Just hear me....
If you put aside the fact that the official cover has literally nothing to do with the movie (no, there are no gorillas, nor a plane on fire, or any fire in this movie, and also the lady on the cover is definitely not Mercedes Cabral), I could have made something better in Photoshop in less than an hour.... Put that aside and give this (estimated) 1million dollar production a chance.
A chance to talk about Philippines folklore, to tell the story of someone who's roots were strong but not native to where he was transplanted. This is not a story about what most people want to hear about, it's a story about what is known in the Philippines but that not many people outside of the Philippines know. It's a story about a strong culture that has many resident living abroad who have kids that have never been "back home".
To me, it is very interesting. Is it a great movie? No. Is it a bad movie? Not really. I thought the movie was confused, but peeling a few layers off made me appreciate it a little more than what I felt at first: First, don't have expectations, forget the gorilla. Second, the movie is Filipino folklore lived through the main character's own story in the present. It's a bit confusing, but I can't see it done any other way. It would have either been a Fight Club type scenario, or a movie like Apocalypto. They chose this hybrid, which is fine for a small production.
It's not gonna blow your socks off, but if you're opened to have a glimpse at folklore, it's decent enough.
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