film review

29

Sep

By The Flame Literary

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58th: Revisiting the Maguindanao Massacre through visual discomfort

TROOPS INVOLVED in the retrieval operation stopped digging at 57 bodies. As the police and excavators started to pack up, Reynafe (Glaiza de Castro) stood at the gloomy and empty massacre site. She realized that out of 58 victims, only one body had not been discovered: her father.   Directed by…

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29

Sep

By The Flame Literary

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Filipiñana: The perils in the picturesque

RAFAEL MANUEL'S feature debut gives a Filipino take on the tale of Alice in Wonderland by having his heroine spiral into the buried secrets of paradise.  Filipiñana (2026) was originally released as a short film at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival. Six years later, it debuted as a full-length…

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02

Sep

By The Flame Literary

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Cinemalaya 2026 Shorts A: Mirrors of the nation

SPOTLIGHTING RELEVANT sociopolitical themes and giving exhibition to the nation’s finest filmmaking, this year’s Cinemalaya Shorts A demonstrated why local cinema remains vital as an authentic reflection of the country with subject matters ranging in gender, disability and poverty. The Shorts A collection of the 22nd Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film…

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24

Aug

By Ron Kyle Gabrielle Reyes

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Hand of God: A volley to the heart

CHILDHOOD INNOCENCE is often lost in translation. As people grow older, they often forget the simple joys that once made the world feel boundless: a game, a friendship and a field to run across.  In the harsh realities of adulthood, these fleeting pleasures become distant memories. Yet for children caught…

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06

Aug

By Adam Joseph Bolante and Anthea Anika de Sales

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The Odyssey: An ancient voyage that reflects the tides of the present 

THE FURY of the gods is no match for the backlash endured by Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s ancient epic. Yet, like its titular hero, The Odyssey defies the odds and comes home triumphant, proving to be a necessary admonition for a society that seems to be desensitized towards violence.…

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25

Jun

By Bettina Katryn Reyes

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Home Along Da Riles Da Reunion: A shaky trip down memory lane

THE FANS of Team Riles go wild as their home team is  about to pull an upset against the visiting squad composed of volleyball standouts. The home team only needs one point to win the match and the crowd is hoping that the ball will land on the opponent’s court.  When…

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21

Jun

By Anthea Anika de Sales

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Backrooms: To exist or to exit?

THE HORROR of finding oneself in a strange and surreal place cannot compare to the hauntings of the past. Kane Parson’s Backrooms forces its characters and viewers into a rabbit hole of questions, but only one echoes loudly in the yellow-wallpapered halls of this other dimension: Can you ever escape…

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20

Jun

By Adam Joseph Bolante

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Obsession: The monkey’s paw movie for 21st Century dating

THE ILLUSION that accompanies the feeling of being in love is a dangerous spell that can lead to regrets. When desire and desperation trigger the impulse to turn a wish into a reality, one can only revel in the immediate euphoria it brings for so long until it goes awry.…

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18

Mar

By The Flame Literary

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Sisa: When women march forward

WHEN THE product of men’s violence and cowardice affects women and children, how does one survive the remnants of a war? Jun Robles Lana’s historical thriller Sisa, set in the waning of American colonization in the Philippines, serves to illustrate the retribution of those women. The film recently won Best Screenplay Award Directors Week…

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05

Mar

By The Flame Literary

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The Loved One: Ten years down the drain

“LOVE MAKES ordinary people into poets, philosophers… and monsters.” The Loved One is a film for those in love and in doubt about their relationship. It is a story of how two lovers lost one another in a decade’s worth of a relationship after failing to realize that differences did not start on…

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