MMFF 2024 REVIEW: Topakk - Solid action from start to end

I miss this kind of action where you can feel the pain of every punch, kick, and blow. And the action and tension is evenly distributed throughout the film and they don't feel like a stageplay action but solid performance that should make me feel if it was real or not. Yet I do believe that they worked hard for those scenes.

Topakk is the only 2024 MMFF entry to have two ratings of R-16 and R-18 depending on the cinema, though the one I watched was the R-18 version but if I would rate it, it can pass as R-16 because it was not too gory unlike films of the same action genre. I guess the rating might be about the mental health problems of Miguel (Arjo) which would be his PTSD.

Though the story is anchored on the Drug trade  and the usual stories, they did make an effort to build up Miguel's story now as a security guard and his encounter with the siblings Weng (Julia) and Bogs (Kokoy). The action was chaotic yet good, though a little dark because of the location and time, still works and also add some thrill for those scenes.

A Peek Inside Netflix Philippines’ First Local Zombie Film & Psychological Thriller: ‘outside’

The lead cast and director welcome press, film content creators, and students for the exclusive launch of the landmark psychological horror film on the platform

Excitement buzzed at the exclusive screening and dialogue for Netflix Philippines’ OUTSIDE, starring Sid Lucero, Beauty Gonzalez, and Marco Masa, featuring renowned Filipino-Australian filmmaker Carlo Ledesma. The event at Grand Hyatt Manila drew a full house of horror enthusiasts, including members of the press, content creators, film reviewers, and media students, who eagerly anticipated the streaming giant’s first psychological horror film–a significant milestone for Netflix Philippines.

Sid Lucero and Beauty Gonzales Star in ‘Outside’: Netflix Philippines’ First Zombie Feature Trailer Unveiled Ahead of October 17 Launch

“You can’t keep out what’s already inside.” This ominous line concludes the newly released trailer for Outside, Netflix Philippines’ first zombie feature. Directed by acclaimed TV commercial and content filmmaker Carlo Ledesma, the film promises to deliver a gripping psychological horror experience when it premieres on October 17.

The story follows a family of four led by its unstable patriarch, Francis (Sid Lucero). Together with his wife Iris (Beauty Gonzales) and sons Josh (Marco Masa) and Lucas (Aiden Tyler Patdu), they flee to Francis’s secluded farmhouse in the province to seek refuge and restore some semblance of normalcy back amidst a devastating zombie outbreak.

Netflix Unveils Spine-Chilling Feature ‘Outside’ starring Sid Lucero & Beauty Gonzales at the APAC Southeast Asia Showcase in Jakarta, Indonesia

Horror lovers are in for a treat: Netflix is set to release its local horror feature Outside on October 11th, starring Sid Lucero and Beauty Gonzales. The title was unveiled in the recently concluded Netflix APAC Southeast Asia Showcase in Fairmont Jakarta, where award-winning filmmaker and content director Carlo Ledesma joined a panel alongside other creatives and Netflix content heads from Thailand and Indonesia to discuss the future of storytelling in the region. 

Richard Gutierrez’s Love & Lies ends on a high note

For the past 9 weeks, viewers were glued to their TV screens as they followed the journey of Richard Gutierrez’s character Edward in GMA’s original series Love & Lies.   

According to Richard, one of his unforgettable experiences while doing the series is that he was able to work with the Philippine Navy. “Matagal ko nang pangarap na makita yung Navy natin at makatrabaho sila, so naging magandang experience yun para sa akin.”

According to data from the industry’s widely trusted ratings service provider Nielsen TV Audience Measurement, the suspenserye and fast-paced action series posted high TV ratings during its run.

Based on overnight household ratings data recorded in Mega Manila for April 8 to May 31, Love & Lies scored an average household rating of 20.7 percent versus ABS-CBN’s Apoy sa Dagat with 18.5 percent.