ALL FILM REVIEWS

Martin Yenko 8/16/26 Martin Yenko 8/16/26

‘A.ni.mál’ REVIEW: A Sly Dog of a Satire

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.

Merumo Ito 8/15/26 Merumo Ito 8/15/26

‘2 Valid IDs’ REVIEW: Time Is a Luxury and Privilege That Not Everyone Can Afford

‘2 Valid IDs’ finds its strength in something far more ordinary in our daily lives: the horror of inequality stems from a policy that not everyone can afford — not just financially, but through time, accessibility, opportunity, and dignity.

Justin Caunan 8/14/26 Justin Caunan 8/14/26

‘Status: Rejected’ REVIEW: A Perfectly Imperfect Portrait of the American Dream

‘Status: Rejected’ is an impressive first feature from filmmaker Vahn Pascual that is as much about what makes human connections human as it is about the outside forces and the nature of time that alienate us from each other.

Ralph Regis 8/6/26 Ralph Regis 8/6/26

‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ REVIEW: A Bold New Swing That Finds the Web-Slinger Back to His Roots

‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ is an emotionally charged rebirth for everyone’s favorite web-slinger that offers an exciting depiction of what makes the character so universally relatable in so many ways.

Martin Yenko 7/31/26 Martin Yenko 7/31/26

‘I, Object’ REVIEW: To Hear Between The Lines For A Voice

Scrappiness is what ‘I, Object’ coasts upon throughout my numerous misgivings of it and what evens it out into a wondrous small-scale adventure with its heart in the right place for the young ones that have felt othered.

Joshua Jude Ubalde 7/26/26 Joshua Jude Ubalde 7/26/26

‘The Odyssey’ REVIEW: Deconstructing Man and Myth

With all its towering ambitions and technical sheen, ‘The Odyssey’ is essentially one of Nolan's most personal blockbusters, if not one of his very best.

Kyle Livelo 7/14/26 Kyle Livelo 7/14/26

‘First Light’ REVIEW: An Ambiguity Of Social Dilemma Presented Through Memory

James J. Robinson’s ‘First Light’ enlightens the moral question of battling between God and societal interests for the greater good.

Martin Yenko 7/12/26 Martin Yenko 7/12/26

‘The Furious’ REVIEW: Grudge Match of the Millennium

‘The Furious’ is the near-endpoint of a commixture of action’s past and present done with craft and viscera, done through such technical, tangible movement that it hoists itself up to undeniability, hitting you in the head with insane stuntwork and a self-confident sense of style all the while.

Phileo Victor Ko 6/26/26 Phileo Victor Ko 6/26/26

‘Scary Movie’ REVIEW: It’s Almost Exactly What I Was Afraid Of

You’re not really supposed to have expectations when it comes to comedy films other than to have fun and laugh. What I’m saying is, I just wanted to have fun with the latest ‘Scary Movie,’ and it was not that fun.

SINEGANG PH 6/20/26 SINEGANG PH 6/20/26

‘Disclosure Day’ REVIEW: Spielbergian sci-fi at its best

Steven Spielberg’s ‘Disclosure Day’ is a mysterious, captivating adventure that asks us to give ourselves over to not knowing and consider what we would do if the unknown reached out to us. A stellar cast and score by John Williams make this a moving journey worth diving into.

Martin Yenko 6/19/26 Martin Yenko 6/19/26

‘Obsession’ REVIEW: A Twisted Love Story, Not a Romance

‘Obsession’ represents a more modern iteration of its well-worn premise, and not just in the time period it is set in, for it reveals more than a few off-putting facets that are equally disturbing as the big moments it builds towards.

Kyle Livelo 6/17/26 Kyle Livelo 6/17/26

‘Queer’ REVIEW: An Unseen Desire Misunderstood

An exploration of sights and bodies through an erotic travelogue, ‘Queer’ challenges the emotional turmoil through longing desires that are unseen by the audience.

Gab Aniceto 6/15/26 Gab Aniceto 6/15/26

‘Masters of the Universe’ REVIEW: A flawed but fun ‘80s-style adventure for the modern age

‘Masters of the Universe’ is a fun, campy, yet flawed romp through the world of Eternia that wears its heart and love for the source material on its sleeve.

SINEGANG PH 6/9/26 SINEGANG PH 6/9/26

‘Backrooms’ REVIEW: The Horror of Familiar Spaces

Adapted from his popular YouTube series, Kane Parsons' ‘Backrooms’ is less frightening because of its monsters than because of what it presents about memory. The endless maze becomes a reflection of memory itself, trapping its characters inside imperfect versions of the past that they can revisit but never truly return to.

Martin Yenko 6/1/26 Martin Yenko 6/1/26

‘In the Grey’ REVIEW: All For The Cash

‘In the Grey’ is a damn good time at the cinema, a breezy heist pic that goes on with its own schemes with such confidence that you can’t help but be swept along.

Gab Aniceto 5/22/26 Gab Aniceto 5/22/26

‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ REVIEW: A pleasantly surprising return to a drastically different world

‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ may not be a perfect legacy sequel, but it does its best to honor its characters and the world they’re a part of.

Merumo Ito 5/12/26 Merumo Ito 5/12/26

‘Midnight Girls’ REVIEW: Long-distance hardships of life overseas

‘Midnight Girls’ is more than a film: it confronts the quiet and chaotic life overseas, questioning morality when all you want is to provide for your family, and showing how survival blurs the line between what is right and what is necessary.

Jessica Maureen Gaurano 5/6/26 Jessica Maureen Gaurano 5/6/26

Y2Cinema 2026 OMNIBUS REVIEW

The fifth edition of Y2Cinema features films from emerging Ilokano student filmmakers that capture the theme of memory and nostalgia. Taking place last February 16, 2026, at Mariano Marcos State University’s Teatro Ilocandia, the eight featured short films tackle friendships, moments of love, and the shaping of identity.

Gab Aniceto 4/30/26 Gab Aniceto 4/30/26

‘The Drama’ REVIEW: An Uncomfortable, Tense, and Sharply-Written Dramedy

Kristoffer Borgli’s ‘The Drama’ is a sharp, uncomfortable, dramedy that reckons with our appetite for forgiveness, with career-best performances by Zendaya and Robert Pattinson.

Martin Yenko 4/26/26 Martin Yenko 4/26/26

‘Lee Cronin’s The Mummy’ REVIEW: Unwrapped, Unabashed, and Unhinged Grieving

What is that vision that Lee Cronin brings to his ‘The Mummy’? An utterly vicious, shambling behemoth that is difficult to process how it coheres together, but a visceral one.