A decade after audiences first met the idealistic law students of Bar Boys, Carlo Aquino steps back into the shoes of Atty. Erik Vicencio—older, weathered, and carrying the quiet weight of adulthood. In Bar Boys: After School, one of the official entries of the 51st Metro Manila Film Festival, the story moves beyond classrooms and bar exams, confronting the realities that come after ambition meets the real world.

For Carlo, returning to the role also meant returning to a familiar pressure—one heightened by the scale and expectations of MMFF. While he acknowledges that awards conversations inevitably follow festival entries, he frames his mindset with perspective and gratitude.

“Feeling ko naman sa lahat ng pelikula mataas ang expectations dahil Metro Manila Film Fest ito,” he said during the MMFF Parade of Stars. What excites him most, however, is not the competition but the collective moment.

“Excited lang talaga ako dahil kasama ako dito. At saka excited ako for the FIliipinos kasi ang daming magagandang pelikula! Well every MMFF film festival naman magaganda ang pelikula.”

This sequel leans heavily on shared storytelling rather than individual bravura, something Carlo believes strengthens the film’s emotional pull. With original cast members Kean Cipriano, Enzo Pineda, and Rocco Nacino returning, he sees no need for a singular standout performance.

“Feeling ko wala eh kasi ensemble siya. So yung buong pelikula is the highlight,” he explained. “So iaangat namin yung isa’t isa.”

Still, there are moments he knows will linger with audiences—particularly scenes involving veteran actress Odette Khan.

“Pero siyempre all the scenes with Ms. Odette (Khan) talagang yun yung mga inaabangan,” he said, noting both her stature and vulnerability. “Dahil siyempre medyo senior niya si Ms. O tapos mahina na and everything, pero nakakapag-deliver pa din.”

Beyond nostalgia, Bar Boys: After School carries a sharper social edge. The film mirrors the struggles of working students, exhausted employees, and individuals caught in systems that seem stacked against them. For Carlo, this is where the story’s relevance truly lies.

“Wake up call, ganun,” he said. “Kasi yung mga nangyayari dito sa role ni Will (Ashley), sa mga working students, tapos yung mga nagtatrabaho ng napakatagal pero wala pa ring nararating at kayod pa rin ng kayod.”

He hopes viewers see themselves reflected in these narratives—and respond accordingly.

“Ito yung mga sumasalamin sa mga araw-araw na Pilipino na nakikita natin,” Carlo added. “So feeling ko, sana maging wake up call sa kanila na kumwestiyon, magtanong sa mga nangyayari sa sistema sa bansang ito.”

In revisiting Erik Vicencio, Carlo Aquino is not just reprising a role—he is tracing the distance between youthful idealism and adult reckoning. Bar Boys: After School opens in cinemas nationwide on December 25 as part of the 2025 Metro Manila Film Festival. Directed by Kip Oebando and produced by Leo Liban, Carlos Ortiz, and Jon Galvez, the film also stars Odette Khan, Rocco Nacino, Enzo Pineda, Will Ashley, Kean Cipriano, Glaiza de Castro, Sassa Gurl, Klarisse de Guzman, and Emilio Daez.