18/10/2025
Thereโs something hauntingly beautiful about the way โ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ง๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐โ captures love, death, and the curse of immortality as its story unfolds. And at its core, itโs a tragic love story about time โ how it keeps moving forward even when the heart refuses to let go.
Directed by Adolfo Borinaga Alix Jr., the story follows an older woman entangled with an immortal lover whose existence has spanned generations. But this romance, veiled in beauty and tragedy, begins to unravel as a series of mysterious deaths surface โ catching the attention of an inspector determined to uncover their dark secret.
This movie will definitely make you say, โ๐๐ตโ๐ด ๐ฏ๐ช๐ค๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ท๐ช๐ด๐ช๐ต ๐๐ข๐จ๐ถ๐ช๐ฐ, ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ต ๐ช๐ต๐ด ๐ด๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ด ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ถ๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ.โ It utilizes the summer capital as more than just a backdrop. The city lights, fog, pine trees, and even its indigenous instruments create an eerie yet poetic atmosphere that breathes life into every frame. Itโs a place that feels alive โ both romantically and ghostly.
Carlo Aquino proves once again why heโs one of this generationโs most reliable actors, delivering one of his most compelling performances as Matias. He balances myth and humanity that never resorts to theatrics even when playing as a centuries-old vampire; he doesnโt play Matias like a monster, he portrays him as a man burdened by the weight of time with the curse heโs been carrying โ with longing guilt and regret.
If Aquino gives the film its soul, then Bing Pimentel and Jasmine Curtis-Smith give it its heart. Playing the same woman across time, both actresses mirror each otherโs grace and emotional depth so seamlessly that it feels like watching one spirit grow older, wiser, and braver through two faces. Together, they make Lilia not just a love interest, but the emotional compass of the story โ the living proof that mortality, though fleeting, gives meaning to every heartbeat.
Also supporting the emotional weight of the film is Beauty Gonzales as Isabelle, a nurse assigned to care for the aging Lilia. Her subplot provides moments of warmth. As I watched the movie, I noticed and believe that both Lilia and Isabelle are victims of a toxic relationship as they both endured different forms of abuse; and seeing each other help one another makes them both emotionally connected, even when it comes to Isabelle becoming fond of hearing Liliaโs backstory.
Bembol Roco adds gravitas to the film as the police detective Angua Jr., whose pursuit of Matias becomes personal as he goes further in his investigation, no matter the cost.
While Cristine Reyes shines as Ami โ Matiasโ loyal accomplice โ itโs a shame her role feels underwritten. She spends most of the time during the movie giving Matias some essentials needed. Also, this might be a little bit of a spoiler, but her characterโs fate during the climax remains one of the filmโs unresolved threads.
Speaking of which, yes, the movie does have its flaws. There are plot holes and pacing issues, particularly when the narrative shifts between flashbacks and the modern-day investigation. However, the filmโs emotional center stays consistent. The climax doesnโt go for spectacle or violence, but instead goes for a more bittersweet resolution.
Despite some imperfections, Alix Jr. crafted a film that not only is haunting but also feels deeply personal. It may be another vampire story, but itโs more about the tragedy of holding on too long โ to love, to pain, and to time itself.
Hence, โ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ง๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐โ is a haunting poetic vampire romance that trades jump scares for heartbreak, reminding us that even immortality canโt outlast love.
With that being said, Iโm going to give this movieโฆ
8/10! โญ๏ธ (Woooo!)
Stream โ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ง๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐โ now on Netflix!
