‘Meet, Greet & Bye’ genuinely adds up to the important discussions of morality, love, and our decisions. When we make the most difficult choices of our lives for our loved ones, it is important to ask, “Is this what they would want, or a personal bearing?”

‘The Ride’ is a wasted chance at a crime drama that could have simmered with tension, melancholy, and heart. At just over an hour, it has the speed of a getaway car, but none of the gravity to make the journey matter.

‘The Kingdom’ never provides a satisfying answer to what the Philippines would be like if it was uncolonized. What we end up here is a film that inspires the imagination, but would rather settle for a world that is a mere reflection of our own.

Instead of opting for a straightforward depiction of the infamous case of the Philippines’ first documented serial killer, Mallari chooses a wild, albeit frustratingly complex, yet enjoyably ambitious approach that may or may not impress you.