seen from Uzbekistan
seen from Türkiye
seen from China
seen from Netherlands
seen from United States
seen from Indonesia
seen from China
seen from Pakistan
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from Singapore
seen from Germany
seen from Malaysia
seen from Germany
seen from Belarus
seen from China
seen from Netherlands
ISANG HIMALA (2024) | dir. pepe diokno
Amid drought and famine in Cupang, young Elsa claims to have seen the Virgin Mary and subsequently been blessed with the ability to heal the sick. As people flock to witness her powers, the village becomes consumed by faith, prosperity, greed, and deceit. Is Elsa truly a symbol of hope in a world desperate for salvation?
The biggest takeaway of Green Bones is a reminder that good and evil is not—and will never be—binary.
Too often we think of people as either completely good or completely evil, failing to realize that as human beings, we are capable of both.
And oftentimes, we are both.
That there is always the nuance that goodness and evilness is not inherent in us, but is oftentimes forced from us because of the circumstances that are not in our control.
What is important is what is in our control: our choices. And what makes a person good or evil is how we own up to the consequences of these choices.
And most importantly, this nuance of good and evil not being binary extends not only to our choices, but also in the greater systems of society that we are all a part of.
Because oftentimes, we are caught in the binary notions of systemic injustice that we tend to unfairly generalize:
“Criminals did bad things, therefore all criminals are evil.”
“The police system is corrupt, therefore all of the police force are evil.”
What Green Bones reminds us more than anything is the reason why we must always, always fight against these systems of injustice is because there are good people in it.
On all sides.
And that the victims of these systems come from all sides of the system too. And they all deserve to be protected. To be fought for.
To live.
It’s a reminder to always remember that at the heart of it all is a human being struggling every day, battling every day, to make the right choice.
5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
MMFF 2024 Ranked
by Isobelle Cruz [January 28, 2025]
Around P2,000 later (thank you, ma) and here I am, still only halfway through the 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival. Although I’ve only watched half of the entries, it is already enough to say that the festival featured some great improvements and more enjoyable pictures compared to previous years. The people working in the industry seem to have finally gathered the courage to step away from the standard cheating, long-lost siblings, or rich & poor tropes, which resulted in a fairly exciting roster.
1. Isang Himala (dir. by Pepe Diokno)
I already knew the moment I walked out of the cinema that this would be the first on my list. But before writing anything else, I made it a mission to watch the original version in case the experience changes my opinion. Turns out, if anything, watching the 1982 release only strengthened my love for the movie. The key difference between the original and retelling, aside from the obvious musical factor that greatly intensified the film’s atmosphere, was the pacing of the story. The 2024 release managed to compact the story in a way that doesn’t leave out any major scenes, and makes it easy to follow.
“Nararamdaman ko na ‘pag sinundan ko sya nang sinundan, dadalhin niya ako sa mga lugar na ‘di ko pa nararating.”
Orly
“Isang Himala” tackles several underlying issues with its story, one of them most obviously being how Filipinos sensationalize and capitalize off of serious issues. Recently, real-life examples of these could be the Denise Julia x BJ Pascual or Maris Racal x Anthony Jennings issues, with how Filipinos are so quick to claim an opinion simply because the rest of society do, too.
Another issue present is the Filipinos’ dependence on religion as a result of poverty and misfortune—wherein instead of helping ourselves rise to our feet, we would much rather kneel for an external force because “what is there to lose”? This result of helplessness can be related to how Filipinos treat politicians, most specifically figures such as Quibuloy and Alice Guo, if referring to recent times. This fast dependence on religion is most vividly seen in the scene wherein everyone kneels for Elsa at the beginning of the film, when only moments ago, they were doubting her. It shows how immediate people gamble their faith the moment they discover it could possibly benefit them.
“Kapag may masamang nangyayari, sinisisi natin ang sumpa. Kapag may mabuti naman na nangyayari, ito ay gawa ng langit. Gawa ng Birhen. Gawa ng himala. // Ang himala ay nasa puso ng tao! Tayo ang gumagawa ng mga himala. Tayo ang gumagawa ng mga sumpa at Diyos!”
Elsa
Although the story had originally been written over 40 years ago, its message remains relevant at present, which just goes to show how little progress our country has had. “Isang Himala” is definitely a must-watch, especially for its message, unique music, and set design.
2. Green Bones (directed by Zig Dulay)
I’m still unsure about my ranking on “Green Bones” because I wonder—was it really good or did it just make me feel extremely sad? It is not what I expected it to be in both a positive and negative way. Walking into the cinema, I expected a violent, action film about crime and the gritty scenes of Metro Manila, but instead, I was met by an extremely moving story of family. The story was set up in a way that made me think Dom was the killer of Gonzaga’s sister, which later left me confused why Gonzaga was so overly worked up about Dom. It left me hoping there had been a more direct connection between the two characters prior to the scenes in prison.
But nonetheless, I cannot deny that the film was definitely successful in moving its audience’s hearts and leaving them shocked at certain parts. A factor that may greatly influence how personal and moving the story felt is how it is inspired by the director's father.
“It made me wonder: if my father had been cremated, would his remains have revealed green bones? That question inspired the concept of the movie.”
Direk Zig Dulay in an article by JC Rubio [GMA News Online]
“Green Bones” felt like a love letter not only to the director’s father, but everyone else who have felt wronged, grieved, and loved. I can’t help but wonder if someone else has the same story in real life? And if so, how many?
3. Uninvited (directed by Dan Vilegas)
“Uninvited” was my most-anticipated watch for this year’s MMFF and did not leave me disappointed. First things first, Aga Muhlacg deserved a nomination. Although I have yet to watch all of the nominee’s performances, the sick and creepy atmosphere his character, Guilly Vega, brought whenever he appeared on screen is enough to say he deserved a mention.
Although I would say that this was a solid entry, it lies only third on my ranking. Everything from the acting, cinematography, and richness of production could battle with my top two, but one thing it cannot is its story. There had already been several films following the same theme as “Uninvited” and it was only different or interesting to see it be done by Filipinos. The film left room for unanswered questions and felt as if we were going nowhere for a long time at some point.
It wasn’t bad but it was nothing extraordinary.
4. The Kingdom (directed by Mike Tuviera)
Despite being fourth on my ranking, I actually have so much praise for this film for trying something extremely different. Although it is far from being great, “The Kingdom” is a good start to more experimental films.
The story building was interesting and new but felt lazy at some times and failed to reach its greater potential. Some scenes may have felt misplaced or unnecessary, and some stunts just plain goofy, but it was overall watchable and entertaining.
I may not have enjoyed this film as much, but I understand why so many Filipinos favor it and give it so much recognition—it features a unique side of Vic Sotto’s acting, a heartwarming story of family, … and a shirtless Piolo Pascual.
5. Espantaho (directed by Chito S. Roño)
The Philippines is known for its comedy, romance, and notably for its horror. But “Espantaho”, directed by the acclaimed Chito S. Roño (director of Dekada ‘70, Feng Shui, The Healing, and others) was extremely underwhelming. Though the visual effects and animation is undeniably improved in comparison to other Philippine horror films, the story itself was just not scary. Nakakadiri, hindi nakakatakot.
Judy Ann Santos and Lorna Tolentino both performed well, but no amount of good acting or visual effects could salvage what poor of a story that was. It felt as though the writers never knew when to stop and simply kept adding unecessary details. Its attempt at a plot twist was not it and could have ended in a much less complicated but senseful way.
Uninvited
This might just be the biggest and possibly the grandest collaboration of A-list stars in Philippine showbiz. The intense, emotionally charged scenes are raw and unfiltered, allowing viewers to fully immerse themselves in the story’s climactic moments. I’m blown away by Vilma Santos-Recto, Aga Muhlach, and Nadine Lustre. MMFF, give them the awards they deserve! 11/10 ⭐️
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Espantaho
Direk Chito S. Rono proves once again why he’s a national treasure in crafting world-class horror films that showcase Filipino beliefs, culture, and traditions. Espantaho is a masterpiece in its own right. Judy Ann Santos is, as always, incomparable delivering excellence no matter the genre or role. It’s not the scariest, but the story’s uniqueness makes it stand out. 9/10 ⭐️
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And the Bread Winner Is...
There were more tears than laughter, but every tear carried an important lesson from beginning to end. I tried hard not to cry, but in the end, I gave in. I saw a deeper, more dramatic side of Vice Ganda perhaps the best version we’ve seen of them in this genre. 10/10 ⭐️
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The Kingdom
This ambitious epic reimagines an alternate universe where the Philippines was never colonized by the Spaniards. It vividly portrays the richness of our ancient culture and belief systems while delving into timeless themes such as the greed for power and betrayal within families. However, the camera work, especially during the fight scenes, was a letdown. The shaky and chaotic movements were…
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MMFF 2024 Review: Hold Me Close
Read John Tawasil's review of Jason Paul Laxamana's "Hold Me Close", starring Julia Barretto and Carlo Aquino.
⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 2.5 out of 5. Pain – whether physical or emotional – is unpleasant, and many of us understandably spend our entire lives trying to avoid it. Lynlyn (Julia Barretto) has an ability that makes this easier – when she touches a person, she can determine if that person will have a positive or negative impact on her life. She meets Woody (Carlo Aquino), an eccentric who has moved to…
