A Love in Full Bloom: Andres Muhlach and Ashtine Olviga’s Big-Screen Debut in Minamahal

 

Movie Review: Posthouse

Posthouse is a chilling, atmospheric entry in contemporary Filipino horror—one that leans heavily on mood, memory, and metaphor rather than cheap scares. Directed with a clear reverence for cinema’s past, the film blends folklore, generational trauma, and the lost history of Filipino silent films into a haunting, introspective experience.

The story follows Cyril (Sid Lucero), a troubled film editor estranged from his daughter Rea (Bea Binene). While restoring an incomplete and allegedly cursed silent horror film from the 1920s, the two unknowingly unleash a malevolent manananggal. What begins as an act of preservation slowly becomes an excavation of buried pain, as the film-within-a-film mirrors Cyril’s unresolved trauma from childhood.

What makes Posthouse compelling is how its horror operates on both literal and symbolic levels. The silent film Cyril watches and restores gradually reveals itself as a reflection of his past—a home invasion that claimed his father’s life and fractured his family. The manananggal, in this sense, is not merely a folkloric monster but a manifestation of Cyril’s lifelong fear, grief, and guilt. The original silent film’s narrative about a family terrorized by a manananggal echoes this trauma, reinforcing the idea that the true curse being passed down is emotional and generational.

Visually, the film is striking. Its atmospheric cinematography and deliberate pacing evoke nostalgia with a chill, serving as a clear homage to lost silent horror cinema. The vintage, brick-walled locations are particularly effective—creepy yet stylish, lending the film an unsettling, almost timeless quality. Sid Lucero delivers a strong, restrained performance, grounding the film’s heavy themes with emotional weight and credibility.

While the film does drag slightly in the middle, its stylistic confidence and thoughtful approach will likely resonate with viewers who appreciate art-house horror. Posthouse may not cater to everyone, but for those drawn to slow-burn, symbolic storytelling, it is a rewarding experience. 

Fresh, distinct, and quietly haunting, Posthouse stands as a promising new take on Filipino horror—one that honors the past while confronting the monsters we inherit and carry within us.

My Verdict: 3.5/5

 

 

Movie Review: Lilim

“Hell is a place on earth” is not just a tagline in Lilim—it is the film’s chilling thesis.

Directed by Mikhail Red, Lilim is a Filipino supernatural horror film that follows Issa (Heaven Peralejo), a teenage girl on the run after killing her abusive father. Fleeing the authorities, she escapes into the forest with her younger brother Tomas (Skywalker David), seeking refuge in a secluded orphanage run by nuns led by the unsettling Sister Marga (Eula Valdez). What initially appears to be a sanctuary soon unravels into a nightmarish hellscape, as Issa uncovers blood rituals, a sacrificial cult, and the worship of a fearsome nocturnal entity known as Lilim. As the orphanage’s true purpose is revealed, Issa is forced to fight not only for her survival, but for her brother’s life.

Jerome, Jasmine and Diego in Love in Virtual Reality For The Film - A Glimpse of Forever

 

Movie Review: Penduko

Penduko follows the story of Pedro, a young man skilled with mythical and supernatural powers, which he and his father, Apo Tisot, inherited from their ancestors. But unlike Apo Tisot (John Arcilla), who uses his gift to help the poor and sick, Pedro has other plans for himself.

After cutting ties with his father and leaving his hometown, Pedro moves to the city to follow his dreams, but so far, Pedro has yet to find a way to do odd jobs here and there to make ends meet, completely wasting his gift and potential.

But all that changes when a secret organization owned by Gat Blanco (Albert Martinez) hears about his skill and offers him a job as an albularyo agent. As Pedro works for the organization, he further hones his talent, which impresses many but also makes others jealous.

Then, out of nowhere, a powerful force of evil appears and endangers the lives of many, forcing Pedro to put the good of others before him.

Movie Review: Marita

Marita, a deceased theater actress, is rumored to have taken her own life on stage out of jealousy. The university's theater group, Sinag Diwa, is being revived by Sandra, a new professor. Strange occurrences haunt the theater as they prepare for a play, and rumors of Marita's vengeful spirit emerge. As opening night approaches, terrifying incidents unfold. The group learns that Marita caused the theater's closure by taking lives. They seek help from a survivor of her attacks to confront and end her malevolent presence.

Movie Review: Video City: Be Kind, Please Rewind

An uninspired filmmaker accidentally time travels back to the 90s at a Video City store, where he meets the woman who will change his life.

The heart of the story revolves around Han, a man from 2023, who time-travels back to 1995 and stumbles upon Video City, a video rental store. It's there that he meets Ningning, and their instant connection blossoms into a beautiful relationship.

Movie Review: Wish You Were The One

A woman desperately trying to crash a wedding, in hopes of winning back her chef ex, finds luck when a man going to the same wedding is looking for someone to pretend as his fiancée. But when the two pretend to be engaged, even using memories from their past relationships as their history, they find that they may feel something real for each other.

 

Movie Review: Will You Be My Ex?

Meet Chris (Julia Barretto), a free-spirited and fun-loving woman from a family of artists and theater actors. Also, get to know Joey (Diego Loyzaga), a quiet, formal young man from a well-respected family. Though completely opposites, they meet and fall in love. However, as they plan for their future, fate interferes and gives them problems that are too hard to handle. Until they meet again a few years later and old feelings that never left begin to resurface again. Can they make it work this time? Or will their current lives hinder them from rekindling their past?