GK:MOVIE — Nabubulok (2017), As If It's True (2023)

It's been a while! Now it's time for really good movies I want to suggest you.

Nabubulok (2017)

Written and directed by Sonny Calvento

A woman goes missing. But there are many eyes in a small town. Blood-covered bed sheets, secret lovers, distressed sons, an irate husband, and a pervading smell of decay soon come to the surface pushing a townspeople poised to celebrate a fiesta to grapple with a crime committed against one of their own.

I love the symbolisms and visual storytelling in this film. Most of it, you wouldn't get without context, but as a Filipino and an avid movie-watcher, this hits all the right notes when it comes to conveying messages that aren't on the nose but cleverly layered on top of each other. Plus, I love the movie's quirks of hinting at these messages by using visual imagery rather than explicit dialogue. I looooovvvee how clever this film is. And I also love how impactful the execution writer-director Calvento managed to pull. I would recommend this even without knowing the Philippine cultural context because anyone who's well-informed with political and sociological concepts would easily grasp the narrative of the film. For me, it's an added point given that this film is an international film festival entry, so I know the writer-director has kept that in mind when making this film.

As If It's True (2023)

Written and directed by John Rogers

A fading social media influencer and a struggling musician exploit each other in a not-so-fake relationship.

This is a completely different plot and genre from Nabubulok, but I like it just the same. (I still like Nabubulok better, but As If It's True is a favorite of mine when it comes to this genre.)

This is more of a contemporary storyline about influencers and online celebrities, and it's a love story, so that's very different from the overall message of Nabubulok. But this one is well-executed and carefully and tastefully crafted that it makes it entertaining and stimulating to the brain. I like the acting performances in particular. I love Ashley Ortega (she's my crush <3) and watching her nail this role gives me so much satisfaction. Khalil Ramos is an equally compelling actor himself, and watching these two duke it out acting-wise makes the watching experience exciting and interesting. The story is simple in itself, and it's nothing new, in fact, it's more of a cliche. But the way everything was put in place makes the film exceptional. I recommend this for a more lighthearted watch. This is my type of YA media. I love everything about this film, that's all you need to know.