Salsa Ni L
The Aftermath of ‘Salsa Ni L’: A Glimpse into the Lives of Its Cast The characters in Salsa Ni L lead intriguing lives resembling the sultry world of dance and desire they perform. But what do the cast members do once the filming is done? What do the actors do while they are not performing? […]
Maharot
The Allure of the Trailer: A Precursor to A Complicated Romance The official trailer of Maharot attracted the audiences for its unadorned account of the complexities of love. Joni’s worldly experience paired with Tantan’s innocence suggested the beginning of a multi-layered emotional story. The trailer’s powerful images and heartbreaking phrases incited fans to discuss and […]
Sabel Is Still Young
Sabel Is Still Young stirred a storm before its release. The film’s provocative title and gritty premise promised a raw, unfiltered exploration of trauma and vengeance. Directed by Reynold Giba, it was marketed as a Filipino revenge thriller that would push boundaries. The buzz was palpable, with trailers showcasing intense sequences and a haunting score, […]
American Pie: Beta House
Back to Campus with Beta House When American Pie: Beta House was released in 2007, the American Pie franchise was already a staple in popular culture. The original trilogy set the tone for teen comedies in the late ’90s and early 2000s, while the spin-offs were aimed at a direct-to-DVD audience with a taste for […]
Mama’s Boy (2024)
Mama’s Boy and the Lives That Shaped It When Mama’s Boy (2024) first entered public conversations, many assumed it to be just another coming-of-age comedy about an overprotective mother and her grown son struggling to cut the cord. But the film quickly proved it was more than that, addressing issues that transcended borders. It dealt […]
Throuple (2024)
When Love Refuses to Fit in a Box By the time Throuple (2024) was released to streaming platforms, the word itself had already created a cultural buzz. A relationship drama centered on three people in love, it was never going to be “just a movie.” The very idea of the story challenged the conventions of […]
Boss Ma’am
Boss Ma’am: When Reel Power Mirrors Real Struggles Indian cinema continues to capture and celebrate its “boss” figures—a powerful don, a righteous cop, or a matriarch holding a household together. But, Boss Ma’am has taken that archetype to a fresh dimension. More than a film, it became a statement that women in authority are not […]
Hala
Hala: When a Coming-of-Age Story Became a Cultural Moment There is a personal narrative involved in the film, and some may expect Hala to be a quiet, personal film, a short, simple indie narrative about a Pakistani-American teenager balancing and negotiating the challenges of two different worlds, and being a cultural teenager. Even fewer would […]
Baligtaran (2024)
Baligtaran: A Turning Point, or Just Another Drama? Baligtaran is a Filipino drama-romance film that premiered in late 2024 under Vivamax. Directed by Aya Topacio, it tells the story of Kat, a popular DJ whose past trauma of an attempted assault leaves her fearful and guarded. When she meets Denise, a liberated and pansexual woman […]
Blockers
Unexpectedly Endearing Slices of Humor New additions to the numerous prom night comedies are what people thought Blockers would be as it came out in theaters in 2018. There was, however, some deviation from the anticipated outcome. In her directorial debut, Kay Cannon focused not only on the prom-attending teenagers, but also on their overprotective, […]