With Rewind being the highest-grossing Filipino film of all time now, what does that say about the Filipino audience? First, we are still hooked on loveteams and romantic films. Second, Star Cinema has a firm grasp of the audience’s emotional needs in watching films. Third, Filipinos will spend their hard-earned
Category: Streaming & Home Media
‘Mutt’ review: a raw portrait of transitions and relationships
Mutt is a drama directed by Vuk Lungulov-Klotz that features the journey of Feña as he transitions into a man. Ela Bicera reviews this film that was part of the QCinema International Film Festival 2023. Spoilers are present. While Transitioning is a life-changing experience, it also comes with doubts, fears
‘Foe’ (2023) review: love’s final frontier we’d already seen before
Ela Bicera reviews ‘Foe’, the science fiction thriller starring Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal, directed by Garth Davis. This film premiered at the QCinema International Film Festival 2023. Spoilers are present in this review. “Till death, do us part” is the promise we say to the love of our lives
Napoleon (2023) review: Phoenix doesn’t fall short in Scott’s latest (stretched) epic
Roy Narra reviews Ridley Scott’s latest epic ‘Napoleon’ starring Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role and Vanessa Kirby as his wife Josephine. Showing in PH cinemas this November 29. Spoilers are present in this review. Aside from the numerous epic war battles he led for France and, let’s be real,
JFF Independent Cinema reviews: ‘Bachiranun’ and ‘Follow the Light’
John Tawasil reviews ‘Bachiranun’ and ‘Follow the Light’, two of the films featured in this year’s Japanese Film Festival – Independent Cinema. Yonaguni is the westernmost inhabited island of Japan, only a short distance away from Taiwan. It has a language that is distinct from Japanese and is spoken by
‘A Muse Never Drowns’: navigating love and artistic expression – JFF Independent Cinema review
In ‘A Muse Never Drowns’, John Tawasil examines the many ways we draw upon our lives in the creation of art. This film is one of the twelve feature films in this year’s Japanese Film Festival – Independent Cinema. Art binds us together in many different ways. It helps us
Lonely Glory (2022) review: the cost of success is a lonely pursuit
In ‘Lonely Glory’, Keitaro Sakon explores the inner turmoil of a twenty-something woman named Haruka, in her ambitious pursuit of success. Princess Kinoc reviews this film from this year’s Japanese Film Festival In the eyes of Haruka and everyone else, she is very good at her job. She knows it.
Gen V Premiere: Shock Value Overshadows Substance
Roy Narra writes about Prime Video’s latest series, Gen V. Will it be a good enough follow up to its parent series, ‘The Boys’? Welcome to Godolkin University (God U. Get it?)! The best and brightest students coming from different backgrounds have superpowers and they may hone and use them
‘What If’ review: Off-key, fails to strike the right chords
‘What If?’ or “Paano Na” is confusing in itself that you might think I’m pertaining to the Marvel series, the 2013 film starring Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan, but it is not. Directed by Emmanuel “Manny” Palo, produced by Viva Films and A World of Our Own. The Netflix drama
Queer Rom-Com Magic: ‘Red, White, and Royal Blue’ review
From When Harry Met Sally to Crazy Rich Asians, the world of romantic comedy films serve as escapism to women and queer audiences. Once condemned by critics, the cheesiness and predictability of the genre are the qualities celebrated by its target audience. So it’s fortunate to report that Amazon Prime’s
The Enigma of ‘Mask Girl’: Unveiling Identity in a World of Suspense
“Mask Girl” is directed by Kim Yong-Hoon. Now streaming on Netflix. Netflix’s latest addition, “Mask Girl,” takes us on a journey of self-discovery as it asks the compelling question, “Who are you?” This query echoes throughout the narrative, adding a layer of mystery to the unfolding drama. Unlike the typical
About Us But Not About Us (2023), a Summer MMFF review
Two men dining in a restaurant in BGC and talking for 90 minutes sounds perfect for a stage play but not for the big screen. But in the inaugural Summer MMFF Best Picture About Us But Not About Us, director Jun Lana and his team made an intense, intriguing, and
HERE COMES THE GROOM (2023), a Summer MMFF review
The 1st Summer Metro Manila Film Festival would not be complete without a lighthearted, fun, campy comedy film, and Chris Martinez’ Here Comes the Groom fills in that slot thanks to its ensemble cast. The sequel to the 2010 commercial and critical hit Here Comes the Bride, The Groom uses
Creed III Review: A Knockout Debut from Michael B. Jordan
Creed III is one helluva knockout debut. Says John Tawasil in this review. The best sports movies aren’t actually about sports, but about how sports brings out the best and the worst in us, using it as a means to examine the human condition. 1976’s Rocky is one of the
The Last of Us Episode 1 Review: After the End
Historically, the zombie genre has always been used to hold up a mirror to humanity and show us what we are capable of doing, all our light and darkness, when our society is pushed to the very limit. Few, if any, video games capture that essence as well as Naughty
Aftersun (2022)
We spend a lot of time recording good old memories for us to hold on to for a long time, but revisiting them in a different phase of our lives may give us a new perspective. Each time you see it, the moment is still true, but the truth it
Review: Everything, Everywhere All At Once
Removing the scientific jargon and overwhelming explanations, the concept of multiverse is simple, at least in the literary and audiovisual art: There’s a parallel universe where you have a different career, friends, partner, and destiny. Such a thought-provoking premise that could exploit a storyteller’s imagination, however, recently became banal. Ironically,
The Apartment (1960), an epitome of New Hollywood’s romcom greatness
It’s funny how a single key to a one-bedroom unit can be an accessoria for relationships, and job opportunities to unfold. Billy Wilder’s The Apartment (1960) easily became one of my favorite first-watches this year, thanks to Richard who shared this masterpiece to our class in Advance Film Theory and
‘Heartstopper’ review: A wholesome, full-on teen drama
It’s almost impossible to get on Twitter right now without coming across a tweet about Heartstopper, the latest TV series offered by Netflix. Since it dropped on the streaming site last April 22, the show has been receiving rave reviews and a Euphoria-like craze online, complete with memes and fancams,
Fran Kranz’s Mass (2021) and its exploration on grief and longing
Mass is Mae Malaya’s first entry as a film critic for Film Police Reviews. The film is currently streaming on Hulu and Amazon Prime The circumstances around the globe today, despite our slow recovery from the pandemic, did not stop other forms of catastrophic loss to flourish. Harassment, war, state-sponsored
Film review: Windfall (2022)
Netflix film “Windfall” gathers a set of characters in this sleepy suspense film, reviewed by Ela Bicera. Windfall as defined by Merriam-Webster, is something (could be leaves or fruits) blown down by the wind. Windfall is considered a blessing, a sudden luck or advantage for whomever receives it. Every character
How “Turning Red” offers a distinct narrative on puberty
Princess Kinoc writes about “Turning Red”, a new Disney animated picture directed by Domee Shi, with voices from Sandra Oh as Ming Lee and Rosalie Chiang as Mei-Mei. It is unusual for a Disney movie to show us how the real things happen in real life. While there is no
“Death of Nintendo” and the joys of 90s nostalgia
“Death of Nintendo” is Ela Bicera’s first Raya Martin film and her first contribution to FPR as a film critic. Death of Nintendo (2020) is a coming-of-age film that shows 90’s teenage nostalgia. I’m not sure if this is based on Director Raya Martin’s own story or if he’s basing
Gensan Punch offers more than your average boxing movie
Brillante Mendoza is back in ‘Gensan Punch’ and he’s understood the assignment really well. There’s a longing, lingering effect on Brillante Mendoza’s films that will continue to haunt you. It’s probably the social realism, the commentary on poverty and Philippine politics and his use of brutal scenes that complete his
Vivian Hsu returns to PH screens with HBO Asia’s “Who’s By Your Side
“Who’s By Your Side” debuts with two episodes starting this Sunday, October 3. Filipino Fans of Chinese dramas can stream the HBO Asia original series – Who’s By Your Side – exclusively on HBO GO from Sunday, October 3 at 9pm.Simultaneously available on the HBO channel, the Taiwanese series premieres
