Author: Wanggo Gallaga

MOVIE REVIEW: A Very Bloody Sister-Bonding in “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come”

I wasn’t entirely sure if I wanted a sequel to the enjoyable Ready or Not. Starring Samara Weaving and directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the original was fun and brutal, and it just seemed like a pleasant, refreshing surprise when it came out during the relatively peaceful times (in comparison to today) before the pandemic. It was a wonderful “little” movie that ended with a punch that left everything to the wild imagination of the audience to play with in their heads. Why, then, do a sequel?

In this updated version, I can’t help but see similarities and parallelisms with these elite families and the real-world discourse surrounding the Epstein Files. The film doesn’t shy away from comparisons to how the rich rule the world – evidenced by a hilarious scene that establishes the Danforth’s control over media and global politics in an earlier scene – and how they own everything, down to the police.

From L to R: Nestor Carbonell, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Elijah Wood, and Nadeem Umar-Khitab in READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME. Photo by Searchlight Pictures/Pief Weyman, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2026 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Luckily, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett return alongside with screenwriters Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy to expand on the world and to really explore the cult that Samara Weaving’s Grace’s in-laws were a part of. To raise the stakes and to really get down into Grace’s character, the sequel introduces her estranged sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) along for the ride. The story picks up exactly where we left off in the first movie: the Le Domas mansion is on fire, and Grace is having a cigarette as the paramedics and police come to the rescue. However, her injuries send her into unconsciousness. She wakes up in a hospital, not a victim, but as a suspect for arson and murder. When her emergency contact, which is Faith arrives, it reopens old wounds. There is a palpable friction between them, a huge rift caused by unsaid words and broken promises. Yet, they don’t get to hash this out properly, as members of the Council, the cult the Le Domas family were part of, arrive to take Grace.

Samara Weaving in READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME. Photo by Searchlight Pictures/Pief Weyman, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures.
All Rights Reserved.

Once again, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come pits the ordinary folks against the elite class; the obscenely wealthy families who run the world and who can get away with anything. Due to a complex set of rules, which adds dark humor while giving Grace a sort of fighting chance. Grace and Faith must survive until dawn as representatives from the five of the six families (the Le Domas line are now gone) try to bring her down as a means to wrestle control for the seat of power. Leading this ruthless charge are Ursula and Titus Danforth (Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy), the current titleholders for the seat of power.

Daniel Beirne, David Cronenberg (portrait) Shawn Hatosy, and Sarah Michelle Gellar in READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME. Photo by Searchlight Pictures/Pief Weyman, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2026 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Their vast wealth makes them inhuman, portrayed by their lack of respect for any other human being other than those of the family and their idiosyncrasies and individual indulgences. Strangely enough, they only abide by the Council’s rules because a supernatural force holds them at bay. They only respond to a higher power.

Kathryn Newton and Samara Weaving in READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME. Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2026 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

But the film is never political. It’s there in the imagery and in the drama of Grace and Faith, two orphans from the foster system, trying to stay alive as the elite hunt them down like sport. Instead, the film is centers on whether Grace and Faith can resolve their rift long enough to see the dawn. It is a film focused on brutal and bloody fight scenes, massive explosions, and darkly humorous takedowns. One hilarious fight scene between Grace and Francesca (Maia Jae), the daughter of a rival family and was the fiancee of the Le Domas son whom Grace married instead. Both dressed in wedding gowns – Grace wearing hers for practicality’s sake while Francesca wore hers as a symbol of her rage – they go at it in full force at an empty ballroom, using anything they can get their hands on, and with a handicap (I won’t spoil it here but it’s hilarious).

Kathryn Newton and Samara Weaving in READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME. Photo by Searchlight Pictures/Pief Weyman, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2026 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Samara Weaving is in fine form as Grace. Exhausted and frustrated, yet emboldened by her previous survival, she is unafraid to be brutal, delivering a performance with her entire body. She gives it enough seriousness to make the world believable, while simultaneously camps it up to match the film’s overall tone. Kathryn Newton serves as a great counterpoint to Weaving, allowing Faith to be completely overwhelmed by the proceedings but quickly matches her sister’s ferocity at a believable pace.

Elijah Wood in READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME. Photo by Searchlight Pictures/Pief Weyman, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2026 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Meanwhile, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy offer an interesting brother-sister dynamic. With Hatosy going full-on rich boy psychopath, while Gellar, as expected, finds a nuanced approach. Allowing Ursula a little more texture and layers that makes her interesting, even if the script never digs too deep into it. Gellar truly makes fantastic work of the limited material she’s been given.

Samara Weaving and Kathryn Newton in READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME. Photo by Searchlight Pictures/Pief Weyman, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2026 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come doesn’t necessarily do anything different from the first movie; instead, it expands the world, makes the enemies tougher and crazier, and provides Grace someone who brings out more of her character. The film is hard rebuke of a world where billionaires can get away with anything and everything, yet it does it by having a lot of bloody, brutal violent fun in the process. It is a riotous survival story that remains funny all the way.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

The hunt is back on. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is currently slashing through theaters nationwide. don’t miss Samara Weaving and Sarah Michelle Gellar in this year’s most wickedly fun thriller, horror-comedy. Check showtimes here.

March 27, 2026
THEATER REVIEW: Emmy Winner Karla Puno Garcia Directs Theater Group Asia’s “A Chorus Line” into a Triumphant Love Letter to the Ensemble

A Chorus Line has won nine Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, is set at a high-stakes audition for a Broadway show. It is intimate and personal, staged against a bare stage where seventeen actors are interviewed by a director searching for four men and four women to be a part of a powerhouse dancing chorus for his latest show. Conceived in 1975 by writer, director, and choreographer Michael Bennett with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante, the musical was famously workshopped using the real-life stories of real members of the chorus to breathe life into the characters of “A Chorus Line.”

Many of them get the chance to do monologues or perform based on real stories and the overall effect is incredible. Almost stripped of the usual grandiose staging typical of many musicals, we are left with the bare bones of a play and somehow, when executed well, it resonates stronger than ever as we get to see the interiority of many of these performers.

Theater Group Asia’s staging of A Chorus Line is a magnificent production, fueled by a cast of extremely committed performers who lay themselves bare, for us to experience their strengths and weaknesses, both their guardedness and their vulnerabilities. During a recent press event, a cast member described the show’s appeal as universal, suggesting that one does not need to be a performer to relate to the narrative. Anyone who has ever desired to be a part of something can connect to these stories, in some shape or form.

Under the direction and choreography of Emmy award winner Karla Puno Garcia, she material is revitalized; she pays homage to the movements of the original production while injecting her own spin on things. By playing to her casts’ unique strength, Garcia creates a show that really gets down and dirty with all the hopes and fears of its performers. The opening number, “I Hope I Get It” is a huge dance number with the cast trying to learn the steps, each one adding their own personal flourishes based on their personality and skill. Some are better, some are lagging. We see the nerves; we see the determination. On stage, it’s absolute joy to watch these movements occupy the stage with the mirror right behind them creating a feeling of an even larger number of dancers than what is already on stage. The show, from its opening number, already sets you in the mood for things to come.

What is truly remarkable about this piece is that it’s an audition for a chorus – for members of an ensemble that have to blend in and work as a unit so as to not steal focus from the star of whatever show they are going to be on – but the play itself, the interview that the director holds for each one brings to light each person’s individuality. The director, Zach, is searching for a team player but he needs to know who they are, as a unique person, to see if they fit together as a whole. By the end of the show, we get to see one big number where, despite having witnessed each actor’s personal story, they all blend in together, with no one outshining anyone else. They sing one of the show’s popular songs, ‘One,’ and it becomes a showstopper like no other.

The cast is incredible. Conrad Ricamora plays Zach, the director. Despite not having a song of his own, he propels the narrative forward, asking questions and breaking down each actors’ walls to try and get to see who they are inside. Ricamora is rarely on stage, instead goes down to the audience, reaches even up to the balcony seats. He’s acting primarily through his voice and it’s a commanding one. A powerful one. We can hear his frustrations and his interest. We can feel it when he cares and when he is calling out BS. It’s an incredible performance even when he is out of sight, his presence is always felt.

There are so many great performances here but I’d like to call out the standouts. One song, “At the Ballet,” performed by Sheila (Mikaela Regis), Bebe (Michaela Marfori), and Maggie (Iya Villanueva), an early favourite. Marfori and Villanueva possess powerful, evocative voices, while Regis is acting through the piece and the way they harmonize together creates a strong imprint at the beginning. As Diana Morales, Christina Glur sings some of my favourite songs from the musical: “Nothing” and “What I Did For Love” and I’m so in love with the original Broadway cast recording but Glur makes these songs her own, finding ways to emphasize particular words in a song that adds layers and tension, which makes her Morales such a grounding force for the production. Universe Ramos, as Paul San Marco, delivers strong monologue that leaves him alone on stage, sharing a beautiful, intimate, and very personal story. All alone on that stage, he fills it up with his character’s story and it’s a high point of the show.

What would constitute a lead in this show is Cassie, played by Lissa De Guzman. De Guzman is a powerhouse. She sings “Music and the Mirror,” which allows her to showcase her singing, acting, and dancing skills. There are so much presence and confidence that we cannot stop looking at her. She’s in full control of her body and her instrument that you can fully connect with Cassie’s struggle. What a truly exceptional performance.

Theater Group Asia’s production of A Chorus Line is a fully realised show. The lighting design by Cha See is nothing short of exquisite, the use of mirrors is exciting – on some numbers, it moves around on stage as if it were dancing too and helps tell the story of that number – and a strong orchestra, led by musical director Farley Asuncion.

The play was written in 1976, so there are certain aspects of it which don’t land just as well. The first act concludes with “Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love,” a number about their different experiences reaching puberty. It is a hilarious song (featuring a great vocal moment from Rapah Manalo), though it didn’t seem to hit the audience as it did me. But I knew the songs by heart, and I knew the things that they were talking about (having grown up just a decade after the musical’s release). Another song that isn’t as strong as it was back in the 80s is “Dance Ten, Looks Three,” a song about one actor’s need for cosmetic surgery to stay competitive. Performed with a lot of personality by Brie Chappell, the song isn’t as shocking or surprising in 2026 with everyone so accustomed to cosmetic surgery. That song used to raise eyebrows and elicit gasps but now all it manages is a couple of chuckles, considering how well Chappell performed it.

But despite the show’s dated language and colloquialisms, it still is a lovely letter to everyone who has a dream, who faces challenges day-in and day-out to make that dream come true. Karla Puno Garcia’s direction brings this to the forefront, and the cast takes it home.

I’m definitely watching this again.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Theater Group Asia’s A Chorus Line is a masterclass in ensemble storytelling that proves some dreams never go out of style. The production runs until March 29, 2026, at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater. Secure your seats at TicketWorld and see why this Pulitzer Prize winner remains a “singular sensation.”

March 23, 2026
MOVIE REVIEW: Hilda Koronel’s Ever-Powerful Presence is Out in Full Force in “Sisa”

There is a theatricality in Jun Lana’s filmmaking for his film Sisa that heightens the film’s themes, emphasizing the tyranny of colonialism and “colonial mentality” while underscoring the vulnerability of women, not just during war, but at all times. The film opens with a tighter aspect ratio, a box frame reminiscent of classic cinema with stunning cinematography by Carlo Mendoza.

Set during the tail end of the Philippine-American War, the story focuses on one of the concentration camps established to force the insurgents to surrender by holding entire villages hostage by American soldiers. Throughout the film, Lana and Mendoza utilize uncomfortably tight shots, crazy angles, shifting aspect ratios, and vibrant tracking shots to really emphasize the tension and emotional weight of these characters within this narrative. Oftentimes, the mise-en-scene pushes the actors to move towards a gorgeous tableau, creating singular images that emphasize the film’s core theme.

Sisa | Photos courtesy of The IdeaFirst Company

This stylistic treatment allows Sisa to sidestep realism and focus on delivering its message. The film is not so much as a complete narrative, but more of a rallying cry. It’s an illustration of the horrors of war and how much worse it is for women.

Sisa | Photos courtesy of The IdeaFirst Company

The story of Sisa unfolds in one of these concentration camps, where a seemingly crazy woman enters and attacks a guard. When brought to his commanding officers, they take pity on her and allow the villagers to take care of her. Not knowing her name or where she’s from, the village children call her “Sisa,” after the woman in Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere.

Sisa | Photos courtesy of The IdeaFirst Company

There, Sisa becomes part of the community, living under Delia’s home, doing chores and visiting every nook and cranny of the camp. Within the first ten minutes, it becomes clear that Sisa is not the “crazy woman” she appears to be. By the end of the first act, we discover that she’s a spy working with the insurgents planning a take over of the camp.

Sisa | Photos courtesy of The IdeaFirst Company

However, nothing is ever that easy as the town is primarily left with the women, most of the men are either dead, imprisoned, or have fled to join the insurrection. But then again, women are fiercer and stronger than anyone ever thinks they are, and Sisa must work quickly to turn this village of women into members of the revolution.

Sisa | Photos courtesy of The IdeaFirst Company

While the film contains elements of a spy film or a caper, Sisa doesn’t fully operate within those genres. Instead, Lana focuses his attention on the manner by which women are oppressed by both patriarchy and colonialism. He focuses on the way the Americans utilize education and the teaching of English to sway the youth, seen in the way Delia’s daughter, Nena, begins to feel connected with them. For others, like Leonor, who is courted by the camp commander, Eddie Harrison. She is treated better, granted better rations, and because of this, she is shunned by the rest of the community.

Sisa | Photos courtesy of The IdeaFirst Company

Sisa, as both outsider and informant, becomes our eyes and ears. Through her observations, we process, we watch as the patriarchy and colonialism tear away at identity and the will to resist, forcing the colonized into subservient roles to please their oppressors.

Sisa | Photos courtesy of The IdeaFirst Company

After a thirteen-year hiatus, Hilda Koronel returns to the screen to bring Sisa to life. Even with very little backstory, Koronel manages to infuse the role with a history and layers underneath her character’s charade. This is a multi-faceted role that she carries effortlessly, while leading the ensemble forward.

Sisa | Photos courtesy of The IdeaFirst Company

Adding more talents into the production is Eugene Domingo as Delia, who is a force of nature. Completely removed from her comedic persona, Domingo reveals a totally different side of her and the effect is strong. Also delivering a standout performance is Jennica Garcia, whose Leonor is swept up in the confusion of her situation. She feels safe and protected by the commander that she has forgotten how the Americans have turned her into a widow. Her character’s eventual spiral in the film when she discovers the full extent of what the war has done to her and the people around her is arresting, a performance well worth watching.

Sisa | Photos courtesy of The IdeaFirst Company

Sisa is a gorgeous film, designed to push images and themes rather than to unfold a cohesive story. By looking at our past and allowing us to fully grasp what our country had to go through during the transfer of power from one colonial empire to another, we begin to understand how difficult it is for us to unite like other countries have. The sins of these oppressions is part of our lineage which we have yet to shake off. Like many characters in the film, we’d be happy to take scraps and morsels from our tyrants and be genuinely grateful to them while they work us to the bone and treat us less than human. Much like Sisa, we must look beyond the surface and start rousing ourselves to push back and unshackle ourselves from this idea that whatever is foreign is good for us. This movie couldn’t have come at a better time, with more and more stories about women fighting back taking center stage and in the world of politics, America has shown that their public image of being a benevolent protector of democracy is a complete lie. Sisa pulls no punches in delivering this message, clear as day, emboldening us to finally follow suit.

My Rating: 4 Stars

From Hilda Koronel’s haunting presence and Eugene Domingo’s dramatic revelation to Jennica Garcia’s arresting performance, Sisa is a true masterclass in acting. Don’t miss this gorgeous, thematic powerhouse while it’s still in cinemas. Check showtimes here.

March 22, 2026
MOVIE REVIEW: “Project Hail Mary”: An Untimely Fantasy

There’s something about Project Hail Mary that makes it feel better suited for a different time. Based on the novel by Andy Weir, the same novelist who also wrote the book for Ridley Scott’s 2015 hit The Martian was based on, there are many similarities between both films. It’s a science fiction movie where the science is made fun and comprehensible for the average viewer, maintaining a tone that’s light-hearted, feel-good, and inspiring. With directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and a screenplay by Drew Goddard, the film is really in good hands. With Ryan Gosling as the lead, there is simply no reason for this film to fail.

And for the most part, it doesn’t. Project Hail Mary’ tells the story of Dr. Ryland Grace (Gosling), who wakes up on a spaceship en route to the star Tau Ceti. He initially doesn’t remember who he is nor why he is the only crew member on the ship to survive. As his memories start to return, we discover that a cosmic event has brought an alien organism – dubbed “Astrophage” – through space, which has begun to “eat the sun.” Dr. Grace is part of a global team of scientists who try to understand Astrophage and how to stop it before it destroys all life on Earth. Only one star doesn’t seem to be affected by Astrophage and that’s the star Tau Ceti. On his way to complete his mission – investigate Tau Ceti and why it isn’t being consumed by the cosmic microorganism, Grace discovers another alien species also trying to investigate Tau Ceti. Despite the language barrier, the two figure out how to communicate, and Grace and “Rocky” join forces to save both their planets.

Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace in PROJECT HAIL MARY, from Amazon MGM Studios.
Photo credit: Jonathan Olley
© 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.

The film is a lengthy 156 minutes, with the first forty minutes detailing the specifics of the mission and how Grace – a disgraced molecular biologist, who is teaching in middle school – becomes part of the space mission. There, he interacts with the project commander, Eva Stratt (a magnificent Sandra Huller), as he tries to understand the science to get them into space.

Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace and Sandra Hüller as Eva Stratt in PROJECT HAIL MARY, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Jonathan Olley © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Then the following act focuses on how Grace and Rocky (voiced and lead puppeteer James Ortiz) establish first contact and form their bond. Finally, the last forty minutes or so bring the mission to its conclusion. It’s a very loaded film, but the pacing is extremely quick and a lot of things are happening that it never feels boring.

Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace in PROJECT HAIL MARY, from Amazon MGM Studios.
Photo credit: Jonathan Olley

The film bombards you with nostalgia as they play very familiar songs, mostly from the ’90s and early 2000s (though I did catch a few older songs as well), while finding heart and humor in the interactions between Gosling’s Grace and Rocky. Their shared need to save their planets has turned two very, very different personalities into great friends. It’s so refreshing, though, to see a world so quick to cooperate; even the idea that the whole world stopped fighting each other to gather their resources and talents to form this project, which they called Hail Mary. For some reason, I find it easier to believe in an alien such as Rocky exists but I am having such a hard time believing in a world coming together to stop ourselves from becoming extinct.

Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace in PROJECT HAIL MARY, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Jonathan Olley © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This is where I feel the film seems to be lost in time. It has fantastic visual effects, creating gorgeous cosmic and interplanetary imagery for Grace and Rocky to inhabit. The action sequences on the spaceship are deeply engaging, and Daniel Pemberton’s score lends a grand, epic scale to the proceedings trying to make it feel as big as it is. In all honesty, every individual part of this film works so beautifully. It is an enjoyable film; I even found myself gasping and holding back tears during two sections because of how well the story unfolds and allows us to really invest in its characters. Gosling is at his most charming, considering the scene partner he spends most time with is an alien puppet and, in flashbacks, the cold and guarded Eva Stratt. Yet, there’s a kindness and hope to the film that feels so tone deaf in a world currently in the throes of World War III.

Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace in PROJECT HAIL MARY, from Amazon MGM Studios.
© 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.

It doesn’t help that, later on in the film, we discover some very unsavory truths that really begs the question: is the human race really worth saving? Perhaps the film’s ending is Lord and Miller’s way of injecting a bit of cynicism and commentary into the proceedings. By all respects, Project Hail Mary is a really good film. I just wished it had been released earlier, before this global mess we currently find ourselves in. The timing undermines the film’s good intentions. I laughed, I was moved, and I held back tears, but it was the moment I left the cinema, that the film started to feel empty. Instead of being hopeful and inspiring, the film ended up feeling like an escapist fantasy.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Is Project Hail Mary the hopeful escape we need right now, or is it just too far-fetched for 2026? Catch it while it’s still on the big screen and let us know: are you team “Science” or team “Cynicism”?

March 21, 2026
THEATER REVIEW: Grappling with AI and Grief in Barefoot Theatre Collaborative’s “anthropology”

I’m not the biggest fan of AI – though I prefer to call it LLM, or Large Language Model, because it’s not really intelligent – and everything I read about it just makes me more and more angry and frustrated. The idea that Lauren Gunderson, a playwright I really admire, wrote a play about AI and grief is compelling: a story about a woman grieving her sister, who has been missing for over a year, and uploads all of her sister’s data and information into an algorithm, and invariably recreates her through a program. Gunderson, being an intelligent yet still emotionally accessible playwright, mines this dramatic situation for all it’s worth and presents the strengths and weaknesses, the rewards and consequences, of this technology.

The play is called anthropology, and it is staged by Barefoot Theater Collaborative under the direction of Caisa Borromeo. The all-women cast is led by Jenny Jamora, who plays Merril. Merril is highly skilled with computers and coding, and she uses her skills to create an AI program that resembles her missing sister, Angie, played by Maronne Cruz.

Through the initial interactions between Merril and the AI of Angie, we discover that Angie is quite a powder keg. She has a big personality, and because the AI is programmed to help Merril find some level of closure, she isn’t as mean as the real Angie. In fact, she insists on encouraging Merril to reconnect with her ex, Raquel, played by Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante, and insists on talking with Brie, their mother, played by Jackie Lou Blanco. From the conversations, we learn that Brie has caused much pain for the two sisters.

anthropology | Photo by CJ Ochoa

Performed in one straight act for roughly around 90 to 100 minutes, anthropology is a roller-coaster of emotions. Lauren Gunderson’s characters are clever, eloquent, and articulate, allowing Merril and Angie to go at it for a while, revealing so much about their past and what the sisters mean to each other. Eventually, Angie persuades Raquel to come to Merril’s home in the hope of rekindling their relationship, even though Raquel remembers that the real Angie never really liked her. Things take a more dramatic turn when Angie insists on speaking with their mother, and old wounds are torn open as the software reignites the hurt and the pain of Angie’s initial disappearance.

anthropology | Photo by May Celeste

Caisa Borromeo does a great job of managing the dynamics of these characters. The play is staged in the round, with the audience completely surrounding the circular stage. The platform has two benches mounted on tracks, allowing it to revolve around the stage which allows the actors to sort of shift their positions. Funnily enough, it resembles the power button found on most machines.

anthropology | Photo by May Celeste

But production designer Sarah Facuri sets a circular disc right above the platform that ascends and descends depending on the current tension in the unfolding story. At some point, it feels as though the characters are under a microscope.

anthropology | Photo by CJ Ochoa

Maronne Cruz delivers the entire first 20 minutes of the play through voice-over offstage. Later, she appears on four screens for Jamora and the others to interact with. This is a difficult feat for any actor – to have to perform offstage – and Cruz manages to excellently portray the AI’s adaptation to its environment as it gathers more and more information about the person it is meant to represent.

anthropology | Photo by CJ Ochoa

Everyone is so good. Jenny Jamora never plays for sympathy, despite carrying the show’s entire dramatic premise on her shoulders. Instead, she plays Merril as tough, stubborn, and almost charmless person. This becomes evident in her interactions with the AI version of her sister, and later when Raquel shows up, and we see Merril’s inability to keep her cool.

anthropology | Photo by May Celeste

Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante is such a strong presence on stage. It’s great to see her in a non-musical role, as she delivers her dialogue like it’s the most spontaneous and most natural thing in the world. Her character’s inner world is read off of the way she delivers her lines.

anthropology | Photo by CJ Ochoa

Jackie Lou Blanco, on the other hand, delivers her lines in the most natural of ways, and the accent added texture to her portrayal of Brie. With the accent, she sounded like an immigrant, adding nuance and depth to her character. This creates a tension, as the person we see is not the person from how Merril and Angie describe her, and that untold history expands a bigger world outside what’s already in the play.

But it is Maronne Cruz who truly steals the show. At some point, she gets to perform as the real Angie, and the differences between her portrayals are so subtle yet very clear that it’s a great reminder of how versatile and precise Cruz is as an actress. The glaring contrast between her two performances – the real Angie and the AI version of the character – further elevates this already good production into something that is so arresting.

anthropology | Photo by May Celeste

But more than that, I’m also amazed by the way Lauren Gunderson explores the dangers of how we imagine AI as a tool for the future. The devil is in the details, and Gunderson manages to capture that within the tight 100-minute play. This is not just a play about AI; it is also about family and relationships. It’s a mystery that exposes our vulnerabilities – both real and virtual. It’s a powerful work of theater, and I hope more people get to see this.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Don’t miss the final 10 shows of anthropology. Experience this gripping, thought-provoking production before it closes on March 29 at the Doreen Black Box, Areté in Quezon City. Secure your seats now via ticket2me.

March 19, 2026
MOVIE REVIEW: Hoppers

I love it when Disney and Pixar bring a chaotic energy into some of their animated films. One of my favourites that never really had a chance, having been released at the height of the pandemic was Turning Red. There was a boundless youthful energy to that movie that I really, really loved. Monsters, Inc. also had that spark, and if I go further back, though not with Pixar — The Emperor’s New Groove continues to land all its punchlines even today while still having that lovely, warm beating heart that Disney is known for. I feel that their latest outing, Hoppers, falls into this category. Its premise is deceptive and may seem small and contained, but director Daniel Chong and screenwriter Jesse Andrews (with a story by Chong and Andrews) capture the universality of their protagonist’s love and passion and amplify it until it becomes epic.

Hoppers follows Mabel Tanaka (voiced by Piper Curda), a precocious teen who has been trying to save animals since she was a little girl. A fierce advocate for animal rights and welfare, she is currently in conflict with Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm), the mayor of Beaverton, who is running for re-election. The origin of their conflict?

Jerry from Disney and Pixar’s HOPPERS. Photo courtesy of Pixar. © 2026 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Jerry is tearing down a glade to build a highway — the very same glade that Mabel has loved and watched over since she was a young girl.

(L-R): Mabel and Grandma Tanaka in Disney and Pixar’s HOPPERS. Photo courtesy of Pixar. © 2026 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

That glade holds a special space in Mabel’s heart, as it is where she and her grandmother often bonded. When Mabel discovers a machine that can put her consciousness on a robot beaver – created by her college professor, Dr. Sam (Kathy Najimy) – Mabel steals the technology, uses it on herself, and enters the animal world in order to help save the glade.

(L-R) Dr. Sam and Nisha in Pixar’s HOPPERS. Photo courtesy of Pixar. © 2025 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

From the get-go, Hoppers pushes the boundaries of reality so that we can easily accept the technology that allows the premise to take shape, as well as the way the animal kingdom operates. By allowing the animals to talk, Daniel Chong and Jesse Andrews create a funny world built on cooperation and peaceful cohabitation. As seen in the trailer, they have “pond rules,” which allows for the coexistence of carnivores and herbivores that follow a realistic precept. Outside of feeding, everyone pretty much gets along, with a big focus on beavers and how essential they are to any woodland ecosystem.

A scene from Disney and Pixar’s HOPPERS. Photo courtesy of Pixar. © 2026 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Mabel meets the beaver king, King George (Bobby Moynihan), and a friendship sparks between them. For the first time, the fierce animal activism that has made Mabel isolated and lonely gives way to a feeling of belonging.

(L-R): Ellen Bear, Dragonfly, Loaf, Mabel Beaver, Tom Lizard, King George, Lucy Deer, and Barbara Duck in Disney and Pixar’s HOPPERS. Photo courtesy of Pixar. © 2026 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

In her over-zealousness to save the glade, Mabel accidentally rallies the other kings of the animal kingdom (as seen in the trailers), and she must now stop the animal kingdom from taking revenge on Jerry.

Mabel in Pixar’s HOPPERS. Photo courtesy of Pixar. © 2025 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

In a way, Hoppers is also a coming-of-age story, as Mabel must discover the consequences of her actions — that good intentions are not always enough — and learn that there are other ways to solve a problem.

(L-R): Mabel Beaver (voice of Piper Curda), King George (voice of Bobby Moynihan), Tom Lizard (voice of Tom Law), and Loaf (voice of Eduardo Franco) in Disney and Pixar’s “Hoppers,” releasing in U.S. theaters March 6, 2026. Photo courtesy of Disney/Pixar. © 2026 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

There’s a beautiful heart that fuels this movie. Aside from the surprising friendships and the value that it puts on these relationships, Hoppers also examines the way humans interact with the rest of nature. It never eases up on its humor, action, or fun, yet it manages to ask serious questions about the cost of urbanization.

King George from Disney and Pixar’s HOPPERS. Photo courtesy of Pixar. © 2026 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

It manages to bring up these issues while making you laugh so hard. There’s a scene in the council that had everyone in the movie theater gasp and then erupt into boisterous laughter. This is a film to watch with friends and allow yourself to fully suspend your disbelief as the film takes extreme and dramatic twists and turns, while still leaving you that warm Disney hug by the end of the movie.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Don’t miss the wild ride! Watch Hoppers now in theaters and join Mabel on her unforgettable adventure to protect nature, forge friendships, and discover the power of doing what’s right. Check showtimes here.

March 9, 2026
MOVIE REVIEW: The Bride!

From the moment the film starts, writer and director Maggie Gyllenhaal already lets us know that The Bride! is going to be an unhinged, out-of-the-box movie experience. The prologue, shot in black and white, has Jessie Buckley as Mary Shelley, speaking to us like a spectre, fully aware of her legacy as the creator and writer of Frankenstein and how she would want to continue this story.

This dense, articulate monologue, amplified by stylized language allows us to get a sense of Mary Shelley as a person. This is important as Shelley then possesses the body of Ida (also played by Buckley), a woman in 1930s Chicago (the film now shifts to color) with connections to the mob.

The Bride! Christian Bale, Jessie Buckley, and Maggie Gyllenhaal | Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros.

With Shelley inside her, she goes on a verbal rampage that leads to ruffling a mobster’s feathers. She is then killed.

Frankenstein’s Monster (Christian Bale), who is later called Frank, visits Dr. Euphronious (Annette Bening) because she is a leading scientist in “invigoration,” or bringing people back to life using the techniques that Dr. Frankenstein employed a hundred years ago.

Frank is lonely, and he convinces Dr. Euphronious to reanimate the body of Ida.

When she is revived, Ida’s mind is fuzzy and weak, making it easier for Mary Shelley to take control. Frank is smitten with her, and with Shelley mostly in control of Ida’s reanimated body, she causes havoc and chaos wherever she goes. As Shelley, having been in the afterlife, knows things, she calls out men’s behaviour while acting freely and loosely in public.

At a club, she is attacked by three men, whom Frank kills to protect her. Their monstrous appearance leads the press to call them “The Monster Killers,” and Frank and Ida/Mary Shelley make a run for it, causing chaos, creating a movement that empowers women to fight back, while being chased by police detective Jake Wiles (Peter Sarsgaard) and his secretary Myrna Mallow (Penelope Cruz), who is actually a brilliant detective herself.

I use the word “unhinged” when I talk about this movie, and I mean it in the best way possible. Maggie Gyllenhaal, along with cinematographer Lawrence Sher and production designer Karen Murphy, turns 1930s Chicago into a gothic, punk fever dream that sometimes leans into a nightmare. Gyllenhaal is not afraid to get gross, gruesome, and brutal.

The performances are all heavily stylized – Penelope Cruz delivers a magnificent 1930s pulp-fiction persona – and Christian Bale is incredible at tempering Frank’s soft, and vulnerable side with moments of tempestuous fury.

Annette Bening shows off her talents, creating a woman and scientist who seems more interested in the science than the people involved, until something inside her stirs. Her reactions to the amazing, impossible things she witnesses feel spontaneous and grounded.

But the true star here is Jessie Buckley. As Mary Shelley, she is an overwhelming persona, erupting with an explosive vocabulary that she flings like weapons in every scene. When she shifts to Ida, she is caught in a hazy mental fog that denies her full autonomy over her body and senses.

Buckley shifts between these two characters with remarkable ease, and the effect onscreen is mesmerizing. Honestly, if she doesn’t win the Academy Award for her role in Hamnet she could easily win it for her role in The Bride!.

What’s deceptive about this film is how it feels focused on the story, allowing the film to go everywhere – Frank’s obsession with a Hollywood musical star (played by Jake Gyllenhaal), the mobster (Zlatko Buric) chasing after Ida to finish her off, and the surprising connection Ida has with Jake – even providing a spectacular dance number that pays tribute to the 1974 comedy film Young Frankenstein by Mel Brooks.

The number evolves into a madcap performance that makes no real sense but is entirely welcomed into this fray. Meanwhile, on the periphery, a story about women galvanized to fight back against the oppression of men lingers on the outskirts of the narrative. There’s genuine anger here and frustration, and Buckley’s Ida/Mary Shelley becomes the metaphor for this, with her unintended reactions to what is happening to her manifesting in the social change that is happening out in the boundaries of this story’s reality. It also makes sense that Dr. Euphronious is also complicit in the domination and control of women’s bodies, since there are some women who do end up serving the patriarchy as well.

This anger and frustration are wrapped in a gorgeously imagined film that is unafraid to be self-aware, off-kilter, brutal and grotesque, and irreverent. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s sophomore effort is a powerful statement, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Don’t miss The Bride! in theaters now. Witness Jessie Buckley’s mesmerizing performance, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s daring vision, and a story that’s as wild as it is unforgettable. Check showtimes and experience the chaos and brilliance on the big screen!

March 6, 2026
THEATER REVIEW: The Sandbox Collective’s ‘Spring Awakening’

Written by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater, Spring Awakening is a rock musical that grapples with the collision of the youth’s awakening to maturity – questioning authority, discovery of sex and desire, and finding one’s own strength and identity in a society that demands conformity. Set in the late 19th-century Germany, in a town with very conservative traditions and beliefs. It’s rebellious. It’s in-your-face (with songs titled The Bitch of Living and Totally Fucked). It’s angry. It’s bleak, though it ultimately ends with a song of hope.

The Sandbox Collective | Spring Awakening | Photo Credit: Loreta Arroyo

The play follows a group of teens in 19th-century Germany – Melchior, Wendla, Moritz, Martha, and Ilse – as they hit puberty, begin to discover their own sexual awakening, and start questioning authority. Melchior is well-read and a model student. He helps Moritz, who is having difficulty focusing in class, understand the changes in his body and explains sex to him. Wendla and the other girls their age are beginning to develop crushes on boys.

The Sandbox Collective | Spring Awakening | Photo Credit: Loreta Arroyo

The grown-ups, however, would prefer the teens to do just as they say while the school heads would rather push Moritz out for lowering the school’s standards. As Melchior and Wendla grow closer, Moritz is kicked out, which sends him spiraling into a dark path similar to that of Ilse, who has left home to join an artist community. As the teens wake up to the darkness of their town, everything comes crashing down in an explosive way.

The Sandbox Collective | Spring Awakening | Photo Credit: Loreta Arroyo

The Sandbox Collective | Spring Awakening | Photo Credit: Loreta Arroyo

The Sandbox Collective’s production, directed by Andrei Nikolai Pamintuan, takes that energy and stages Spring Awakening with delightful verve.

The Sandbox Collective | Spring Awakening | Photo Credit: Loreta Arroyo

I saw the open rehearsal a week before opening and then returned for the February 14 show, and they were very different productions.

The Sandbox Collective | Spring Awakening | Photo Credit: Loreta Arroyo

Unlike the rehearsal, the performance felt very “performed,” probably due to having over-rehearsed. Many of the cast members sang beautifully, but their riffs and vocal prowess felt more suited to a concert than to a show. During the rehearsal, there was less bravado and more intention, each song sung to tell a story.

The Sandbox Collective | Spring Awakening | Photo Credit: Loreta Arroyo

It’s probably opening weekend energy, but many were singing concert-style, and found myself missing the acting of it.

The Sandbox Collective | Spring Awakening | Photo Credit: Loreta Arroyo

The women of the cast, however, were the stronger unit throughout the run. Led by Sheena Belarmino as Wendla, they moved in sync, creating some of the production’s strongest moments.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Sandbox Collective (@thesandboxco)

The giddiness of their sexual awakening as they talk about boys later flips into something when they sing about their desire for physical intimacy in the song Touch Me. In these moments, the women of the cast really bring out the tone and effect that the play feels like it is gunning for.

The Sandbox Collective | Spring Awakening | Photo Credit: Loreta Arroyo

Aside from Belarmino, Angia Laurel is breathtaking as Martha. Her gorgeous voice stands out during her featured number The Dark I Know Well, right after nailing her scene when Martha admits that she is physically abused by her father. It’s a chilling performance that truly makes Laurel stand out.

The Sandbox Collective | Spring Awakening | Photo Credit: Loreta Arroyo

The men seemed like a mixed bag. Some members of the ensemble played it young while others played it older, which felt off since many of the discoveries are those of teens just entering puberty. Others take a more mature approach and so, as a whole, they don’t feel as connected. Omar Uddin, who plays Moritz, is incredible. I’ve seen him both in the rehearsal and during the show run, and he grounds the entire play, as Moritz’s descent serves as the fulcrum for the play’s message. He captures the awkwardness and uncertainty of puberty, singing and dancing with his whole body. This is the third show I’ve seen him in, and he has consistently delivered a strong performance, each different from his last role. Uddin’s alternate, Nic Chien, I have not seen, but I’ve heard equally good things.

The Sandbox Collective | Spring Awakening | Photo Credit: Loreta Arroyo

The show’s grownups are played by Audie Gemora and Menchu Lauchengco (with Ana Abad Santos as the alternate). All three (I saw Abad Santos at rehearsal and Lauchengco at the show) are superb, seamlessly shifting between roles as overprotective parents to strict and rigid teachers. While they do not have song numbers, their very presence in all their scenes elevates the moment.

The Sandbox Collective | Spring Awakening | Photo Credit: Loreta Arroyo

The show really amplifies the tension between conservative authority and a growing, progressive youth. It’s so perfect for these times as our world still suffers under the threat of outdated traditions and beliefs. Nunoy Van Der Burgh’s choreography mirrors that, creating movements that almost feel modern but not, creating a link between 19th-century Germany and the present. Wika Nadera’s gorgeous set design is both stylistic as it is symbolic. An uprooted tree is suspended in the air, giving the impression that the foundations are not as solid as it seems. A platform, also suspended in the air, is lowered for certain scenes. It’s only as it lowers that you realise it’s in the form of a cross. The metaphor isn’t lost, though I wished the lighting could have hit it more from above so that the shadow would stretch across the stage throughout the scenes.

The Sandbox Collective | Spring Awakening | Photo Credit: Loreta Arroyo

This was my first time seeing Spring Awakening, despite it being a well-known, multi-award-winning show (the original Broadway production won eight Tony Awards), and I’m quite fascinated with the show and its straightforward portrayal of teenage angst and rebellion. It’s a dark, challenging play, and this production has what it takes to bring it to where it has to go. I’d love to see it again to watch the cast fully settled into their roles and hear their amazing harmonies all over again.

My Rating: 3 Stars

Teenage angst, rebellion, and powerhouse performances. The 3rd weekend of Spring Awakening is fast approaching! Don’t miss the show everyone’s talking about, runs until March 22 at The Black Box, Proscenium Theater, Rockwell. Secure your seats now at ticket2me!

February 25, 2026
THEATER REVIEW: Teatro Meron’s ‘Waiting for Godot’

There’s something so urgent and real about staging Waiting for Godot at this time in the Philippines, and in the world. Ron Capinding, the director of Teatro Meron’s production of Samuel Beckett’s play, spoke about the timelessness of classics and how a great classic play can always be restaged because what it says about humanity and the human condition remains true. But there is something visceral about the timing of this production, which carries the subtitle “A tragicomedy in two acts.” Its philosophical rumination and its promise of a tomorrow that never comes feels so painfully true in this day and age.

Called “the most significant English-language play of the twentieth century” by a 1998 poll conducted by the Royal National Theater in London, Beckett’s play follows Vladimir and Estragon, two aging men who are hungry, thirsty, and suffering all kinds of ailments.

Teatro Meron’s staging of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot | Photo by: Reamur A. David

They pass the time talking about their troubles and how they are waiting for a man named Godot, a person they do not recall ever meeting nor are they sure that he will come.

Teatro Meron’s staging of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot | Photo by: Reamur A. David

Their conversation is interrupted by Pozzo, a man with a slave called Lucky, who is tied to a rope. Pozzo plans to sell Lucky at the market but allows him one grandiose moment of performance before leaving Vladimir and Estrago behind. Leaving the two leads behind, still waiting for Godot, who never comes.

Teatro Meron’s staging of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot | Photo by: Reamur A. David

More happens, of course, with witty banter and slapstick comedy, but Waiting for Godot is famous for it being a story about waiting for something that never comes. Once immediately believed Godot as a metaphor for God, but Beckett has refuted this many times, though he later admitted there might have been some subconscious impulse that pushed him to use that word; though the play is an adaptation of his own French play so the word is French in origin. The idea is in the act of waiting itself. Beckett has been known to feel frustrated by people trying to make the play overcomplicated than it is, by ascribing more meaning than what is there.

Teatro Meron’s staging of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot | Photo by: Reamur A. David

The set design by Tata Tuviera transforms the stage into a barren ruin, with a solitary dead tree a little off-center. The backdrop, painted to look post-apocalyptic (or perhaps post-war) so it adds upon the sense of hopelessness and despair surrounding Vladimir and Estragon’s waiting.

Teatro Meron’s staging of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot | Photo by: Reamur A. David

Played by Tarek El Tayech and JJ Ignacio respectively, the two leads are rather eloquent even at their most tired and they have the capacity for wit. But they are at their wit’s end as they have no direction, no purpose but to wait for someone they aren’t even sure is coming.

Teatro Meron’s staging of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot | Photo by: Reamur A. David

Though one character does come, a boy, portrayed by Yael Ledesma, who tells them that Godot is coming, but we all know the truth: he isn’t.

Teatro Meron’s staging of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot

Tayech and Ignacio are incredibly gifted. Their comic timing is impeccable, and their chemistry brings out the textured dynamics of their relationship to come into play. They believably make us feel like they are old and tired, and I’ve seen Tayech in more vibrant roles, and his range here is remarkable. Rounding out the cast, John Bernard Sanchez and Lenard Tiongson as Pozzo and Lucky, respectively, also have such strong presence onstage that when their characters come in and intrude into the nothingness of Vladimir and Estragon’s conversations, the stage becomes awash with this electricity. Sanchez plays a wonderful contrast to Tayech and Ignacio, his Pozzo is full of life and bravado while Tiongson’s Lucky is a terrifying force. He remains completely unmoving – I don’t think he even blinked – and only moved when ordered. And when he performs, it’s a maelstrom of movement and voice that is filled with the kinetic energy that feels let loose like water from a dam breaking. Together, the four of them onstage create such humor that we are taken out of the moment of nothingness so that when Pozzo and Lucky leave and Vladimir and Estragon are back again where they started, the absence of that energy is palpable. The tragedy is made clear and evident.

Teatro Meron’s staging of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot | Photo by: Reamur A. David

Capinding’s direction made me reflect on us, poor ordinary Filipinos, constantly waiting for something that never comes. The bleak, desolate backdrop made me think of our country, for some reason or another, barren and destroyed by undelivered promises. It’s ironic and hilarious at the same time, because the play was performed exactly as written, yet the convergence of the actors, setting, and the moment pulled me back to myself and my own reality.

Waiting for Godot is truly an incredible play, and this production brings out the best of it. It will make you laugh while watching and then leave you thinking deeply long after you’ve left the theater as you head home.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Don’t miss this brilliant production of Waiting for Godot! Catch it live until March 1 at the Special Exhibition Hall, The Mind Museum. Grab your tickets now at Ticket2Me and experience the laughter, the wit, and the unforgettable wait.

February 23, 2026
MOVIE REVIEW: Crime 101

There’s something slick and glossy about writer-director Bart Layton’s adaptation of Don Winslow’s novella Crime 101. From its opening shot of Los Angeles at night, with all the city lights and cars on the 101 freeway, yet upside down, with the sky beneath and the city right on top. It’s a gorgeous, disorienting shot that creates tension. A woman’s voice narrates the usual meditation spiel (or later revealed to be part of a yoga practice). The two elements – the upside-down city and the meditation – contrasts to create an interesting effect. It sets us up for the crime thriller Crime 101.

Crime 101 is an ensemble piece that follows three characters – Mike (Chris Hemsworth), Detective Lou Lubesnick (Mark Ruffalo), and Sharon (Halle Berry) – whose lives intersect through a crime. Mike is a thief who plans untraceable robberies of insured items and jewels. He strikes along the 101 Freeway while ensuring that no one gets hurt. He is methodical, cautious, and as a person, very lonely. Lou is a cop who comes across as someone who seems past his prime. He’s always unkempt, no one respects him anymore, and his theory about the robberies along the 101 Freeway goes unheeded in the force. Sharon works at an insurance company serving the wealthiest clientele. She’s a vice-president at the company, but her promotion to partner is impeded by the old boy’s network. Their worlds collide when issues in their personal lives force urgency putting Sharon in the crosshairs of Mike while Lou finally finds a clue that can lead him to Mike.

Crime 101 Mike Davis (Chris Hemsworth) and Sharon (Halle Berry) in CRIME 101 | Photo Credit: Merrick Morton

What’s exciting about Layton’s direction is how he takes his time to establish the world, allowing us to get to know these characters and painting a portrait of a society bereft of integrity and decency. Lou is looked down upon by the rest of the force because of his old-school ways and values. Through his perspective, we see the rot within the police force and their own corruption. Sharon becomes a victim of a patriarchal system that undervalues women and their place in the corporate hierarchy, as well as being witness to the vulgar value systems of the extremely wealthy. These two storylines are meant to serve as a contrast to Mike’s own sense of honour and code. His methods are precise and deliberate, ensuring that no one gets hurt and only insured items are taken, so in theory, no one is meant to suffer a great loss. But of course, we also see how the insurance companies, through Sharon, do their best to get away from paying their clients.

Davis (Chris Hemsworth, right) and Lou (Mark Ruffalo, left) in CRIME 101

Layton uses clever editing techniques and vibrant mise-en-scene to link the three characters. A single motion from one character often cuts to another finishing the action, creating a semblance of inevitability. The film’s pace moves slowly to build the world and raise the stakes so that we sense that when these three collide, the impact will be explosive.

Crime 101 Tillman (Corey Hawkins, left) and Lou (Mark Ruffalo, right) in CRIME 101 | Photo Credit: Merrick Morton

Urgency is amplified when Mike starts to lose his nerve and cancels a hit, which his fence (Nick Nolte) is not happy about. He hands over the assignment to a fiery, unpredictable biker (Barry Keoghan), who is later ordered to follow Mike and rob him after his next gig.

Crime 101 Barry Keoghan stars as Ormon in CRIME 101 | Photo Credit: Dean Roger

While this is happening, Mike meets Maya (Monica Barbero), who catches his eye and tries to start a relationship with her while Lou is separating from his wife (Jennifer Jason Leigh). The events fuel the narrative to an explosive 30-minute finale, where Mike makes his final score, and everything is on the line.

Crime 101 Chris Hemsworth stars as Davis in CRIME 101 | Photo Credit: Merrick Morton

Honestly, this kind of movie might have worked better if it came out fifteen years ago. The Robin Hood angle of its protagonist no longer feels apt in our current global crisis of civilization decay. The narrative encourages us to cheer for Mike because he only targets the rich, to cheer for Lou because he’s a good cop, and to cheer for Sharon because she’s been treated unfairly and she deserves her flowers but at the heart of all this is a crime. We’re meant to excuse them because all the rich people in the film are despicable and I suppose we are to take a nuanced approach to the narrative but another wrong does not make it right.

Crime 101 Halle Berry stars as Sharon in CRIME 101 | Photo Credit: Merrick Morton

Perhaps fifteen years ago, when the illusion of a civilized world meant we could fantasize about a Robin Hood-like character coming in to mess with the rich but that isn’t justice. And Crime 101 paints a world without justice, and it feels so bleak. I loved the performances, Layton’s direction, and the way he subtly critiques the overwhelming number of cars in Los Angeles and how unhealthy it is – bright lights constantly moving on the 101 freeway that all I could think about is the pollution and how unfriendly it is to commuters – but I came out of the theater feeling empty. I couldn’t cheer for these characters. The film moved me, but it didn’t give me the justice I had been hoping it would deliver.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Thrills, crime, and high-stakes chaos await, watch Crime 101 on the big screen and feel the tension unfold. Check showtimes here.

February 21, 2026