Author: Wanggo Gallaga

MOVIE REVIEW: Hamnet

Coming into Hamnet without knowing anything about it left me for a loop. I hadn’t even seen the trailer, so coming in blind left me unprepared for the emotional onslaught of Chloe Zhao’s incredible direction, her moving screenplay (co-written with Maggie O’Farrell, based on her novel), and the breathtakingly brilliant Jessie Buckley in the lead role as Agnes. This is a love story, but it’s not a romantic film. It’s about a mother’s love, and how grief can tear us apart, and the healing power of art.

Agnes is known in town as a witch. Her mother taught her incantations and the power of herbs, and she possesses what seems like a supernatural gift. She’s of marrying age, but everyone is afraid of her except for her sibling’s tutor, William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal), who finds her absolutely fascinating. He courts her, they fall in love, and they have three children. She raises them while William heads to London to make a name for himself as a playwright. When tragedy strikes, grief tears the couple apart. The love that was once so strong at the beginning has been turned into resentment as grief speaks for her. What is William to do but write a play in the hope that he can find some measure of peace.

Jessie Buckley stars as Agnes and Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare in director Chloé Zhao’s HAMNET, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Agata Grzybowska / © 2025 FOCUS FEATURES LLC

Zhao is unafraid to bring us so close to her actor’s being, using a lot of handheld shots to capture every inch, every nuance of Buckley’s and Mescal’s faces, as well as those of their three children (played by Olivia Lynes, Bodhi Rae Breathnach, and the magnificent Jacobi Jupe). We bear witness to all their joy and sadness, their fears and hopes. Their entire being seems to be in full view for us to see. This amplifies the love story that brought Agnes and William together and to start a family, but it also shows us the way that grief can destroy us as well.

Jacobi Jupe stars as Hamnet, Bodhi Rae Breathnach as Susanna and Olivia Lynes as Judith in director Chloé Zhao’s HAMNET, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Agata Grzybowska / © 2025 FOCUS FEATURES LLC

But then Zhao and cinematographer Lukasz Zal also zoom out to show us the immensity of the woods, where Agnes feels most at home. There’s a sense of place and time that really impresses upon us the ways by which Agnes is a force of nature, and that her love for her husband and children has tempered her. The countryside landscape is lush and gorgeous, while London is dark, dirty, and cramped. The world William lives in away from his family is almost always devoid of light, though it is where he has found his fortune.

Actors Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal with director Chloé Zhao on the set of their film HAMNET, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Agata Grzybowska / © 2025 FOCUS FEATURES LLC

Mescal is good, but he’s merely playing supporting role to Buckley’s Agnes. As mentioned earlier, she’s a force of nature, and we see all of her, from a raw, and unfettered scene of her giving birth to calm and peaceful moments of teaching her children the secrets of the woods. We watch her fall in love with a man who is unafraid of her, the entirety of her, and we watch her crumble and break under the greatest loss one can endure. I was so sure Renate Reinsve of Sentimental Value would win the Best Actress at this year’s Oscar, but now I understand why Buckley is the frontrunner for that category.

Jessie Buckley stars as Agnes and Joe Alwyn as Bartholomew in director Chloé Zhao’s HAMNET, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2025 FOCUS FEATURES LLC

As the film’s title suggests – and as a written prologue at the start of the film makes clear – we are shown an interpretation of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays. The way that it is used in this film, with the added layers of this story, creates a whole new texture for the play and adds a powerful emotional punch that had me in tears by the end of the film, aided by Max Richter’s indelible musical score.

Noah Jupe stars as Hamlet, Jessie Buckley as Agnes and Joe Alwyn as Bartholomew in director Chloé Zhao’s HAMNET, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2025 FOCUS FEATURES LLC

This is a powerhouse of a movie, and not one I would imagine would be best for Valentine’s Day or the month of hearts. But it does show the power of love and art in being able to deal with grief and loss. It’s a film that will leave you looking for someone to embrace afterward. Once again, it’s a showcase for Chloe Zhao’s wonderful direction and Jessie Buckley’s onscreen magnetism. We are going to see much more of her in the years to come.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Step into a world of love, grief, and unforgettable storytelling, watch Hamnet in theaters and experience Jessie Buckley’s powerhouse performance and Chloe Zhao’s breathtaking direction firsthand. Check showtimes here.

February 20, 2026
Prime Video Series Review: Cross Season 2 (First 3 Episodes)

What I enjoyed about the first season of Cross, is that we get a powerful, intelligent Black man, Alex Cross (Aldis Hodge), who is competent in every way as a homicide detective but is constantly under duress from not having properly dealt with his grief. There’s an amazing supporting cast around him, including his best friend John (Isaiah Sampson), a whip-smart FBI agent, Kayla (Alona Tai), his grandmother (Juanita Jennings), and a whole cadre of compelling characters. With the first season allowing Alex Cross to face his personal demons while solving and catching a serial killer, we see him close one chapter of his life, including accepting and letting go of his murdered wife, while also hurting and losing a wonderful woman in the process, Elle (Samantha Walkes).

In the first three episodes of the new season, Alex is asked to join Kayla to catch a person who sent a deadly threat to a billionaire, Lance Durand (Matthew Lillard); unaware that the person they are after is connected to a serial killer, whose targets are billionaires who are trafficking immigrant children for illegal child labor. The series shows us both Cross, Kayla, and John hunting down a suspect while simultaneously showing us the true perpetrator, Rebecca and Donnie (Jeanine Mason and Wes Chatham, respectively). Rebecca is on a mission of revenge against these billionaires, and her war is a righteous one. As Cross inches closer and closer to finding out about Rebecca, the show is allowing us to get to know her, her motivations and her backstory.

Aldis Hodge as Alex Cross & Alona Tal as Kayla Craig. Photo Courtesy of Ian Watson/Prime Video

Very light, ambiguous spoilers follow:

Within the first three episodes, we see John dealing with his biological mother, who gave him up as a child, after she’s arrested for a crime. Elle and Alex are now broken up, but she remains in their lives while Nana Mama is absent. We also get a larger role for my favourite character on the show, Kayla. She’s in deep trouble over an off-the-books operation and is being set up as the fall guy.

L-R Matthew Lillard as Lance Durand, Lou Jurgens as Nat Gancarz, Alona Tal as Kayla Craig, Aldis Hodge as Alex Cross. Photo Courtesy of Ian Watson/Prime Video

There’s a lot of story threads playing out this season, and because Cross has managed to clean up a lot of his loose ends from last season, he feels more like a support character to the other players. We see things from his point of view, which is very interesting. He remains the lead and continues to carry the show, but he’s also there to help the others shine, even as he deals with his lingering issues with Elle.

Elle Monteiro (Samantha Walkes), Alex Cross (Aldis Hodge)

In fact, the love story between him and Elle is the least interesting storyline at play. Elle’s reason is justified and because of last season’s climactic ending, she remains part of the family and someone Cross’ kids trust. With Nana Mama out of the picture, Elle steps in as the house sitter, which adds to Cross’ confusion. Three episodes in, and it’s the slowest part of the show. Mustafa is a fantastic actor, and he makes John such a solid character that I wish the subplot involving his mother is fully utilized.

My favourite character is Kayla, though, and now that she has a bigger role in season 2, I’m eager to see the full range of her character’s complexity. She’s highly competent and very able but it seems she has often been sidelined in favor of her male counterparts. She’s shown that her morality bends, especially when you take into account how she dealt with Bobby Trey (Johnny Ray Gill) last season. Her connection with Cross runs much deeper than initially hinted at and is touched upon in episode three and I’d really like to see how they flesh out her character more.

Richard Helvig (Geoffrey Pounsett), Rebecca Luz (Jeanine Mason)

The main crime that we’re following though – the one involving Rebecca and Donnie – feels so on point. While the trafficked children are being exploited for child labor, which is both horrible and illegal, one can’t read into it as something similar to the political upheaval that is happening in the United States regarding the Epstein Files. The fact that Rebecca is targeting billionaires makes the links more solid that, as an audience member, you’re kind of on her side. You’re eager to see how Cross is going to navigate this particular dilemma, especially as the show positions Lillard’s Lance Durand as a two-faced spoiled billionaire. A lot of the good stuff from season one is carrying over and none of the baggage, so this is going to be a fun season.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Binge Cross Season 2 now and see why Wanggo gives it 4 out of 5 stars. With gripping twists, complex characters, and a crime plot that keeps you guessing, this is a season you won’t want to miss, stream it now on Prime Video.

February 20, 2026
MOVIE REVIEW: The Loved One

There’s something about the dynamic between director Irene Emma Villamor and actress Anne Curtis. Their tandem in Sid & Aya: Not a Love Story showcased how Villamor understands all of Curtis’ strengths and fully utilizes them, highlighting the full range of her acting talents while maximizing her magnetic screen presence. Along with Dingdong Dantes, the three made Sid & Aya: Not a Love Story a wonderful cinematic experience that proved mainstream movies can be both surprising and intellectually as well as emotionally engaging.

So swapping Dantes for the ever-reliable Jericho Rosales, The Loved One ups the ante, with Villamor presenting us with another romantic drama that pushes the boundaries of mainstream cinema, opting for restraint and introspection. Villamor, Curtis, and Rosales deliver a powerhouse film that explores how a partnership can shift over time and how memory is always a subjective experience.

The Loved One tells the story of Ellie (Curtis) and Eric (Rosales). It begins with Eric waiting for Ellie to arrive at a restaurant – filmed in black and white – where tension simmers from their text message exchange. Something has clearly happened between them.

While waiting, Eric begins to reminisce, and all these scenes are shown in color: the beginnings of their relationship all the way through ten years until this point, from their first dates to moving in together, to each protagonist’s highs and lows in life. Through his recollections, we witness their past until Ellie arrives and we see what those ten years have come to mean.

Villamor first posits that one person in any relationship is “the lover,” the one who loves more, while the other is “the loved one,” or the person who receives more of the love in that partnership. In the hodgepodge of memories that Eric brings up, all from various parts of their relationship, we see the less privileged Eric juggling work and his relationship with Ellie, while also providing for his family and we bear witness to his struggles and effort that he has put into his life. What’s wonderful about Villamor’s film is that its politics is toned down, though very clear in every scene. Ellie, coming from a more privileged background, lives in a huge house, practically a mansion, and all her magnificent wardrobe are either designer or custom-made clothing.

The restaurants they dine in are all fancy, and while the film never preaches about their rich-girl, poor-guy dynamic, it’s there for us to see. Eric never really brings it up, but it is something we notice, adding another layer to the effort he has taken to push their relationship for ten years.

But memory is subjective, and near the midpoint, Villamor does an incredible trick where Curtis’ Ellie looks directly at the camera and we begin seeing events from her point-of-view. Scenes are revisited, but through her perspective, and what we get is a full picture of a relationship that began earnestly and with the purest intentions. Yet, as life got in the way and the couple grew and changed, something was left behind.

Curtis and Rosales are in excellent form here. They deliver the carefully scripted lines so effortlessly that they make it sound casual and spontaneous. These are lived-in performances, and they communicate with their whole being that as Villamor directs the entire film to never lean into over-dramatics, the inner worlds of both characters are there for us to see.

While Rosales embodies the typical Pinoy man with big aspirations and dreams (which he does effortlessly), Curtis has the unenviable task of playing the far more complex Ellie. She’s a rich girl, but there’s an entire world inside of her and Curtis fully understood the assignment. Even when portraying Ellie in Eric’s recollection of events, the real Ellie is present, unseen by Eric but visible to the audience. When she takes over the narrative, we see it full stop. It’s such a detailed and nuanced performance that this might be the best Anne Curtis performance I’ve ever seen. I’m such a fan.

This film takes the personal and the specific and opens it up to the realm of the universal. The little fights they have, the joys they find in each other, the little things that make a relationship – both the good and the bad – are there for us to see. I’m very moved by this film, and it might be one of my favourites in Villamor’s impressive filmography.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Experience love, memory, and all the little moments in between with The Loved One. Anne Curtis and Jericho Rosales shine in Irene Emma Villamor’s deeply moving romantic drama, now showing in cinemas. Don’t miss it.

February 13, 2026
MOVIE REVIEW: Wuthering Heights

I’ve never read the novel by Emily Bronte, but I have seen my fair share of BBC adaptations of Wuthering Heights. But after reading through all the sentiments on social media about Emerald Fennell’s new film adaptation of the 1847 novel, and considering what I know of Fennell from her films Promising Young Woman and Saltburn I kind of curbed my expectations. Even the idea that the soundtrack would include new songs from pop singer-songwriter Charlie XCX told me a lot I walked into the film.

Fennell had stated that she is merely doing her own version of the story, and in this take, it is the story of two children, Cathy and Heathcliff, who become close friends when Cathy’s drunken father, a somewhat disgraced lord, adopted Heathcliff as a ward. In the decrepit home of Wuthering Heights, the two grow up finding solace in each other, with Heathcliff promising to protect Cathy and Cathy promising to never leave his side. They grow up with deep affection for each other, but their circumstances would not find their marriage favourably. Cathy’s father is perpetually broke from gambling and drinking, and her only real prospect is to marry rich. Heathcliff, merely a ward of questionable origins, has no chance of marrying someone like Cathy.

As their love for each other grows from familial affection into something romantic coinciding with their sexual awakenings, something even more primal than that, their love and friendship constantly push them toward hurting each other. When life at Wuthering Heights becomes dire, Cathy chooses to marry their wealthy neighbour, Edgar Linton.

Heathcliff takes a horse and leaves before he discovers the truth about Cathy’s feelings for him. Years later, Cathy is living in wealth and privilege and is with child when Heathcliff returns. He has become wealthy, having purchased Wuthering Heights. The passion they still. harbor for one another ultimately destroys them and everyone around them.

If anything, Fennel has a striking visual style and creates some very powerful imagery throughout the film. The way she captured sensuality in Saltburn finds its way here as well. She plays with the film’s sound design so that the heavy breaths characters take almost evokes a sexuality, even when the imagery suggests the opposite – take note of the opening scene. It’s as if she’s deliberately creating a link between sex and violence.

She also uses elaborate set pieces that look like intentionally constructed, emphasizing to show off the movie’s artifice. Everything is hyper-real as if signaling to us that this is adaptation is not to be taken too seriously.

Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, as Cathy and Heathcliff have an undeniable chemistry. However, while Elordi’s has proven his range in Priscilla, his performance here feels somewhat one-note, it’s a shame that his full range isn’t utilized here, and it’s Robbie who takes center stage. She’s a wildfire, a tempest and she does not play for our sympathy. Instead, she portrays Cathy as a spoiled woman unable to control her innermost desires.

The perfect foil for her is Hong Chau as Nelly, Cathy’s companion. Caught in the crossfire of Cathy and Heathcliff’s destructive love, Nelly becomes the grounding force, attempting to impose a sense of order on her childhood friend. Yet even she takes things to an extreme, having a hand in the separation of the two. Chau is brilliant. While her work is less explosive than Robbie’s, as a more dignified character, she has to hold her emotions close, revealing what she really feels through subtle gestures and looks. Despite Nelly’s flaws, she becomes the only character I could truly grasp and connect with.

Despite Robbie and Chau’s performances and Fennell’s powerful visual style, I am made to feel uncomfortable with how the film positions the love story as a tragic romance when they are so toxic to each other and to everyone around them.

Their destructive choices and the film centers this as the driving force of the narrative. The music swirls when they find themselves intertwined. At some point, I did feel that there is a commentary here against the class system that puts Cathy’s future in the hands of a wealthy husband and not with the person she truly loves, who has no prospects. It could be a message that Fennell is going for if she didn’t seem to put so much emphasis on how wonderful it is to be rich during this era of civilization. Robbie has a plethora of costume changes, each one more grand, more stylish than the last. If the film is attempting to make any commentaries against social class inequality, it falters by enjoying the moments of privileges Cathy gains from marrying a man for convenience rather than love.

The film focuses more on the passion and illicit affair between Cathy and Heathcliff than on the damage they inflict on those around them, which makes it feel as though Fennell is more fascinated and interested by the subject matter than by its consequences. This is what makes the film so hard to stomach despite its gorgeous visual elements.

My Rating: 2 Stars

Love. Obsession. Destruction. Experience the stormy passion of Cathy and Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights on the big screen. Catch Emerald Fennell’s daring adaptation in theaters now, and don’t miss the drama, the visuals, and the unforgettable performances of Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.

February 13, 2026
THEATER REVIEW: PETA’S Kislap at Algo

PETA’s twin bill – two one-act plays staged back-to-back – are both material that was tested at last year’s Control + Shift: Changing Narratives Festival 2025. The two plays, Kislap at Fuego and Children of the Algo, are now getting a revival that, according to PETA Artistic Director J-mee Katanyag, aims to “challenge dominant narratives, revisit Filipino values, and explore how stories, past and present, shape power, identity, and action.” Directed particularly toward the youth, the twin bill of Kislap at Algo is meant for a younger generation but can still be enjoyed by older audiences.

Kislap at Fuego is a translation of Dominique La Victoria’s Palanca Award-winning play, Toward the Fires of Revolution, translated by Gentle Mapagu and directed by Maribel Legarda and J-Mee Katanyag.

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Set during the Spanish occupation, it tells the story of a young country girl escaping Spanish soldiers after being suspected of handing out seditious and subversive books.

PETA’S Kislap at Fuego | CJ Navato and Kyle Napuli | Photo Courtesy of PETA Theater

She hides in an enchanted forest, where she calls on a Kapre to whom her father owes a debt. She comes to repay that debt in exchange for sanctuary. What unfolds is a fairy-tale love story that realigns our perspective and references the contributions of women to our nationhood and revolutionary movement.

PETA’S Kislap at Fuego | CJ Navato and Kyle Napuli | Photo Courtesy of PETA Theater

Led by Felicity Kyle Napuli and CJ Navato, Kislap at Fuego disguises its feminist message and call to action within a love story that excellently plays up to the Filipino sensibilities of the kilig. Napuli is a strong presence onstage and manages to shift from the romantic and comedic aspects to the dramatic parts effortlessly.

PETA’S Kislap at Fuego | CJ Navato and Kyle Napuli | Photo Courtesy of PETA Theater

Navato also shares this duality, allowing his Kapre to feel menacing and powerful, while revealing a tenderness just beneath the surface.

PETA’S Kislap at Fuego | Ekis Gimenez and Carlon Matobato | Photo Courtesy of PETA Theater

Their chemistry makes the show work, as the disguise of a love story becomes the hook that draws us in while setting upa powerful message about fighting back when needed.

PETA”S Kislap at Ulap | Carlon Matobato | Photo Courtesy of PETA Theater

Legarda and Katanyag make full use of Boni Juan’s charming design. A great big tree stands tall on stage left, equipped with a mechanism that allows Navato to hang from the tree’s branches, effectively creating the image of a Kapre.

PETA’S Kislap at Fuego | CJ Navato and Kyle Napuli | Photo Courtesy of PETA Theater

His mask further transforms him into the creature, as Navato seems to fully embody the role well, making full use of his costume to render himself otherwordly.

PETA’S Kislap at Fuego | CJ Navato, Kyle Napuli, and Ensemble | Photo Courtesy of PETA Theater

It’s a lovely use of traditional theater techniques, coming together in a charming play that has the entire audience reacting exactly where they wanted them to.

PETA | Otep Madriaga, James Pe Lim, Nyla Festejo, Frances Akol | Photo Courtesy of PETA Theater

I actually saw an earlier version of Children of the Algo by Mixkaela Villa and director Johnnie Moran. Set in the world of social media, four content creators share video posts and even livestream their daily lives and curated thoughts. Performed by Otep Madriaga, Nyla Festejo, Frances Marie Akol, and James Pe Lim, the four characters jump from posts that resemble what we always see on our feeds – a day in the life, dating advice, a day at work, meditations, random thoughts – and there’s a dizzying effect as each scene shifts from one character to the next. The play truly feels like scrolling through your social media apps. Unfolding like a satire, it creates a commentary oh how we perceive the world through these curated posts. It all builds momentum toward a call to action that urges us to reexamine our social media habits and the content we consume online.

PETA | Otep Madriaga, James Pe Lim, Nyla Festejo, Frances Akol | Photo Courtesy of PETA Theater

The play makes full use of video wall projections while the characters jump in and out of a wheeled, two-storey scaffold. This setup allows each performer to achieve height or cower into a confined space. It’s quite simple yet inventive. Unfortunately, the scaffold has a tendency to squeak and bend, so it doesn’t give us the security as the audience worry about the actors’ safety. I’m sure they have rehearsed extensively and can vouch for its safety, but it can get distracting, especially when the actors are jumping in and out of the scaffold or climbing up and down. It would be ideal if it were sturdier and drew less attention to itself.

Photo Courtesy of PETA theater

The four actors are strong, portraying their characters more as caricatures than real people. They exaggerate and over dramatize their lines, parodying the people we see online. The intended effect is apparent, but I wonder what the texture would be if they played it more grounded, more serious? Would it become a stronger commentary if performed with a little bit more serious? It might not be as crowd-pleasing if they did it that way. After all, the play targets a younger audience who quickly gets the parody.

My Rating: 4 Stars

The magic isn’t over yet! Don’t miss what PETA has lined up next, keep an eye out for their upcoming productions and experience theater that challenges, inspires, and captivates audiences of all ages!

February 9, 2026
MOVIE REVIEW: Send Help

I want Rachel McAdams to get acting nominations for her performance in this campy, gory suspense/thriller, that’s actually pretty funny if you can get past director Sam Raimi’s affinity to blood and gore. It’s definitely a feminist film, maligning the toxic masculinity that seems very apparent in corporate America. And what I love about its feminism is that it isn’t afraid to make McAdams’ Linda to be a heavily flawed character. She’s as human as the rest of us – awkward, a little obsessive, a bit unkempt and untidy – but her rage is justified. And when the narrative beats pushes her to cross the line, the film is unafraid to show that she’s just as much the villain as her boss, played by Dylan O’Brien.

Send Help follows Linda Liddle, a hardworking employee in a corporation run by the father of Dylan O’Brien’s Bradley Preston. Bradley is set to take over the company after his father’s passing, and Linda, who has been carrying the bulk of the work in her department, is hoping that the senior Preston’s promise of making her a vice-president will be honoured by Bradley. But to her shock, she’s passed over by her direct supervisor, who has taken credit for all her accomplishments at work. When she confronts Bradley head-on, he tells her she should join them on a trip to Bangkok for a merger to prove herself. But the plane malfunctions and crashes into the ocean, leaving Linda and Bradley on an island. With only Linda’s survival skills – she dreams of becoming a contestant on the hit television reality show Survivor – to keep them alive while they wait for rescue.

The screenplay of Damian Shannon and Mark Swift takes a satirical tone, over exaggerating the worst of corporate structures, toxic masculinity, and giving a fantastical take on Linda’s duality. At the office, she’s a mess, her hair is always untidy, her clothes are devoid of femininity, and she’s criticized for having an “odious smell” stemming from her love of tuna fish sandwiches. She’s socially awkward, and no one likes her, despite being a genius with numbers and a highly efficient workhorse. On the island, stripped of the social hierarchies and mind games of corporate life, she blooms. All her books on survival and her dreams of becoming a cast member of Survivor bring out her full potential. Here, she’s in charge. Her hair is gorgeous. In the office, her makeup is pale, attempting to give her the no-makeup look and tries (a challenge for McAdams) to make her look plain. But on the island, the makeup artist gives her a radiant glow. And the Rachel McAdams we know, who made a breathtaking debut in the Mean Girls and rose to superstardom in The Notebook makes a striking reappearance.

It’s almost a toxic masculine wet dream, but Shannon, Swift, and director Sam Raimi quickly subvert this. Linda’s personality quirks still remain, yet the power being the sole provider for her horrible boss brings out a side of her she didn’t know she had. Of course, at first, Bradley orders her around, belittles her, and mocks her, but when he realises he cannot survive on the island without her, he begins to take a more submissive role. This shift not only encourages Linda’s growth but also nudges her further tipping into the darker side of her personality.

The film is funny, action-packed, and horrifying all at the same time. Raimi’s use of unconventional camera angles, perspectives, and his penchant for jump scares and gore keeps the film exciting, perfect for audiences who have come for a roller-coaster ride. Even as Bradley and Linda start pushing each other’s buttons, bringing out the worst versions in themselves, you can’t help but root for Linda. The film has already positioned her as the initial victim – even as the twists and turns of the film’s narrative quickly turns that around and shift her into a perpetrator as well – and in a way, the film tackles the underdog story of gaining power and becoming the aggressor. The comedic aspect of the movie allow us to bend our morality for this film so we can excuse all her behaviour on the island.

The crowd around me as I was watching was firmly on her side, even when she went too far.

O’Brien serves as a great foil, portraying the toxic male nepo-baby to a tee. You enjoy hating him and constantly question when he starts to show kindness towards Linda. But make not mistake, this is McAdams’ movie through and through. She’s an amazing actress who understands the tone of camp, hitting it precisely at that frequency, yet she is able to switch it when her character undergoes an internal crisis. She finds pathos in the character and manages to bring it out even in the moments of Linda’s turn to the darker side of herself. Linda is slowly unraveling, but McAdams does it so naturally that it never feels like “a performance.” It simply settles into the rhythm of the film. I really want people to take note of this performance as a high-wire act that is not easy to do.

This movie itself is pure fun. Be ready to be grossed out, scream in agony and fright, and laugh at the absurdity of what Raimi, Shannon and Swift put these characters through. And keep your eyes on McAdams who nails this character and makes Linda completely unforgettable.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Get ready for laughs, screams, and pure chaos. Watch Send Help in cinemas now and witness Rachel McAdams’ unforgettable performance!

February 8, 2026
MOVIE REVIEW: Nobody

I love a good underdog story. The Chinese animated film Nobody takes a familiar narrative trope – the bad guys pretending to be good, only to discover their own innate goodness along the way – and presents it as a hilarious fantasy adventure rendered in stunning 2D art that imitates the ink-wash painting style. The humor is so surprising, and the film’s character work is so detailed that, despite the protagonists being liars, bullies, and thieves, they still endear themselves to you and carry with them a universal characteristic: to go beyond what the social order has imposed upon them.

Yao are supernatural creatures that take the form of animals. They are called demons, they rob humans of food and belongings. Yao also have their own social order. Nobody follows two low-ranking yao of King’s Cave – Pig (Ziping Chen) and Toad (Yang Lu) – who work in the kitchen of the King’s Cave leader. Toad is happy having a job, but Pig desires more. He wants to be a powerful yao, rise through the ranks of King’s Cave, and become an enforcer.

But a hilarious mishap while cleaning dirty heirloom cauldrons leads to Pig and Toad being banished from King’s Cave. With no prospects ahead of them, Pig and Toad discover that the monk Tang Sanzang will soon be passing through the area on his way to seek powerful scriptures, along with Sun Wukong and other mighty warriors. Legend has it that any yao who eats Tang’s flesh will become immortal. Knowing that Sun Wukong could easily defeat any yao who tries to attack Tang, Pig and Toad decide to impersonate Tang and his group, hoping to beat them to the scriptures first, because whoever finds the scriptures would become powerful as well as immortal.

With the help of a weasel (Wenliang Dong) and a gorilla (Cong Liu), the four yao impersonate the famous Chinese heroes (immortalized by the novel Journey to the West) and embark on an adventure that uncovers the heroes within themselves.

Directed by Yu Shui and written by Yu Shui and Liu Jia, Nobody is a comic onslaught set within a fantasy adventure. The dynamic between Pig and Toad is reminiscent of many buddy films, with one being the more active and brash, while the other is more careful, cautious, and prefers the simpler, practical solution. Toad is often frustrated by Pig’s stubbornness and his penchant for getting them into danger, but he always returns. Their friendship is clear as day and serves as the emotional core of the story.

When weasel joins the group, he is a nonstop chatterbox that cannot stop talking – a source of many hilarious comics setups – while Gorilla is an extreme introvert who struggles to express himself and is prone to crying. From the get-go, we are introduced to four underdogs: yao who are truly at the bottom of the totem pole. They are so funny, and their relationships so well developed, that they quickly endear themselves to you, leaving you rooting for them to succeed.

The jokes are plenty and come in various styles – slapstick, witty banter, visual comedy, farce, and irony – and it translates well. As a fantasy adventure, we get to see quite a bit of fight scenes, and Nobody is unafraid to go over-the-top and truly explosive at the finale. It’s a careful buildup, so well executed that you don’t immediately realise how meticulous the script is in building up to its climax.

As an underdog story, what’s wonderful to watch here is the growth of Pig, Toad, Weasel, and Gorilla. It’s quite surprising that despite all the chaos and laughter that this film manages to evoke, it still manages to hit you at the center of your chest and leaves you with warm feeling inside. Much of the careful character work, often disguised as jokes, is actually setups that prepare you for the way by which the film turns 180 by the end of the second act. This is a film that can be enjoyed by both young and old (given that they are willing to read the subtitles).

Nobody was an extremely pleasant surprise for me, and I couldn’t believe how much fun I was having watching this movie. I’m not surprised it is the most successful 2D animated movie in China, and I’m so open to seeing more.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Big laughs, bigger heart. Nobody is a wildly entertaining animated surprise that deserves a big-screen watch. Check showtimes here.

February 5, 2026
MOVIE REVIEW: It Was Just an Accident

Nominated for four Golden Globes and two Academy Awards, Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident is a politically charged thriller that is entertaining and insightful in so many ways. Part of the Film Development Council of the Philippines’ A Curation of World Cinema and screening in selected theaters around the city, I came into this movie not knowing a single thing about it. The film surprised me at every turn, delivering both a well-crafted thriller and powerful human moments that are equally dramatic and comic. It was a roller-coaster of emotions and it gave me a glimpse into the day-to-day world of Iran, a country I know very little about beyond what Western news has told me.

The film follows the story of Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri), an auto mechanic whose garage is visited late one night by a man with a prosthetic leg (Ebrahim Azizi) and his family, who have come to repair their car after hitting and killing a dog. Vahid is certain that the man is Eghbal, an Iranian soldier who tortured him in an Iranian prison, convinced by the sound that his prosthetic leg makes as he walks.

It Was Just an Accident Une Simpe Accident | (c) Les Films Pelleas

The next day, Vahid follows the man he thinks is Eghbal and kidnaps him to bury him in the desert. But unsure, he ends up gathering other survivors of the Iranian prisons who were also tortured by Eghbal. These include Shiva (Mariam Afshari), a photographer who is taking pre-wedding photos of Goli (Hadis Pakbaten) and Ali (Majid Panahi). Shiva also suspects Eghbal is their tormentor from his smell, though isn’t sure because they were blindfolded during interrogations and torture, while Goli, also a survivor of Eghbal’s torture, cannot be certain he is who they think he is. So, they then enlist the help of another inmate, Hamid (Mohammad Ali Elyasmehr).

It Was Just an Accident Une Simpe Accident | (c) Les Films Pelleas

In one van, six people – one drugged and unconscious – head to the Iranian desert to contemplate revenge, and what we see is a biting commentary on the horrors of authoritarianism.

It Was Just an Accident Une Simpe Accident | (c) Les Films Pelleas

The genius of Panahi’s film is how he manages the tone of the entire film. The four former prison mates are deadset in killing this man, but they are not sure if he is who they suspect him to be. There’s a moral line that is constantly being blurred. They feel justified in their extreme measures – drugging and kidnapping, and perhaps even murder if he is Eghbal – but until they are certain, they still operate within the bounds of societal morality. Each character is distinct and explosive, and every actor delivers an incredible performance, amplifying the reality of the situation that truly speaks about the social and political realities of the country. It’s devastating once you begin to really imagine what these characters have endured and what this means about the nation as a whole.

It Was Just an Accident Une Simpe Accident | (c) Les Films Pelleas

But what struck me the most is how Panahi leans into the absurd at times, creating humorous situations. Even the image of Goli and Ali, dressed in their wedding attire, jumping into a van with a man drugged, unconscious man in the back while contemplating murder is surreal and brings out so much laughter. Yet the humor also comes at a biting cost because we know and really feel how desperate Vahid, Shiva, Goli, and Hamid want some level of retribution.

It Was Just an Accident Une Simpe Accident | (c) Les Films Pelleas

What the film depicts is a broken society, shattered by an authoritarian regime, where people cannot move forward because the scars of the past hang fresh on their skins. It may not be evident but it’s there. And as the film’s drama unfolds, it becomes painfully obvious for us to see. This is an incredible film, and I think it’s the first Iranian film I’ve experienced. I’ve been told by my cinephile friends that this is the kind of work Panahi is known for, and I’m excited to see where else I can find his filmography.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Experience the gripping tension, dark humor, and moral complexity of Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident, now showing in select cinemas. Don’t miss this unforgettable Iranian thriller on the big screen.

February 3, 2026
MOVIE REVIEW: Sentimental Value

As part of the Film Development Council of the Philippines’ A Curation of World Cinema, Joachim Trier’s marvelous film Sentimental Value makes its way to selected cinemas around the metro. This stunning film won the Grand Prix at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and has earned nine nominations at the upcoming Academy Awards – including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Renate Reinsve), Best Actor (Stellan Skarsgard), and Best Supporting Actress nods for Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas; all of which are deservingly so.

A beautiful story of a family broken apart by generational trauma and a resistance to facing their own dysfunction, Sentimental Value never plays for the drama. Instead, it shows great restraint, completely capturing the textures and layers of this kind of family strife.

Sentimental Value | Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård | Photo: Kasper Tuxen Andersen

Interestingly enough, the film centers on a house, the family home of Gustav Berg (Skarsgard). Gustav is a film director, an alcoholic and absentee father to Nora (Reinsve) and Agnes (Lilleaas). Nora is an actress of some renown, but her personal life is a mess. She cannot seem to find love and is currently having an affair with a married man, who happens to be a co-worker.

Sentimental Value | Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas | Photo: Kasper Tuxen Andersen

Agnes is married and has a son, Erik (Oyvind Hesjedal Loven), but she too carries the weight of her father’s absence, and from having been cast in one of her father’s landmark films as a child. When the sisters’ mother dies, Gustav’s ex-wife, Gustav returns to their lives to reclaim the house they grew up in because that house belongs to him.

Sentimental Value | Øyvind Hesjedal Loven | Photo: Kasper Tuxen Andersen

While Agnes is more tolerant and accommodating towards her father, Nora is constantly butting heads with her father. He wants to direct a film set in their home, a story inspired by his mother who was tortured during the Nazi occupation and later took her own life in that very house; the suicide being the film’s climactic scene. He wants Nora to play the character of her grandmother but Nora refuses.

Sentimental Value | Stellan Skarsgård and Elle Fanning | Photo: Kasper Tuxen Andersen

To get the project going, Gustav chooses to go with the Hollywood star Rachel Kemp (Fanning), a decision that further strains his relationship with Nora. As Gustav and Rachel rehearse scenes inside the house, Nora spirals with her mental health and the looming prospect of losing the home to her father.

What is incredible about Trier and co-writer Eskil Vogt’s screenplay is how each of the four characters – Gustav, Nora, Agnes, and Rachel – are all primary characters with their own character arcs and emotional journeys. They intersect yet each feels like the lead of their own film, and it just so happens that everyone is part of the same film. There’s so much weight in these character’s struggles, along with the insights and their discoveries about themselves as they navigate the emotional turmoil of their interconnected relationships, makes Sentimental Value utterly arresting; I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

Sentimental Value | Stellan Skarsgård and Jesper Christensen | Photo: Kasper Tuxen Andersen

Trier and cinematographer Kasper Tuxen have a beautiful habit of capturing these characters at their most unguarded moments. The way by which they shoot the house allows the setting to be an important character in the film. That house becomes the metaphor for their dynamics and for what they mean to each other.

Sentimental Value | Stellan Skarsgård and Elle Fanning | Photo: Kasper Tuxen Andersen

But what really drives this film are the performances. Everyone is so good here – Skarsgard and Fanning are tremendous in their roles, playing off of each other and allowing each of their characters to be revealed in how they interact with each other – but I really took notice of Reinsve and Lilleaas in this film. Nora is a powder keg, always ready to burst. Her opening scene, a panic attack just before she goes on stage to perform. It’s a high-wire act of a performance and she nails it in her very first scene. She maintains this energy and unpredictability throughout the film, that she’s currently my favourite to win the Best Actress trophy.

Sentimental Value | Renate Reinsve | Photo: Kasper Tuxen Andersen

Contrasting her is the more mellow, more rational Agnes. Lilleaas has the toughest role because it’s the most subdued amongst the four primary characters, yet it is her warmth that serves as the foundation that allows the characters to feel their most human side. She is such a discovery for me.

Sentimental Value | Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas | Photo: Kasper Tuxen Andersen

I love these well-made, personal, and intimate slow films that explore human nature. Sentimental Value is a lyrical work, yet it remains grounded and rooted in very real family struggles. Sure, Gustav is a director and Nora is a great actress, they are not the most relatable people but the way they navigate through their issues with each other is so prevalent in any real powerful father-daughter dynamic. This film is so insightful, so tender, so heartbreaking. I am so glad that we get to see it on the big screen.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Don’t miss Sentimental Value on the big screen, experience this tender, heartbreaking, and unforgettable family story for yourself. Check showtimes at selected cinemas and let Joachim Trier’s masterpiece move you.

February 3, 2026
THEATER REVIEW: Les Misérables World Tour Spectacular

There’s something powerful about watching Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Les Misérables live. Like many, I grew up with this musical, listening and learning the songs by heart as a kid. But also like many, I had never seen it performed live. I’ve watched the concerts, both on video – the 10th Anniversary and 25th Anniversary concerts, both featuring Lea Salonga as Eponine and Fantine, respectively – but after seeing Les Misérables: World Tour Spectacular at the Theater at Solaire last week, I must say my affection for this show has grown tremendously since.

The concert staging is directed by James Powell and Jean-Pierre Van Der Spuy. As a concert, the ensemble takes their seats on steps leading up to a second story, where the large orchestra performs, with orchestration by Stephen Metcalfe, Christopher Jahnke, and Stephen Brooker. Beneath the stage is an aperture where the main cast can make their entrances and exits.

Les Miserables Ensemble | Photograph by Danny Kaan

As the show opens, there is a huge barricade that blocks the view, but it is lifted into the air as the performance begins. Later, a bridge is brought, adding further size and scope to the whole production. The design by Matt Kinley is relatively simple but effective in creating an awe-inspiring effect.

Les Miserables Enjolras (James D. Gish) and Ensemble | Photograph by Danny Kaan

The cast walks up to the front of the stage to sing their parts in front of microphones. It’s definitely a concert rather than a fully staged production, but the whole story of Les Misérables is conveyed through the songs; it’s practically sung-through, so you still get the full range of the narrative, even when done this way. At the same time, many of the cast really perform these songs. Minimal stage directions can help the audience visualize what’s happening.

The full power of this concert really gives you a pretty good sense of the show, as it is. For someone who has never seen it live, this was really the next best thing.

Les Misérables tells the story of Jean Valjean (Geronimo Rauch), who has just completed a 19-year prison sentence, initially five years for stealing a loaf of bread for his sister’s sick son, extended due to multiple escape attempts. As he leaves, Javert (Jeremy Secomb), a police inspector, implies that men like him never truly change. He’s sure to see Valjean again.

When Valjean steals from a bishop who had taken him in, he is caught and about to be returned to jail. But the bishop tells the police that he gave the silver to Valjean, and even gives him more. As the police leave, the bishop tells Valjean to lead an honest life. Valjean tears his parole ticket, changes his name, and vows to lead a righteous life.

Ten years later, Valjean has become the mayor of a town but his crime of escaping parole is discovered by Javert. Before he can be taken in, Valjean escapes with Cosette (Lulu Mae Pears), the young daughter of Fantine (Rachelle Ann Go), a woman who has suffered much and who has asked Valjean to take care of her daughter Cosette.

Now in hiding, Valjean and Cosette find themselves embroiled in a town where a revolution is about to start. A young student revolutionary, Marius (Will Callan), has fallen in love with Cosette but trouble is brewing. Javert is still on Valjean’s trail, and their part of the city is about to be drenched in blood.

Les Miserables Ensemble | Photograph by Danny Kaan

Les Misérables is an emotional roller coaster. With its large cast of characters and various storylines branching out in all directions, watching the concert live allowed me to see how the show’s various, multiple storylines paint a picture of an unjust and chaotic world. The law, as symbolized by Javert, has been used to favour the rich and to punish the poor. The youth are always fighting for radical change but are sorely outmatched, and while love still manages to bloom amid all this threat of destruction, these social ills make it challenging to find one’s happy ending.

I’ve never really paid close attention to the musical’s story because I’ve only really listened to the songs – and while the whole story is there – without the imagery of a staged production (even if just a performed concert), the nuances and textures of the narrative get lost in Claude-Michel Schonberg’s gorgeous music. But here, with the ensemble right in front of you and with fantastic lighting design by Paule Constable and Warren Letton, all of that becomes clear.

Les Miserables Lea Salonga and Red Concepción. Matt Crockett

Les Misérables: World Tour Spectacular is a powerful theatrical experience. The orchestration is superb, and the performances are stellar – with Lea Salonga and Red Concepcion as the Thenardiers standing out, alongside Jeremy Secomb’s relentless and powerful performance as Javert. The whole ensemble brings the songs to life.

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I had much affection for this musical but I never really thought of it as more than anything but catchy. But now that I got to see it like this: performed live, excellently sung and orchestrated, and with the visuals completing the whole experience; I must say I finally understand why Les Miserables is an enduring musical, whose themes feel more relevant and powerful today than ever before.

Les Miserables Marius (Jac Yarrow) & Éponine (Emily Bautista) – photograph by Danny Kaan

I felt that the video wall was not as effective as it could have been, often blocked by the raised barricade, it felt useless and unnecessary. And Lulu Mae Pears could have had more presence on stage as Colette, as she was outshined by another Filipina, Emily Bautista playing Eponine. These, however, are just nitpicks in what is otherwise an incredible show.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Whether you grew up with the music or are discovering it anew, Les Misérables: World Tour Spectacular is a moving reminder of the power of live theater. Performing at The Theater at Solaire, the show runs until March 1, and though tickets are sold out, this is the kind of unforgettable performance that truly showcases why Les Misérables has endured for generations.

January 28, 2026