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