.

Dakota Johnson felt very much at home with the role of Lowen Ashleigh because it is reminiscent of mousy literature student Anastasia Steele, her breakthrough role in "Fifty Shades of Grey." After a big 2001 with "Pearl Harbor" and "Black Hawk Down," Josh Hartnett had no particularly high profile roles until he was pushing 50, starring in "Oppenheimer" (2023), "Trap" (2024), and now this one, in a role requiring him to go sexy. 

Anne Hathaway also broke through in 2001, with "The Princess Diaries," and pretty much had a stellar career since then.  After tackling an Oscar-bait role in "The Odyssey" and running from dinosaurs in "The End of Oak Street," her role here in "Verity" only had just sitting on her chair looking miserable most of this film. Yet during her flashback scenes, Hathaway infused her title character with a dark sort of energy that drove the mystery across. 6/10

Review of DIGGER: Apocalyptic Apocrypha

October 4, 2026

Conspiring with the US President Compson (John Goodman), eccentric oil magnate Digger Rockwell (Tom Cruise) and his Rockwell United had an exclusive contract to extract oil in Greenland. However, as he ignored warnings from his engineers about expanding methane pockets under the ice, a major explosion occurred that dislodged a massive iceberg. As predicted by Rockwell's environmental safety chief Dr. Nirav Ganesh (Riz Ahmed), the iceberg hit land in Norway, causing destructive tidal waves all over Northern Europe. 

This had been one of the most-anticipated films of 2026, touted to be the film that would finally give star Tom Cruise his Oscar for Best Actor. However, when the first official trailer of this film came out in July and we finally saw Cruise in his facial prosthetics and body-suit strutting around and hamming it up, I did not know what to make of it. It looked and felt like a weird over-the-top dark comedy about an old wealthy obnoxious businessman. It did not promise to be an easy watch. How can the whole film be like this? 

Fortunately, watching the whole film was a totally different experience from the trailer. The first 30 minutes were exactly what we saw in the trailer with a much clearer context and more bizarre details. However, right after the scene where Compson confided his awkward health condition to Digger in one of the mansion's hidden rooms, a tree fell uprooted outside the window they were looking out of. This surprising twist gave the film a whole new dimension that made watching it an unexpectedly engaging experience. 

Tom Cruise went all out to portray his megalomaniac title character, chewing the scenery all the way with his loud thickly Texan accent and exaggerated mannerisms. His big highlight was that intense 10 minute-long monologue of Digger speaking in front of an irate international council, addressing how the whole world loved oil and was thus also responsible for this environmental disaster. Cruise was absolutely riveting in this long continuous single-take scene, delivering 12 pages worth of written dialogue with unflagging aplomb and bombast. 

An uncomfortably gaunt John Goodman played Compton as a corrupt, selfish and overall idiotic US President. Riz Ahmed was incredibly cool in his portrayal of a scientist who did not stand down for what he believed was the moral high road. Jesse Plemons had a weirder-than-usual facial look here, but certainly delivered his key character of Digger's nephew Kenny Rockwell as precisely as was expected of him. As for Sandra Huller's role as Digger's half-sister Emma, I felt her character could have been edited out without affecting the story. Sophie Wilde and Emma D'Arcy make stronger impacts with their spoiler-territory characters. 

Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Inarritu made a very big splash at the DGA and the Oscars in the last decade, with the rare feat of winning Best Director twice in a row for "Birdman" (2014) and "The Revenant" (2015). He comes back big time this year with this highly divisive satire project with big risks in the unconventional execution and strange acting choices for his stellar cast. However, I felt his extravagant, excessive storytelling style here fit and heightened the timeliness and urgency of his message. That ending was a grim sobering warning. 9/10

Cinepanalo 2026: Review of STUCK ON YOU: Harrowing and Hysterical Hit

October 1, 2026

Sheryl (Xyriel Manabat) had been the only girl in the Bunga family ever since her mother walked out on her and her two brothers KC (Viggo Franco) and Bunso (JM Salvado), and left them with their father Dido (Bombi Plata). Sheryl was working as an attendant in a local nail spa called Salon Fast. One day, a call came in to order a home service. However, instead of Cynthia (Renzie Aguilar) who got the booking, Sheryl got picked up instead. 

It turns out that that call was in fact part of an elaborate plot to murder the customer, identified to be Max de Dios (River Joseph). So when Sheryl interfered, the group who organized the hit led by funny-sounding Kanye (Roger Naldo) wanted her to complete the job, or else they will have her family terminated. Sheryl was surprised when Max turned out to be the handsome guy she once ran into at a bar on whom she had a serious crush. 

This loud and silly crime comedy was directed by Mikko Baldoza,  "Haplos sa Hangin" (2025). The two writers credited for the screenplay were also film directors -- Arden Rod Condez and Sonny Calvento. The idea of cuckolded husbands getting together to fund a hit against the gigolo who stole their wives might have been funny on paper, but this big screen execution turned out to be a noisy, garish and mostly ridiculous mess.

The prolific lover boy was played by neophyte River Joseph, who did not offer the movie anything much. His good looks only go so far. His line delivery was dry and unconvincing, and his comic timing was mostly off and awkward. His character was supposed to have been an uber mysterious, powerful and dangerous man, but it would turn out that there was really nothing much inside. Even the chemistry between his Max and Sheryl felt forced. 

The only saving grace of this film was Xyriel Manabat in the central role of Sheryl. She was well aware that the success of this film lay squarely on her shoulders, and she fully committed to carrying that load from beginning to end. I am not really a fan of shrill performances, yet I have to take an exception to this one. I really appreciate Manabat's boundless energy here which was the prime factor that kept the film afloat to deliver its feministic message. 4/10. 

Cinepanalo 2026: Review of MULTWOH: Afterlife Assignments

October 2, 2026

Marcel Soriano (Sassa Gurl) was a queer college student from Baguio City. She was now staying in a reported haunted dormitory called La Santa Muerte run by Ms. Heidi Nalang (Mae Paner), together with her BFFs Suzy (Pipay) and Jamba (Gaia Poly). She creates vertical romance video series "Never Say Die" on the side. The main male character on her videos is based on her childhood best friend and crush, Miguel (Joao Constancia).

After several years of being away with no communication, Miguel returned to Baguio City one day to stay in the same dormitory as Marcel. As they met each other everyday now, the two friends rekindled their long-buried attraction and affection for each other. One night, the two were supposed to meet each other for dinner, each one intending to tell something to the other. As cruel fate would have it, that date never happened.  

This LGBT-themed horror-romance-comedy film was written and directed by Rodina Singh, known for her past two acclaimed films "Mamu: and a Mother Too" (2018) and "Dreambois" (2025). This film was about how a ghost in the afterworld kept trying for 40 days to accomplish her unfinished business to confess her true feelings to the man she loved. While the intention was all good, the execution of that vision into film turned out too unwieldy and confusing. 

Sassagurl and Joao Constancia both had a strong screen presence and they knew how to play it up. Sassagurl smartly played Marcel as sweet and sensible, not loud and hysterical. Singh seemed to have directed Constancia's scenes with an eye to titillate the gay audience, shooting him in intimate angles and provocative posturing at the camera. Fortunately, the two did have good chemistry with each other, which worked in the film's advantage.

Singh devoted a major part of the film to over-the-top LGBT-ness which tended to be intentionally too gaudy and noisy. There were four flashy and flamboyant lost souls -- Judith (John Lapus), Gloria (Iyah Mina), Chona (Phi Palmos), Azon (Inah Evans) -- who taught Marcel how to get through to Miguel via haunting, poltergeisting, manifesting, communing and possessing. Sounds interesting, but frankly these scenes did not really make much sense 

There was also an angle about a video game Miguel constantly played called "Zombie Bride" which was given prominent screen time. It was also the reason why Miguel got into a fight with dorm bully Doglas (Buboy Villar). When it broke down, Miguel had to bring it to a repair shop where it was first checked by a weirdo Technician (Christian Antolin), and later by her sister Rudy (Kaladkaren). What all this had to do with his relationship with Marcel, I had no idea. 

Despite my mixed personal observations, this film still won the Audience Choice Award, likely from its largely Gen Z target audience. I am also not sure how it won the Puregold Always Panalo award, supposedly for films that best embody the brand's core "Always Panalo" spirit. It also won for Ricardo Rico's half-sentimental, half-ghoulish Production Design, yet it is now hounded for supposedly using generative AI to achieve its special effects. 5/10

Cinepanalo 2026: Review of MONO NO AWARE: Morbid Musings on Mortality

October 1, 2026

George (Perry Dizon) was a Filipino from Davao who married a Japanese woman. His wife has now passed away and George had seemingly lost the zest for life that he was known for in his neighborhood. He usually hung out at the bar of his friend Kaito (Kouichi Hanagasaki) to drink his beer.  A young female volunteer from the local welfare office named Mori (Momoko Kobayashi) visited George regularly to make sure that he was doing fine. 

Ichi (juan karlos) was a young father-to-be from Cebu who went to Japan to earn more money for his future family. He was employed as one of the staff of a special cleaning service who were called to clean out the abandoned houses of elderly folk who had died alone inside, the so-called "lonely deaths." One day, Mori smelled a foul odor coming from inside George's house but could not find the source. Ichi was called in to solve the problem. 

From there grew the friendship of the two Bisaya-speaking guys as an ominous veil of death hung over them both. A heavy theme of death pervaded throughout this pensive film by writer-director BC Amparado is death. While Ichi worked, we see the unsightly stain resulting from the fluids and maggots from the decomposed body, not only the tatami mats on which it laid, but seeping through to the wooden floor under it. We actually smell the stench of death. 

With his technical staff --director of photography TM Malones, film editor Edmund M. Telmo,    production designer Remton Zuasola, costume designer Juan Pablo Pineda III, musical score and sound designer Willie Apa Jr., Amparado told his tale with a decidedly Japanese aesthetic and mood. Despite the uncomfortable subject matter and off-putting images we can see, the whole film felt clean, uncluttered and restrained with emotional elegance. 

As way he was made up here, Perry Dizon could credibly pass as Japanese senior citizen. His portrayal felt very real as it embodied the anxieties of many widows and widowers, not seeing the point of existing anymore, as they are left behind counting the days leading up to their own death.  Momoko Kobayashi had one great speech about why she advocated for the care of the elderly, a single scene that earned for her the award for Best Supporting Actress.

juan karlos's portrayal of flawed Ichi had that elusive quality of relatability. His Japanese sounded as natural as his Bisaya. Ichi's personal issue was the usual inner conflict felt by all OFWs, in his case leaving behind a wife with a fragile pregnancy. When that dam that held his guilt and grief within him finally broke down, we see the very heart and soul of juan karlos literally breaking in front of our eyes -- a true Best Actor-worthy performance. 9/10

Cinepanalo 2026: Review of BEAST: A Cool and Chatty Carabao

September 30, 2026

Domingo "Omeng" Tonogbanua (John Arcilla) was a rice farmer from Pulilan, Bulacan who was well-loved by his neighbors. There was one young boy Pepe (Ruslan Jacob) who hung around Lolo Omeng constantly, help with chores and sketching on his drawing pad. One day, just before harvest time, he was informed that the owner of the land he tilled was already sold to a real estate developer and was going to be turned into a subdivision. 

That night, Omeng awakened to hear his loyal carabao BOB singing "Bituing Marikit" (voice of Robert Sena). It was only then that he realized that BOB could speak (voice of Lou Veloso) as well. Encouraged by BOB, Omeng decided to embark on a long distance road trip with BOB pulling his cart all the way to Manila.  He wanted to go look for his long-lost niece Marietta (Candy Pangilinan) whom he had entrusted with a foster family living in Luneta. 

This film was a charming, sentimental ode to the relationship of an old-school Filipino farmer to his trusty carabao. As written by Jim Flores, it imagines the conversations they would have if the carabao could talk, from the realistic to the philosophical. It was directed and edited by Law Fajardo, in a seeming departure from his usual hardnosed output, like "Posas" (2012, MY REVIEW), "A Hard Day" (2022, MY REVIEW) and "Reroute" (2023, MY REVIEW). 

Front and center in this film is John Arcilla in a tender, quiet performance we do not commonly see from him. His Lolo Omeng was low-key and submissive, just going with where the flow of life takes him, representative of the Filipino common tao. He was kind and helpful to his neighbors, and even to total strangers, sometimes to a fault. As Omeng, Arcilla had about him a calm positive aura, in total contrast with the villainous roles that he'd played of late. 

Along his road trip, Omeng met various people along the way -- the young single mother (XY Martillo) off to work in Ermita, the young runaway (Karl Medina) who lived in the North Cemetery, the bully in the Hi-Ace (John Arceo), the barangay officials (Marvin Yap) who detained him, the flamboyant tour guide (Onyl Torres) and his noisy coterie of influencers.  This aspect of the film may colorful, but they felt random, odd and unfocused. 

Arcilla's first moment with Candy Pangilinan hit very hard emotionally, even with hardly a word said. I really thought the film would end at that point and it would have been perfect tearful close. However, the film still continued and even amped up the fantasy element another notch. And then there was the twist that brought the whimsy which held sway in the past hour come crashing back down to reality. So, whose fantasies did we actually see? 6/10 

Cinepanalo 2026: Review of APOL OF MY AI: A Child's Crushing Crush

September 30, 2026

The mother of 10 year-old Apolinario "Apol" Medina, Jr. (Zion Cruz) passed away 10 months ago. His father Poli (Zanjoe Marudo) just came back one month ago from his job as a folk singer in Japan to take care of his son. However, both found it difficult to connect to each other as father and son. Having lived without him for most his life, Apol believed that he did not need his father anymore and shunned his father's efforts to establish rapport with him. 

At school, Apol was a frequent visitor to the principal's office for his numerous infractions of school rules, together with his BFF Max (Jacob Cawagdan). One day, their FIlipino teacher went into labor prematurely. A substitute teacher, Miss Maria Aileen 'Ma'am Ai" Melendez (Rochelle Pangilinan) was assigned to take over, on whom Apol developed a serious crush. Ma'am Ai was also the adviser of the school choir, so Apol auditioned to join. 

The story of this film fell right into the wheelhouse of director Thop Nazareno, whose past films all showed his proficiency in telling stories about young boys who are going through tough father-son relationships, like "Kiko Boksingero" (2017, MY REVIEW) and "Edward" (2019, MY REVIEW). The charming screenplay was written by Mark Raywin Tome and Che Espiritu-Istrael, adding the angle of a boyhood crush on a teacher into the mix. 

Zanjoe Marudo imbued the father Poli with regret and patience. He was being treated rudely by his son, but he remained calm and worked harder to win his love. He recognized that owing to his long absence, earning his son's trust back would not be an easy process. Rochelle Pangilinan was a refreshing screen presence as the disarming Ma'am Ai. She handled those awkward moments with her lovestruck student with sensitivity and compassion.

The shining jewel at the center of this precious film was the winsome Zion Cruz as Apol. With his fair complexion and deep dimple, he had effortless charm, especially in those "kilig" moments with Ma'am Ai. He can also sing, delivering a mean acapella rendition of kundiman "Bituing Marikit." All the pent-up resentment he had against his long-estranged father had to blow up at one point, and Cruz went all-out for it, making us all feel his anger and pain. Cruz gave a strong lead performance deserving of a Best Actor consideration. 8/10

Review of RESIDENT EVIL (2026): A Courier's Crazy Commitment

September 21, 2026

Right after Bryan (Austin Abrams) delivered an organ for transplant, he was once again booked to deliver another package to Raccoon General Hospital located in a remote mountainous location. Along the way, the weather was snowy and cold. His girlfriend called him to discuss about her pregnancy, when he failed to see a woman crossing the road and hit her. He decided to pick the injured woman up so he could take her to the hospital. 

From there started Bryan's crazy adventures en route to Raccoon City. Along the way, he encounters various creatures who have been transformed into carnivorous monsters with long tentacles used to snag their victims and pull them into its ever-hungry mouth. He learned from employees of Umbrella Corporation that his precious package was actually an essential ingredient to make a cure for those stricken with the rampant deadly outbreak.

"Resident Evil" originated as a Japanese horror video game called "Biohazard" in 1983, where players fight to survive in toxic environments overrun by zombies. I had never played that video game, nor watched any of the films adapted from it, from the first one in 2002 by Paul W.E. Anderson to any of the poorly-rated sequels released in 2004, 2007, 2010, 2012, and 2016 (all starring Mila Jovovich as Alice), to the failed reboot in 2021.

I am only watching this new film because it was co-written (with Shay Hatten) and directed by Scott Cregger. Cregger was the wunderkind behind recent acclaimed horror films like "Barbarian" (2022) and "Weapons" (2025). Here, one can instantly feel the engaging and darkly humorous vibe that Cregger was known for from the get-go. In a variation, this one had multiple victims amalgamate into one complex creature that rolled around like a multi-legged ball. 

Propelling the story forward on an entertaining clip was the very likable performance of Austin Abrams as the embattled Brian. The whole film was practically about him and his crazy encounters with those killer monsters all in one night. They may be hiding in the most unlikely hosts, lending those scenes some drama before the terror was unleashed. The fast-paced buildup was perfect, one wishes the ending itself could have been more solid. 7/10  

Review of 58TH: The Missing Martyr

September 16, 2026

On November 23, 2009, Mrs. Gigi Mangudadatu was on her way to file the certificate of candidacy of her husband Esmael Mangudadatu, who wanted to run for the position of governor of Maguindanao province. She went with members of their family, their staff, as well as the media. In the town of Ampatuan, they were blocked by a group of 100 men who went on to shower bullets at all of them. 58 people lost their lives that day. 

One of the media men who joined that tragic convoy was Reynaldo "Bebot" Momay (Ricky Davao), a photojournalist by trade. His married daughter Reynafe "Nenen" Castillo (Glaiza de Castro) had to go to the chilling crime scene to witness the retrieval of the victims' bodies, who had to be dug out of the earth using a backhoe. At the end of these operations, there were only 57 bodies found. Bebot Momay was not one of them. 

The details of the fateful day were related by Nenen to a filmmaker (Mikoy Morales) by way of a Zoom call. Papa also used the device of Nenen being able to bring the filmmaker along to witness certain scenes with here. We meet Nenen's family -- her husband Ronnie (Biboy Ramirez), as well their two sons Raprap (Zyren dela Cruz) and RJ (Marco Masa), who displayed their psychological trauma from these events in very different ways. 

Directed and co-written (with Aica Riz Ganhinhin) by animator Carl Joseph Papa, this film was once again rendered in his signature rotoscopic animation style, where animated lines were . Three of his previous films were also rendered this way, namely, "Manang Biring" (2015), "Ang Paglisan" (2018), and "Iti Magpupukaw" (2023). These three won Best Film in their respective film festivals -- the first two in CinemaOne, and the latest one in CInemalaya. 

"58th" has recently been chosen to compete for the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. There were scenes recreated with professional actors like Glaiza de Castro and the late Ricky Davao, which were then rendered into rotoscopic animation. These were stitched together with TV news reports, the grisly real-life footage of the body retrieval operations, as well as the pained appeals of the victims' relatives back then for a prompt autopsy. 

The stylistic choice to render the recreated scenes into rotoscopic animation may puzzle some viewers, but for me it was quite logical. Using the animation style, Papa was able to artistically depict the extreme violence of the heinous massacre and follow Nenen go through the rows of decomposing dead bodies, without making the audience outright vomit. The images still make us feel shellshocked as the victims' blood splatter upwards as bullets mercilessly rained down into them.

The way Papa told her story and how De Castro portrayed her, we are moved by Nenen's frustrations about the seeming miscarriage of justice in her father's case for now 17 years. She never saw his body. She still has no closure.  Dela Cruz's portrayal of Raprap's anger, Masa's portrayal of RJ's courage, and Davao's portrayal of Bebot's conviviality -- all transcend through the rotoscopic animated images drawn on top of them. 8/10

Review of FORGOTTEN ISLAND: Making Memories Magical

August 24, 2026

Ever since her childhood, Jo (H.E.R.) enjoyed telling stories about Philippine mythology as told to her by her Lola Fatima (Dolly de Leon). While teachers did not like these gory tales, there was one classmate who shared her interest -- Raissa (Liza Soberano), who soon became her best and only true friend. They marked their friendship with a string bracelet on which they would attach charms to commemorate various events in their lives. 

Jo and Raissa grew up together as practically sisters. However, one day after high school graduation, Raissa had to say goodbye as she had been accepted into Caltech for college. During her despedida party, Jo convinced Raissa to go out with her to the beach for one last night together. There, Jo saw a glowing item in the water, and realized it was same mystical sand dollar which brought them into the legendary island of Nakali. 

I knew this film had Filipino characters and was about Philippine mythology, but it really surprised me that practically the whole film took place here in the Philippines. There was a lot of Filipino words and phrases scattered all over the script. We see jeepneys on the streets, karaoke singing and lechon at the party. A notable recurring design element was the yellow sun of the Philippine flag (they showed the whole flag as well to be sure).  

The film is scored by Fil-Am composer Nathan Matthew David based on 1980s to 1990s pop and hip-hop beats. Aside from chestnuts like "Don't You (Forget About Me)" to "Don't Stop Believing," the musical soundtrack also gave us Francis M's "Mga Kababayan" as covered by P-pop icons SB19. The 1988 #7 hit song by INXS "Never Take Us Apart," which fit right into the film's theme of lasting friendship, was played in two versions -- the original, and a gorgeously-stylized remix cover by Katseye member Sophia Laforteza. 

The creatures Jo and Raissa meet in Nakali were based on Filipino mythology. Most were voiced by Filipino or Fil-Am talents: Manang the manananggal by Lea Salonga, Bungi the tiyanak by Manny Jacinto, the head kapre by Jo Koy.  The rest include the were-aspin Raww by Dave Franco, the agoraphobic Batibat by Jenny Slate, the vain Mermahn by Kevin McCann and don't-call-him-cute duwende King Truffle Wuffle by Ronnie Chieng. 

The animation art styles used here are very modern and eclectic. The designs for the mythological monsters were quite original and dynamic, particularly Manang. Japanese anime styles heavily influenced the artwork, with the exaggerated way they expressed shock or sadness. Nostalgic pop culture references to the 1980s and 1990s abound, but there were also current pop references, like the one from recent box-office hit "The Odyssey."

"Forgotten Island" is written and directed by Joel Crawford (his wife is Filipina) and Fil-Am Januel Mercado and is produced by Mark Swift, the Oscar-nominated team behind "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" (2023). It was fascinating and heart-warming to watch a Dreamwork film that was so Philippine-centric that it felt like a Filipino film. There is no doubt that it will click with Filipino audiences, I just hope the international audience will also take our culture to heart.  9/10