Movie Review: Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan

In a time when truth itself feels fragile, Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan stands as both a mirror and a warning. The film is not just about four individuals—it’s about an entire nation grappling with the slow erosion of memory in the face of relentless disinformation.

 

Through Kiko, Bea, David, and Mela, the story humanizes the abstract idea of historical revisionism. Each character embodies a different wound inflicted by political defeat: the strategist haunted by futility, the professor struggling against forgetfulness, the writer trapped by words that no longer carry weight, and the lawyer torn between personal and national betrayals. Their struggles intertwine, reminding us that history is not just recorded in books but carried in bodies, relationships, and choices.

Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan is a very political film, it resonates strongly with the aftermath of the 2022 elections—particularly the painful loss felt by many “kakampink.” Compared to Dustin Celestino’s previous Cinemalaya film Duyan, this film flows much better, with tighter storytelling and a more deliberate structure. Both share a theatrical treatment and a sharp screenplay, but Hydra delivers more explosive and artful cinematography in its shots and meanings, along with dialogues that feel loaded, urgent, and deeply relevant to the times.

The arguments about politics—and especially the morality of choosing sides—hit hard. The film asks tough, uncomfortable questions: when your friend is an “apologist” or enabler, where do you stand? Do you stay silent, or do you confront? It’s in this tension that the movie finds its sharpest edge.

The ensemble cast shines—Dolly, Mylene, Zanjoe, and Joji deliver powerful performances that ground the story’s intellectual weight with emotional force. Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan unsettles and provokes, but it also reminds us: in a country where lies multiply like hydra heads, remembering is already an act of defiance.

My Verdict: 4.5/5