What struck me throughout watching John Denver Trending was seeing John Denver’s ink-stained polo, which remained dirtied despite his vigorous scrubbing. Once he was marked and singled out, there was no way of getting a clean reputation back. Not that John Denver was actually of pristine character, thereby making the film’s message of empathy even more powerful.

John Denver Trending broke my heart. The sight of a mother’s tearful yet firm resolve to protect her helpless son is something I…

Mamu; And a Mother too overturns the prevailing trans representation in local films by steering away from tragic narratives that, while undeniably real, have been normalized by the recent plethora of trans-centered films. Though the plight of the trans community is still on full display in MAAMT, the film strikes a balance between poignancy and humor by delivering well-positioned jokes, in none of which are the protagonists treated as the punchlines.

MAAMT is rife with sex positivism and portrays sexual…

“Hindi importante kung anong nangyayari basta walang nangyayari sa’kin, sa’tin.”

I can already see cinephiles debating whether this or Violator is Dodo Dayao’s superior film the way they did (and are still doing) with Jordan Peele, Ari Aster, and Robert Eggers. One thing’s for sure: Midnight in a Perfect World is no sophomore slump.

Confident is the first thing I jotted down as the film’s opening dives head on into bizarre territory. There’s no time to catch up, you just…