Problems include prostitution, poverty, capitalism, corruption, and colonialism slowly destroying him. Although, when he aims to track her possible location, he will realize that the city is more chaotic than he thinks. This piece of amazing Philippine cinema is about an adult from the province who goes to the urban setting of Manila to rekindle with the love of his life.
If there’s a single film that would easily sum up majority of Philippine cinema’s greatest attributes, it would be Lino Brocka‘s Maynila Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag (1975). Maynila Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag / Manila: In the Claws of Brightness (1975) But all of the films we are featuring here have stood the test of time. For exmaple, Manuel Conde’s Genghis Khan (1950) and Erik Matti’s On the Job (2013). There is a multitude of films that are actually great. This list, which will run through 21 of (arguably) some of the best the country has to offer, is an indication that the Philippines is indeed a country that can go up the ranks with the biggest solely on its knack for storytelling. Its history goes as far back as 1897, a shy away when Georges Méliès debuts his iconic films. This could also be one of the major reasons why many critics of Philippine cinema cannot identify a “national identity” of the movies, more troubling since the country was one of the earlier pioneers of cinema itself. For example, films from the Luzon and Mindanao regions are embedded on their location and own set of principles. Most likely as a result of its archipelagic landscape where every region have their respective flare uniquely theirs. martial arts movies from Hong Kong, action-adventure films from America), Philippines’ is hard to pin down. Filipino Movies: Hard to Categorizeīut while many countries are often categorized by the type of films that made them popular (e.g. It just goes to show that resourcefulness thrives in creative storytelling. Unmatched to the cost of a single Game of Thrones episode.
The most expensive Filipino movie costs $3-million. Unknown by many, Filipino films feature some of the most innovative and exciting content that puts some of the multi-million dollar summer blockbusters from Hollywood to shame. The cinema of the Philippines is rarely discussed, if not, never really received the spotlight it deserved.
Movie houses offering their films online for free in light of the COVID-19 pandemic tells us the importance of the arts more than ever. The film has been free on Iflix since Dec 2019, but in case you need a reflective break from the endless rabbit hole of debates of your social media feeds right now and haven’t yet watched this film, now is the perfect time for you to stream it.įree Filipino movies this quarantine season It stars real-life journalist Atom Araullo, playing the role of journalist Jake Herrera who has to confront the privilege of his political family that is able to shape people’s opinions.
It stars Louise Abuel as Edward, Ella Cruz as Agnes, and Dido de la Paz as Mario.Ĭitizen Jake might be the film that echoes how netizens are passing non-stop political commentaries online about the government’s handling of COVID-19. Edward poses reflective questions to the challenges our healthcare system faces, through the story of a teenage boy who comes of age in a public hospital where he is left to take care of his ailing father. Watch it if you want to empathize with the character who’s stuck at home just like you are, or when you seriously want to expand your dose of psychological thriller films.įree on Iflix since February, the film Edward will soon become a fitting reminder of the times we are living in now. Exploring the limits of sanity in a film-within-a-film, Bliss is a psychological thriller starring Iza Calzado as the actress Jane Ciego who descends into madness while being trapped inside her home after she was left crippled in a film production.