Dustin Celestino’s ‘A.ni.mál’ may fall in line with his previous Cinemalaya entries’ direct tappings into the modern political zeitgeist, but it sets itself apart through its commitment to pure comedy for comedy’s sake, consistently reaching for the lowest-brow jokes and payoffs that work remarkably well throughout its triptych structure.

The dialogue-heavy, one-take film, ‘Anino Sa Likod Ng Buwan,’ is a marvel of calculated narrative and technical claustrophobia that will leave you gasping for breath with each frame and grab you by the neck with its unexpected twists and turns.