10 to 1: Ranking the entries of the MMFF (tarnished) gold edition

The currently extended Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) wraps up on Tuesday, 14 January — and here’s hoping the entries earn some more at the tills. It’s no longer a secret that this year’s edition — the golden one, no less — is a disappointment, box office-wise.

So, what went wrong? For one, admission prices are no longer affordable for the masses, which used to consider movies as the cheapest form of entertainment. And then, there’s Netflix and other forms of streaming services that are accessible to everyone.

Also, in spite of the claims of the MMFF people that they have a good batch of films this year, their 49th edition still offered better choices. There was the historical epic Gomburza, for instance. Even the horror entry in this ongoing filmfest, Espantaho, would come out pale as a ghost compared to last year’s Mallari.

Of course, there was the feel-good Rewind which earned close to 900 million pesos in 2023. All in all, last year’s festival grossed over a billion, while the current one has yet to reach P600 million as of this writing.

Even in terms of artistic value, it’s slim pickings this year for the filmfest. But then, there are still some entries worth watching.

Below, let us rank the MMFF movies — artistic-wise — from 10 (being the lousiest) to 1 (being the best):

10. Hold Me Close

— Based on a Korean drama, the story of this film goes to Japan, but gets lost there. It’s a movie by Jason Paul Laxamana, who is a reliable enough film director. 100 Tula Para Kay Stella is his best movie — and, hmm, his only commercially successful one.

His most recent work, Hold Me Close, however, is not only the lowest-ranking in terms of box office, but also the most artistically inferior among the entries in this soon-to-be-concluded film festival.

In the movie, the moneyed Carlo Aquino goes to Japan to sell ... squid?! Heck, it’s not even his own stall. It is owned by his soon to be inamorata Julia Barretto and her brothers.

Julia has the power to determine if a person is positive or negative through her sense of touch. It’s a very unreliable barometer — and a complicated one.

The explanation as to how this movie got into the filmfest is far simpler. Viva needed to field an entry — and so the company sent this one, hardly promoting it because, well, from all aspects, it’s a dud. Let’s just say Hold Me Close is a token entry. Low-budget and practically zero in terms of promo. It may fare better in Netflix.

9. Strange Frequencies: Taiwan Killer Hospital

— This horror film casts real-life celebrities as themselves. And so we have the likes of Enrique Gil, Jane de Leon, MJ Lastimosa, Alexa Miro, Rob Gomez and two social media personalities. Their goal is to hit three million views and they believe this is possible by flying to Taiwan where they plan to penetrate an abandoned hospital believed to be haunted.

They know their mission poses a lot of risks, since many have tried prior to them — with deathly consequences. But they proceed anyway. And so, we see an assembly of the most idiotic people this side of the continent. Seriously, are there people like that?

They know their mission poses a lot of risks, since many have tried prior to them — with deathly consequences. But they proceed anyway. And so, we see an assembly of the most idiotic people this side of the continent. Seriously, are there people like that?

In the hospital, we see how death befalls them. Do we care? No, we actually cheer because they deserve such fate.

The film has its good side though. It’s basically well-polished technically, particularly the sound design.

8. ... And The Breadwinner is

— Vice Ganda’s best filmfest entry is still 2019’s The Mall, the Merrier. The Breadwinner shows a different Vice Ganda though — as a dramatic actor. And he’s good.

While most parts of the film are funny, some 20 per cent is devoted to serious, annoying family drama. Some talents here also go to waste given their thankless roles: Gladys de Castro, Jhong Hilario, Malou de Guzman and, especially, Eugene Domingo, who comes in late — almost an afterthought — in the story.

Surprisingly, the ones who shine here are Maris Racal and Anthony Jennings, fresh from their December scandal. Of course, Vice Ganda is his usual funny and energetic self in this movie.

7. Topakk

— The film’s plot can be told in two sentences. A soldier (Arjo Atayde) suffers from war trauma after witnessing the beheading of his comrades in the hands of rebels in Mindanao. He then works as a security guard in a warehouse and gets involved in an anti-narcotics operation led by corrupt military officials and the rest is killing after killing after killing.

Topakk is a feast for fans of action movies. The scenes of bloody murder, gunfire and blasting are never-ending.

Fine performances are delivered by Julia Montes, Sid Lucero, Paolo Paraiso, Bernard Palanca and Vin Abrenica. Arjo, comes out the best, of course. Although his build is lean, he is perfect as an action hero who is even adept at martial arts.

6. Espantaho

— Although billed as a horror film, it works better as a drama — thanks to the performances of Judy Ann Santos, Lorna Tolentino, Chanda Romero, Janice de Belen and Mon Confiado. The drama conflict is better threshed out than the scare tactics that hardly work on the audience.

5. Uninvited

— Although it’s hard to believe that a septuagenarian — a female at that — can still be effective as an action star, Vilma Santos does pull it off in this film. It’s the story of revenge. And Vilma is unstoppable as the mother of a coed (Gabby Padilla) who is brutally raped and murdered.

Uninvited is sleek and glossy. Although some scenes are hardly believable, the film is engaging and entertaining.

4. The Kingdom

— This is Vic Sotto’s best performance ever — and his best film. In the case of Piolo Pascual — nothing unusual. He is his usual outstanding self.

The story of The Kingdom is what could have happened had we not been conquered by foreign invaders. There’s not much difference with what’s going at the moment — in-fighting, corruption, plus the usual societal problems like poverty and injustice. That is from the standpoint of the storytellers of The Kingdom.

So why make a film like this one when it’s going to be the same banana that we already have? Well, it’s technically superb — the visual effects and the production design that are Southeast Asian-inspired.

3. My Future You

— The biggest surprise of the filmfest. Its premise is no longer new: two people from different time zones fall in love. In this case, we have Seth Fedelin and Francine Diaz. As FranSeth, they could be the next KathNiel.

The best way to enjoy the movie is to simply take in the roller coaster emotions experienced by the two pretty young leads. My Future You is beautiful in its simplicity.

2. Green Bones

— It is easy to understand why this film won MMFF best picture, but lost in the directorial race. The premise is wonderful, but the way some of the scenes are laid out on screen are a bit jarring. But it’s a great film all in all.

Great performances are delivered by the two lead characters: Dennis Trillo and Ruru Madrid. Yes, Ruru plays lead, but was relegated by GMA Pictures to the supporting category to ensure his victory — and win best supporting actor he did. Despite its depressing theme, Green Bones is visually appealing — thanks to the majestic cinematography of Neil Daza.

1. Isang Himala

— Patrons of the filmfest insist that Green Bones is the best MMFF entry. They say this maybe because they didn’t get to see Isang Himala — or are not inclined to appreciate it.

Why only a select few watched it is understandable. At almost 400 pesos or so per movie ticket, why risk it on a film that doesn’t even have popular actors — and a musical at that? But there is no denying that Isang Himala is the best of the lot — even if the judges think it only deserves 4th best picture.

Aicelle Santos is brilliant as the singing Elsa. And so is Vincent de Jesus’ musical score that sounds like a miracle from heaven.

Now, will a miracle happen for the MMFF in December 2025? A miracle is much needed to recover from the flop that was the 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival.