Philbert Dy
@philbertdy.bsky.social
Filipino film critic. Amateur semiotician. Head of publications at QCinema International Film Festival.
My full review of Call Me Mother for Spot www.spot.ph/entertainmen...
Focused Storytelling Makes ‘Call Me Mother’ a Very Different Vice Ganda Film
A clunky setup doesn’t stop the latest from Vice Ganda from delivering the goods. <br>
www.spot.ph
December 26, 2025 at 12:01 AM
My full review of Call Me Mother for Spot www.spot.ph/entertainmen...
Rekonek ('25 Jade Castro): Kind of a mess, though an appealing one by the end.
December 25, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Rekonek ('25 Jade Castro): Kind of a mess, though an appealing one by the end.
Love You So Bad ('25 Mae Cruz Alviar): "I'm Savannah. My life is a vibe."
December 25, 2025 at 6:27 AM
Love You So Bad ('25 Mae Cruz Alviar): "I'm Savannah. My life is a vibe."
Call Me Mother ('25 Jun Robles Lana): Hey. That was great.
December 23, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Call Me Mother ('25 Jun Robles Lana): Hey. That was great.
My full review of 'Manila's Finest' for Spot www.spot.ph/entertainmen...
Manila's Finest Is One Terrific Bummer
Raymond Red's MMFF entry is a sepia-toned feel-bad movie about an inevitable creep into tyranny.
www.spot.ph
December 23, 2025 at 5:38 AM
My full review of 'Manila's Finest' for Spot www.spot.ph/entertainmen...
Bar Boys: After School ('25 Kip Oebanda): Has some really strong scenes, but a lot of it feels overwritten, becoming a series of florid pep talks that don't quite land right.
December 23, 2025 at 5:01 AM
Bar Boys: After School ('25 Kip Oebanda): Has some really strong scenes, but a lot of it feels overwritten, becoming a series of florid pep talks that don't quite land right.
I'mPerfect ('25 Sigrid Bernardo): I'm unsure about its last stretch, but for the most part, this is unabashedly kind cinema that often soars.
December 21, 2025 at 1:58 PM
I'mPerfect ('25 Sigrid Bernardo): I'm unsure about its last stretch, but for the most part, this is unabashedly kind cinema that often soars.
UnMarry ('25 Jeffrey Jeturian)ň Surprisingly breezy for a film about a torturous process. Great to have Angelica Panganiban back on screens.
December 20, 2025 at 2:00 PM
UnMarry ('25 Jeffrey Jeturian)ň Surprisingly breezy for a film about a torturous process. Great to have Angelica Panganiban back on screens.
Shake Rattle and Roll: Evil Origins ('25 Various): Like every entry in this venerable franchise, a mixed bag. Let's break it down:
December 19, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Shake Rattle and Roll: Evil Origins ('25 Various): Like every entry in this venerable franchise, a mixed bag. Let's break it down:
Mandirigma ('25 Danny Marquez, JR Olinares): Sometimes, you watch a film that makes you question the entire enterprise of cinema.
December 17, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Mandirigma ('25 Danny Marquez, JR Olinares): Sometimes, you watch a film that makes you question the entire enterprise of cinema.
Manila's Finest ('25 Raymond Red): A terrific film that's also a total bummer, dissecting a time period where everything went wrong and nothing could have been done to change it. Heavy stuff!
December 15, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Manila's Finest ('25 Raymond Red): A terrific film that's also a total bummer, dissecting a time period where everything went wrong and nothing could have been done to change it. Heavy stuff!
Avatar: Fire and Ash ('25 James Cameron): Humongous. Corny as all hell. Inexplicably, not a single moment of its ridiculous runtime is boring.
December 12, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Avatar: Fire and Ash ('25 James Cameron): Humongous. Corny as all hell. Inexplicably, not a single moment of its ridiculous runtime is boring.
Some thoughts on Ang Happy Homes ni Diane Hilario boxd.it/bVyv19
A ★★½ review of Ang Happy Homes ni Diane Hilario (2025)
It's just all so...vague. It keeps implying that something sinister is going on, but the movie never really gets to point out what exactly that is. And I suppose there's an argument to be made for a m...
boxd.it
December 4, 2025 at 4:16 AM
Some thoughts on Ang Happy Homes ni Diane Hilario boxd.it/bVyv19
Ang Happy Homes ni Diane Hilario ('25 Marlon Rivera): Has intriguing parts. Doesn't at all stick the landing.
December 3, 2025 at 6:33 AM
Ang Happy Homes ni Diane Hilario ('25 Marlon Rivera): Has intriguing parts. Doesn't at all stick the landing.
Meet, Greet & Bye ('25 Cathy Garcia-Sampana): Some great acting in this, but I think it overdoes things.
November 12, 2025 at 5:06 AM
Meet, Greet & Bye ('25 Cathy Garcia-Sampana): Some great acting in this, but I think it overdoes things.
The Running Man ('25 Edgar Wright): I think it kind of flubs the climax, but it's a really fun time overall.
November 11, 2025 at 2:38 PM
The Running Man ('25 Edgar Wright): I think it kind of flubs the climax, but it's a really fun time overall.
Bugonia ('25 Yorgos Lanthimos): Still processing where it goes, but I can definitely say it's weird and fun.
November 3, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Bugonia ('25 Yorgos Lanthimos): Still processing where it goes, but I can definitely say it's weird and fun.
Everyone Knows Every Juan ('25 Alessandra de Rossi): Script could have used some pruning, but it's formally audacious, and the performances make it fun.
October 20, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Everyone Knows Every Juan ('25 Alessandra de Rossi): Script could have used some pruning, but it's formally audacious, and the performances make it fun.
My full review of Jerrold Tarog's "Quezon" for Spot www.spot.ph/entertainmen...
'Quezon' Is Clever, Entertaining, Best Seen as a Culmination of a Trilogy
<p>But it tends to explain things a little too much.</p>
www.spot.ph
October 18, 2025 at 1:20 AM
My full review of Jerrold Tarog's "Quezon" for Spot www.spot.ph/entertainmen...
Quezon ('25 Jerrold Tarog): Spells things out a little too much for me, but it's otherwise a really entertaining dissection of a very flawed man.
October 12, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Quezon ('25 Jerrold Tarog): Spells things out a little too much for me, but it's otherwise a really entertaining dissection of a very flawed man.
No Other Choice ('25 Park Chan-wook): Painfully funny. A really smart dissection of the cutthroat nature of Capitalism.
October 9, 2025 at 5:25 AM
No Other Choice ('25 Park Chan-wook): Painfully funny. A really smart dissection of the cutthroat nature of Capitalism.
Stuff I wrote on Letterboxd about the Cinemalaya films letterboxd.com/philbertdy/t...
All reviews tagged ‘cinemalaya-21’ by Philbert Dy
All reviews tagged ‘cinemalaya-21’ by Philbert Dy
letterboxd.com
October 8, 2025 at 6:00 AM
Stuff I wrote on Letterboxd about the Cinemalaya films letterboxd.com/philbertdy/t...
Paglilitis ('25 Cheska Marfori): Mostly a bummer, on several levels.
October 7, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Paglilitis ('25 Cheska Marfori): Mostly a bummer, on several levels.
Here's the first chunk of my reviews for this year's Cinemalaya. www.spot.ph/entertainmen...
The Reviews Are In: What's Sexy, What's Fresh, What's Really Good at Cinemalaya 2025
<p>A fresh take on Pinoy lesbian relations makes for very appealing cinema.</p>
www.spot.ph
October 7, 2025 at 8:49 AM
Here's the first chunk of my reviews for this year's Cinemalaya. www.spot.ph/entertainmen...
Republika ng Pipolipinas ('25 Renei Dimla): A touch overlong, but I'd still die for President Cora.
October 6, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Republika ng Pipolipinas ('25 Renei Dimla): A touch overlong, but I'd still die for President Cora.