November 12, 2026
They were four senior high students of Bagani National High School. Hiraya Madrigal (Kai Montinola) is a multi-talented artist and musician. Alynn Hermosa (Dennah Bautista) is a member of the school's girl band Maskara. Ralph Guerrero (JP Cabrera) is the captain of the school basketball team, the Bagani Spears. Joey Espero (Eujan Arda) is an introvert who had a hidden talent for composing, playing guitar and singing.
Despite their popularity in school, they were all dealing with some troubling concerns that they would rather keep private to themselves. Hiraya could not come to grips with an identity issue. Alynn was very insecure about her beauty and her self-worth. Ralph faced pressure to lead his team from his coach Butch (Ernie Lopez). Joey was planning a major "proposal" for his big crush Alynn that involved a public serenade in the school lobby.
This unassuming indie film started off like any other teen movie, as the lead characters dealt with senior high school and typical teen stuff. It would turn out to be an earnest advocacy film about mental health among adolescents. Despite the fact that these four are supposed to be close friends, they still kept the issues that bothered them to themselves without venting out. As can be guessed, this later lead to dire circumstance for one of them.
The family members we meet in this film were very supportive, like Joey's grandmother Belle (Boots Anson-Roa) and Hiraya's single dad Henry (Floyd Tena). However, it also showed that the teens find it hard to open up to them about various things that bother them, despite having what seemed to be a close relationship. Hiraya had to even compose an original song to be able to express her problem, which I felt was not even that clearly stated in the lyrics.
One of the focuses of this film was about a school organization called "Listening Circle." Led by their schoolmate Sage (Venice Bismonte), it encouraged members to share their personal experiences and feelings. We got to sit in on one of their meetings attended by the guidance counselor (Leslie Victoria Ingram) and a guest psychologist (Riyan Portuguez), but you can feel how Ralph could feel uneasy to share, given their over-earnest approach.
As directed by Hanz Florentino, the atmosphere of this film was reminiscent of the "High School Musical" films, where there were several song and dance numbers peppered throughout the run time. The advocacy can be deduced from the titles: "If They Only Knew," "See The Signs," "Stay," "Kaya Namin Yan," and the title song "Unflitered." Hiraya's heartfelt "Ito Ako" sung by Kai Montinola is said to have hit #1 on iTunes Philippines.
My takeaway from this film is that open communication, the key for a healthy mental frame, is not an easy thing for teenagers grappling with various insecurities. I feel that the advocacy of this film is to warn their teenage target demographic that it is okay to open up and talk about their problems. Be aware that there are people who are ready to listen and help you get through tough times. Everyone deserves to be heard. Self-harm should not be an option. 6/10
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