Review of 3 DAYS 2 NIGHTS IN POBLACION: Floundering Friendship

March 14, 2024

Gabbi (Jasmine Curtis-Smith) and Charlie (Barbie Imperial) were best friends and constant partners in school activities when they were in high school. They had not seen each other since Charlie left their hometown in province to study in Manila. Five years later, Gabbi was about to leave the country to work in Canada. She set up a reunion with Charlie to paint the town red in Poblacion, the red light district in Makati City. 

Circumstances made it possible for the two friends to spend three days and two nights roam, drink and party all around Poblacion. The two girls were having a great until they met Javi (JM de Guzman), on whom Gabbi had a crush on since their school days. It turned out that Charlie and Javi were keeping a secret between themselves which they were not about to reveal to Gabbi. But of course, no secret could be kept forever. 

Jasmine Curtis-Smith and Barbie Imperial did try their best. However, they not only felt miscast in their respective roles, they also did not look very good with unflattering make-up, outfits and cinematography. JM de Guzman looked too old to be their classmate and root of conflict, Javi. Kakai Bautista again stole scenes with her wild antics, as wacky Tita Cion. Drag queens led by Lady Morgana were in the cast, but were sorely underused. 

This film told a story about a dear friendship facing a grave threat to its continued existence. Despite the fact that the focus of the film was about a friendship between two young women, it was made by men -- written by Jules Katanyag and directed by RC delos Reyes. I am not sure that they got the dynamics of this relationship correctly. The way the story was written and told, there was no sincerity felt whatsoever between Gabbi and Charlie.

I guess they were of the thinking that to be "entertaining" to the Gen Z, everything had to be loud and obnoxious. It's probably meant to be immersive, but I am clearly not the demographic targeted by this film. As a parent of Gen Z kids, it was disturbing to see educated young ladies drinking so much alcohol and indulging in such scandalous activities when they are out with "friends" in Poblacion.  This film should be rated R-16 instead of R-13.  2/10.