More Award-Winning Filipino Netflix Films To Hit
Keep your eyes peeled for March, April, and June, as seven Filipino gems grace Netflix screens. These movies stand as a testament to the captivating storytelling prowess of Filipino filmmakers, with narratives spanning from the mundane to the truly bizarre and horrific.
If you’ve missed their theatrical run, don’t worry — these films are coming together on one platform starting this month, with the highest grossing Filipino film of all time, "Rewind", leading the charge.
Here’s a guide and the movies’ Netflix launch dates before you schedule your next binge-watch session:
REWIND Launch date: March 25
When his wife dies while their marriage is in tatters, a man makes a strange deal sending him to the past to turn it around — in exchange for his life.
Starring real-life husband and wife tandem Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera, "Rewind" tells the story of John, a man granted the opportunity to return to the illfated day when his wife Mary tragically passed away, in a bid to alter the events that led to her untimely demise. The film is replete with themes of family and marriage, ultimately posing the question: What are you willing to sacrifice for a chance to turn back time and save the person you love?
BECKY AND BADETTE Launch date: April 4
Two broke best friends unexpectedly find stardom after pretending to be lovers at their school reunion — until an old flame triggers a fierce rivalry.
Anyone who has lived paycheck to paycheck will relate to the struggles of best friends Becky and Badette as they try to make ends meet, clocking day in and day out, and dreaming of stumbling upon that one glorious opportunity to finally make it big — except these two actually did. Pokwang and
Eugene Domingo star in this comedy as best friends who, fed up with their lives, went viral after falsely coming out as a lesbian couple, with the bit eventually becoming grounds for years-long rivalry and bitterness to surface.
GOMBURZA Launch date: April 9
Embroiled in a bitter campaign against inequality, three priests suffer the fury of
Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines. Based on historical events.
If you need to brush up on your knowledge on what transpired during the Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines, watching "GomBurZa" might be a good way to start. The movie tells the story of Fr. Mariano Gomez, Fr. Jose Burgos, and Fr. Jacinto Zamora, played by Dante Rivero, Cedrick Juan, and Enchong Dee respectively, three Catholic priests executed in 1872 for suspicions of sedition, offering a revolting insight into one of the most pivotal moments in Philippine history.
KAMPON Launch date: April 18
Strange events plague an ex-cop after he takes in a girl who insists that she's his daughter. Now he sets out to learn who she is and what she's after.
Clark and Eileen have been married for eight years and have endured their friends’ and family’s goading at the fact that they’re childless — until a child turns up at their home claiming to be Clark’s daughter. But the question is... is she really? Derek Ramsey and Beauty Gonzales star in this horror film that puts “black arts” at the forefront of its story, unraveling a chilling tale of family secrets and the supernatural.
FAMILY OF TWO Launch date: June 1
A devoted son who is bent on giving his devoted mother a good life is faced with a dilemma when the object of his affection decides to migrate. To be able to follow his love, the son needs to find his mother a good man to look after her. But the brief separation of the mother-son leads to deeper realizations of what they truly want and need in life.
Sharon Cuneta and Alden Richards star in "Family of Two", a poignant and endearing film about a single mother and her son. Faced with the dilemma of wanting to uproot his life and move abroad with
the love of his life, Matty (Richards) makes it his goal to find his mom a suitable partner to make his pending migration easy for her. This soon tested the bond between mother and son, eventually paving the way for unexpected challenges and heartwarming moments that we’re all too familiar with.
PENDUKO Launch date: June 7
A 20 year-old wimp will go on a journey only to discover a curse and evil forces destroying the town.
"Penduko" is a remake of the beloved franchise, with Matteo Guidicelli portraying the titular character. In this retelling, Pedro is a young man who journeys back to his province and ultimately embraces a group of unlikely heroes, along with the unexpected supernatural powers he inherited from his ancestors. Together, they fight to fend off the evil running amok in their town.
MALLARI Launch date: June 21
In search of his family's supernatural cure for his dying girlfriend, Jonathan Mallari
digs into his 1800s serial killer priest ancestor, Severino -- triggering, not a cure but a curse: malevolent hauntings, uncontrollable soul travel, and the mysterious return of the serial killer in the present day. Jonathan soon learns that in order to heal his girlfriend,
he will have to kill too, just as his ancestor Severino did. Will Jonathan use the ancestral curse: kill so that his beloved girlfriend can live?
"Mallari" centers around the fictional descendant of Fr. Severino Mallari, infamously known as the ‘first recorded serial killer in the Philippines.’ Jonathan, portrayed by seasoned actor Piolo Pascual, driven by his own quest to find a cure for his dying girlfriend, Agnes (Janella Salvador), delves into the motivations behind his ancestor’s early 1800s murders. His search leads him to their ancestral home, where he eventually discovers not what he’s looking for, but generations’ worth of curse.
"Mallari" has a nonlinear narrative, with Pascual portraying three different roles across three generations, weaving a series of events into one cohesive storyline.