If, like me, you’re an Edgar Wright fan, and you come to ‘The Running Man’ looking for the filmmaker that you know and love, you’ll probably walk away ready to file a missing person’s report.

‘Bugonia’ is a masterful dive into absurdity, with Yorgos Lanthimos’ signature style. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, even for the faithful, but it succeeds as a pseudo–alien invasion film that toys with viewers.

With ‘No Other Choice’, Park Chan-wook delivers a darkly hilarious, visually playful yet haunting requiem for the working man.

When the truth is put in the foreground, we have no choice but to reflect. From ‘General Admission’ to ‘Ang Duyan ng Magiting,’ ‘Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan’ introduces to us a new age of Dustin Celestino films.

‘Now You See Me: Now You Don't’ continues and escalates more of the dumb, but fun series of conspiratorial, anti-capitalist capers with newer blood.

In ‘Shelby Oaks,’ Chris Stuckmann can put together a scary sequence, drawing tension from a pitch black hallway or from what may lie behind closed doors, but what actually comes out of the dark and what unfolds behind closed doors isn’t anything we haven’t already seen before.

In Jenn Romano’s solemn, understated debut feature ‘Padamlágan,’ an all-Bicolano cast tells the story of a dark and near-forgotten chapter of Naga City: the 1972 Colgante Bridge tragedy, that would predate the declaration of Martial Law by only a few days. 

‘The Smashing Machine’ is a hazy dream that leaves much to be desired.

‘Republika ng Pipolipinas’ is a comedy, yes, but with all the harsh realities happening in our country, the film doesn’t feel funny anymore.

‘Cinemalaya 21 Shorts’ bring out new and wild imaginations of our country.

‘Raging’ never really settled for finding justice for Eli, as the justice he was searching for would wreck the community that couldn’t handle it. Machado calls for a safe space where such events can be prevented.

CineSilip’s inaugural run celebrates a new wave of Filipino filmmakers unafraid to probe desire, morality, and eroticism in seven genre-spanning films that dare to challenge and provoke.

Cheska Marfori’s Cinemalaya entry, ‘Paglilitis’, plays like an hour long episode of Ipaglaban Mo or Maalaala Mo Kaya, minus the voiceovers of a host. By the end, it leaves you with lingering questions that shouldn’t have stayed with you had it deliver a more reliable ending.

‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ has been adapted in many mediums, but what’s interesting about every iteration of the story is that they differ in terms of interpretation and execution that makes them interesting to watch.

Programmed by Eunice Helera, KinoFest Special 2025 Stories Across Continents aims to explore the climate crisis as an intersectional concept.

A power play of sisterhood, ‘Warla’ is a queer fable of one’s impulsive rage that turns into a tragedy. The powerful emotions of wrath and revenge overtake one’s agency and plans, like a wild animal lashing out when wounded or deliberately hurt.

‘TRON: Ares’ may not be the sequel to Legacy that fans hoped for, but it’s still worth checking out for its tantalizing Nine Inch Nails score, a few intriguing performances, and the franchise’s long-awaited return.

‘Cinemartyrs’ does not merely revisit the past but lets it breathe again, to tremble and to speak, through image and sound.

The closing montage is not a final statement, because there can be no final statements in a continued struggle. ‘Bloom Where You Are Planted’ is the rare film that continues long after the credits roll.

‘Open Endings ’ shows an in-depth understanding of systemic restraints, which reflect on the real-life struggles of queer women navigating their places through love, acceptance, and friendship.