Review of RED CROWN: Cutthroat Competition

October 28, 2026 

Beauties from all over the country were gathered together to vie for the title of Queen of the Islands 2026. Former title holder from year 2000 Charito Macapagal (Ruffa Gutierrez) announced that she has turned over her role as pageant directress to a new owner this year, so there will be plenty of changes in the rules and how the pageant will be run.  Everything will now be live-streamed online, and the girls were not allowed to bring any glam team.

The favorite to win this year was Ms. Makati Celine Macapagal (Sanya Lopez), daughter of Ms Charito. Her closest rival was typical mean girl Ms. BGC-Taguig Pating Teresa (Faith da Silva). Ms. Pangasinan Nora Agustin (Ashley Ortega) joined to get material for her planned documentary film. Ms. Bulacan OB Santos (AZ Martinez) was a timid girl who wore a purity ring. Ms. Cavite Valekstra (Herlene Budol) was very outspoken about her opinions. 

Also among the favorites were the very fierce Ms. Binondo Wendy Li (Michelle Marquez Dee) and the morena beauty Ms. Cebu Ramona de Guzman (Shuvee Etrata). There were also a few contestants who had lost before and were trying again, like Ms. Laguna Ariana Ariba (Ara Arida), Ms. Sagada Mary J (MJ Lastimosa), Ms. Dapitan Gracia Granada (Gazini Ganados) and the doll-like but dimwitted Ms. Quezon Dolly Dizon (Ahtisa Manalo). 

Written by Kit Villanueva and Ken de Leon and directed by veteran TV director Dominic Zapata, this film brings us behind the scenes in the cutthroat world of beauty pageants -- with the word "cutthroat" taking on a whole new meaning. This was a very dark comedy, a satiric take on a competition where literally only the strong can survive. The funny parts were campy and LOL,  but there were also blood and gore in between for more perverse kind of "fun." 

The premise may be wildly outrageous and the plot full of holes, but this film was actually quite fun to watch in all its silliness. The neophyte acting efforts of the beauty queens were quite entertaining, with Ahtisa Manalo a cute stand-out among them. Pageant fans will enjoy the exaggerated, booby-trapped versions of swimsuit and evening gown rounds, as well as the familiar references to pageant lore, like the viral gay guys cheering in their bedroom. 6/10 

Reviews of STREET FIGHTER (2026): Wacky Warriors

October 26, 2026

In 1987, a newcomer Ryu (Andrew Koji) became the overall champion of the first World Warrior tournament but he resorted to using a dark destructive force called the Hado to win. Their mentor Master Gouken (Don Lee) advised Ryu's childhood best friend and training partner Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) to protect his adoptive brother from himself. After Ryu's victory, Master Gouken was found murdered, and the two boys parted ways.  

In 1993, Lord Bison (David Dasmaltchan) of Metrolao plotted to get Ryu back out into the open so he can extract his Hado from him. He got broadcaster Don Sauvage (Eric Andre) to announce that he was organizing the second World Warrior tournament. He had Chun-Li (Callina Liang) out recruiting the top fighters of the world, not knowing her underlying reasons for accepting the job. Ken accepted the challenge, but will Ryu come back? 

"Street Fighter" is a film adaptation of a Japanese video game franchise developed and released by Capcom in 1987. It is considered one of the best-selling and longest-running video games franchises of all time. There had already been two live-action films based on the game before -- one in 1994 (starring Jean Claude Van Damme, Raul Julia and Kylie Minogue) and an ill-conceived sequel in 2009 that focused on Chun-Li (starring Kristen Kreuk).  I have not seen either of these films. 

The story was sort of similar to another video game film earlier this year -- "Mortal Kombat 2," which was the American version of this fighting genre arcade game. In that film (sequel of the 2020 reboot film), there was also a flawed hero, washed-up action star Johnny Cage (Karl Urban), who was reluctant to join a martial arts tournament with fantasy elements and violent deaths. It was brash and campy for sure, but it had also a serious aspect featuring Hiroyuki Sanada, whose Hanzo Hasashi scenes were the best parts for me. 

This story was not difficult to get into, even if I am not familiar with the lore of the arcade game nor with specific characters. The lead heroes (like Ryu and Ken) were basically good guys who had dark issues to deal with, and the villains (like Bison, Cammy) were very obvious caricatures of evil. The overall tone was 90s comic book fun, especially with the nostalgic expository animated flashback scenes. Casting Jason Momoa as Blanka and the obsession with 4 Non-Blondes' ditty "What's Up?" adds cheese factor. 6/10

Review of CLAYFACE: Moldable Mug

October 22, 2026

Up and coming film actor Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) was celebrating his first Oscar nomination in a posh club, when he was seduced by wannabe actress Mia Torrez (Joana Ribeiro). Despite being warned by his best friend Corey (Joshua James), the two hooked up and wound up in bed together. When they were caught by Mia's gangster boyfriend Markos Szabo (David Dencik), Matt's pretty face was brutally carved up by his minions. 

Because of his deformed countenance, Matt eventually lost everything all over again, which left him very desperate. One day, he caught an interview on television featuring Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie), a scientist working on medical applications of nanoparticles who had been swindled by her business partners who took advantage of her discoveries. Matt sought Dr. Corr out, willing to offer himself as a willing guinea pig for her clinical trials. 

"Clayface" is a seemingly random choice as the third film of James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Universe after "Superman" and "Supergirl" (2026). Clayface is a classic Batman villain in the comics. Matt Hagen is the second incarnation of Clayface in 1961, but his job in the comics was a treasure hunter. It was Basil Karlo, the original Clayface from1940, who was a disgruntled Hollywood actor, just like the main character of this film. 

Matt Hagen was sort of portrayed as an anti-hero here, and Tom Rhys Harries played him in a way that made him sympathetic. He had been injured very badly which cost him his jobs and fortune, but was unable to gain justice by legal means because of his opponent's intimidating influence. Of course, he was not without his flaws. His pride made him do a series of bad decisions which ruined him as an actor, and ultimately as a person. I was rooting for him, until that one scene with Dr. Corr's cop fiance John (Max Minghella) that felt abrupt. 

This original screenplay was written by none other than horror guru Mike Flanagan, so the gruesome aspect was very evident, but the direction was turned over to James Watkins. The origin story was actually quite good, and Harries' acting was engaging. The special effects of the clay-like consistency of Matt's face and how he could shapeshift his appearance were very well-executed, especially in that breathtakingly-edited climactic sequence  inside the Vesuvius nightclub involving multiple characters that peaked in a Mexican standoff. 

This film was truly a showcase of extreme body horror at its most grotesque. This film is rated R-18 locally, and this is most likely due to the intensely violent and graphic scenes of facial mutilation involving knives and scissors, which will make the squeamish wince and look and away. Apart from being set in Gotham City, I didn't catch any hint of the Batman here (except for the name of Matt Reeves as one of the producers), so you'll go out wondering how he would tie into Gunn's vision of the DC Universe. 7/10

Mini-Reviews of HEART OF THE BEAST and FALL 2: Striving to Survive

October 5, 2026

HEART OF THE BEAST

Directed by David Ayer

Written by Cameron Alexander 

One day, retired Special Forces Command Sergeant Major James Belmont (Brad Pitt) and his combat dog Odin went flying in his Cessna Skywagon somewhere over the wilderness of Alaska. Odin had a prosthetic leg and both of them suffer from nightmares as a result of their wartime encounters. On their return flight home the next morning, Belmont was suddenly seized with a heart attack, causing him to lose control of the plane. Odin was thrown out as the plane hurtled downward before it crashed into the lake. 

Everyone who loves dogs will definitely be moved to tears by this film watching the relationship between Odin and his master Belmont. The way the film began already assured us of Odin's final fate, so there was really no suspense what happens to him. I guess the filmmakers were conscious that viewers tend to care more if the dog will survive this ordeal than his human. The harrowing challenges faced by the two along the way -- from getting washed down a raging river to getting attacked by ferocious wolves -- were realistically executed, making these parts a tough watch. 8/10

FALL 2: DEADPOINT

Directed by: The Spierig Brothers

Written by: Jonathan Frank and Scott Mann

Shiloh Hunter (Virginia Gardner) died during her daring climb up a remote 2000-foot tall abandoned tower in the desert. In her grief, her younger sister Jax (Harriet Slater) was trying to sell off her sister's truck. A Shiloh follower Luce (Arsema Thomas) came down to inquire. When she learned that Shiloh was planning to climb the precipitous Mount Kwan in Thailand next, Luce convinced Jax to go climb this with her in Shiloh's memory. They meet a shady guide Jon (Tom Brittney) who agreed to bring them up for a $5000 fee.

The story of Shiloh's ill-fated climb was told in the original "Fall" (2022). This sequel basically followed the successful formula of its predecessor, just transporting the location where the two girls were trapped. Here, the Devil's Elbow plank is 4,000 feet above sea level, with earthquakes and rainstorms to boot, but the Tower in "Fall 1" still felt more dangerous because of its sheer openness on all sides. The motivations of the characters were shallower here, and the stunts felt less realistic given the physical limitations of the actors. Biggest plot hole: how did Jon end up above them later when he clearly fell downward during the rock slide?  5/10

Review of ALWAYS YOURS, NEVER MINE: A Fate with Flaws

October 8, 2026

Apollo Amador (Joshua Garcia) and Luna Garchitorena (Julia Barretto) met each other at a End of the World New Year's Eve party over the millennium. Their next meeting was five months later when Julia unexpectedly came in as a customer in the computer shop where Apollo worked. He volunteered himself and his friends to help her redo her project that was due the next day, staying up to work all the way to the next morning. He would later find out that the work he did was actually for Luna's Chinese boyfriend Wilson (Jan Silverio). 

This was just the first of a series of heartbreaks that Apollo would experience due to his obsession with Luna as their paths repeatedly crossed over the years. From the first time they met, his dear grandmother Lola Mila (Chanda Romero) already warned Apollo that Luna will cause him pain. His loyal friends (Bob Jbelli, Migs Almendras, Joy Barcoma) were on a constant "relapse watch" over him, knowing very well how Apollo's savior complex will be activated whenever he would see Luna in need of help. 

This latest Star Cinema film is directed by Cathy Garcia-Sampana. The screenplay was written by Vanessa R. Valdez, based on a story by Juan Miguel Sevilla and Carmi Raymundo. Director of photography Neil Bion made sure it kept the glossy standard for which Star Cinema films are known for. As the story spanned 25 years of this new millennium, production designer Ericson Navarro had to be meticulous with locations and wardrobe. The musical score consisted of variations to classic OPM love song "Kumusta Ka" by Willy Cruz.

This is already the 7th film that features Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto together as a love team dubbed "Joshlia" since they were teens in "Vince and Kath and James" (2016). With both pushing 30 already, their characters in their recent films have also matured, facing tougher challenges to their relationship. Their real-life romance may have ended amicably since 2019, nevertheless, their onscreen chemistry together remains unmistakable here, even if Apollo and especially Luna were deeply flawed people, we still root for them.

The third angle to the love triangle in this film was Gaea (Bianca Umali). The smart and elegant way Umali played her, one would wonder how Apollo could still pine "what-ifs" for Luna, who was literally a walking red flag. I did not like how the screenplay cast doubts about how you may not really love the one you choose. Furthermore, Gaea was treated very badly. It felt so lazy to just get her out of the way in such a cliche way so there would still be that chance for Apollo and Luna to get back together. Life is never that convenient. 6/10

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 crazy, 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