Curious about what Filipino films to watch? Consider these Best Filipino Movies of 2024.
As with previous years, Cinema Escapist has looked across all the Filipino movie releases of this past year and found some worthwhile selections.
To account for differing reader tastes and promote a well-balanced movie diet, we tried to pick movies from a wide variety of genres including not just comedy and romance, but also documentary and political satire. We also wanted to curate a blend of popular blockbusters and lesser-known indie picks, to both provide familiarity and expand viewing horizons.
Furthermore, this list also tries to provide streaming links when available on platforms like Netflix (will depend on your country of residency).
Let’s take a look at 2024’s top Filipino movies!
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10. I Am Not Big Bird
Director: Victor Villanueva | Starring: Enrique Gil, Pepe Herrera, Nikko Natividad | Genre(s): Comedy
I Am Not Big Bird stars Enrique Gil as a banker named Luis Carpio who, when his girlfriend rejects his marriage proposal, decides to embark on a journey of self-discovery in Thailand. However, he gets mistaken for a famous porn star, and must navigate a series of comedic misadventures that highlight the absurdities of identity and life.
As a raunchy sex comedy, I Am Not Big Bird is noteworthy for breaking traditional boundaries in Filipino cinema, as well as for Gil’s willingness to step outside his comfort zone and play a more contentious role. The film did pretty well upon its Valentine’s Day 2024 debut at the Filipino box office, and has even garnered distribution on Netflix for easier at-home viewing.
Stream this Filipino movie on Netflix
9. Tumandok
Director: Richard Jeroui Salvadico, Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay | Starring: Jenaica Sangher, Felipe Ganancial | Genre(s): Docu-fiction
Like with 2023’s top Filipino film selection of The Gospel of the Beast, Tumandok is a film set in Western Visayas. Specifically though, it is a docu-fiction film, innovatively blending truth and fiction to dramatize the plight of the Ati indigenous people of Western Visayas.
The film employs an all-Ati cast of non-professional actors, and its dialog is completely in the Inati language. Additionally, the film also incorporates ancient Ati songs, and offers a portrait of the systemic oppression and administrative struggles that the Ati have to undergo in order to reclaim their ancestral lands. For a different view of the Philippines and its diversity, Tumandok is worth a look.
8. Kono Basho
Director: Jaime Pacena II | Starring: Gabby Padilla, Arisa Nakano | Genre(s): Drama, Family
A profound exploration of grief and healing, Kono Basho follows two estranged half-sisters named Ella (who lives in the Philippines) and Reina (who lives in Japan) who reunite at their fathers funeral in a small Japanese city that was affected by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.
While there are other films that address the nuances of Filipino diaspora life, Kono Basho stands out for its Japanese setting, and its restrained yet emotionally complex tone. The movie was shot on location in Japan and much of its dialog is also in Japanese, even though director Jaime Pacena II, lead actress Gabby Padilla, and much of the crew were Filipino.
7. The Kingdom
Director: Michael Tuviera | Starring: Vic Sotto, Piolo Pascual | Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Political
As its name hints, The Kingdom is set in an alternate reality where the Philippines never experienced colonization, and instead persisted as a monarchy named the Kingdom of Kalayaan. In the movie, Vic Sotto plays King Lakan Makisig, who must choose which of his three children will succeed him. However, when one of his daughters is kidnapped en route to a wedding, the royal family of Kalayaan is thrown into further turmoil.
With high-quality production design and a cast of talented actors, The Kingdom satisfyingly brings its alternate reality to life. The film’s imagining of a never-colonized Philippines incorporates various tribal traditions and cultural elements into a modern context, and has notable costume design as well.
6. The Hearing
Director: Lawrence Fajardo | Starring: Mylene Dizon, Nor Domingo, Ina Feleo, Ruby Ruiz | Genre(s): Drama, Legal, Family
The Hearing is not a film for the faint of heart, but those who can stomach its subject matter can find it meaningful. While director Lawrence Fajardo has often made action movies, he ventures into different territory in The Hearing with a narrative centering on a deaf boy named Lucas who is abused by an influential priest. In his pursuit for justice, he intersects with a court interpreter named Maya; together, they and Lucas’ parents try to navigate a legal system that seems to impose “silence” in a more figurative sense as well.
Strong performances by The Hearing’s cast and innovative storytelling techniques bring poignance to its rather sensitive subject matter of sexual abuse. Impact, director Fajardo performed a significant amount of research of real sexual abuse cases against deaf individuals in order to bring the film authenticity. What results is a thought-provoking portrait of not just injustice, but also resilience in the face of injustice’s many manifestations.
5. Green Bones
Director: Zig Dulay | Starring: Dennis Trillo, Ruru Madrid | Genre(s): Drama
Green Bones was a big winner at 2024’s Metro Manila Film Festival, garnering the Best Picture Award, among others. The film centers on two characters, a soon-to-be-released prisoner named Domingo Zamora (Dennis Trillo) and a prison guard named Xavier Gonzaga (Ruru Madrid) who wants to keep Zamora imprisoned.
With strong performances from both leads (Dennis Trillo won the Best Actor award at MMFF), Green Bones compels viewers to consider the boundaries between good and evil, and touches on themes like justice, morality, and personal transformation.
4. Un/Happy For You
Director: Petersen Vargas | Starring: Joshua Garcia, Julia Barretto, Petersen Vargas | Genre(s): Romance
Featuring Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto as its main pair, Un/Happy For You is a romance film that focuses on a couple who reconnects two years after their breakup, and rediscovers a spark for each other. Garcia and Barretto have great chemistry in the film, and the film offers relatable lessons about love and maturity whilst not overdoing it with romantic cliches.
This mix of factors helped Un/Happy For You end up as one of 2024’s top grossing Filipino movies, with over ₱450 million in earnings as of press time.
3. Alipato at Muog (Flying Embers and a Fortress)
Director: JL Burgos | Genre(s): Documentary
Alipato at Muog, (known as Flying Embers and a Fortress in English) is a chilling and highly intimate documentary that has stirred political controversy. In the film, director JL Burgos explores the 2007 forced disappearance of his brother Jonas Burgos, who was the son of anti-Ferdinand Marcos press freedom advocate Joe Burgos. Mixing personal footage from across almost two decades, the film provides a raw portrait of the impact of political violence and enforced disappearances on Filipino families, and broaches the broader social issues behind enforced disappearances in the Philippines.
Of course, touching on such a subject was not risk-free for Burgos and Alipato at Muog. The film initially got an X-rating by the Philippine Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), but was then reclassified as R-16 amidst public outcry over perceived censorship. Given all this, we are highlighting Alipato at Muog on this list of 2024’s best Filipino movies due heavily to its contemporary sociopolitical significance, on top of its artistic merit as a documentary.
2. Balota (Ballot)
Director: Kip Oebanda | Starring: Marian Rivera, Will Ashley, Royce Cabrera | Genre(s): Political, Satire, Comedy, Thriller
Balota stands out among 2024’s best Filipino movies for its strong blend of political consciousness and entertainment. The film stars Marian Rivera as Emmy, a small-town teacher who must protect a ballot box from tampering when the mayoral race in her town goes down to the wire.
Combining elements of thrillers and comedy, Balota is a film that will hold your attention and give you laughs, even if its subject matter is rather important. The movie references real life political trends and issues (ex.vote buying, violence) in the Philippines, but doesn’t contain an overly depressing tone. Instead, it encourages audiences to have more civic engagement, and use their power as regular people to prevent politics from going haywire.
1. Hello, Love, Again
Director: Cathy Garcia-Sampana (formerly Molina) | Starring: Kathryn Bernardo, Alden Richards | Genre(s): Romance
As a sequel to the 2019 romance Hello, Love, Goodbye, Hello, Love Again continues the story of Pinoy couple Joy (Kathyrn Bernardo) and Ethan (Alden Richards) as they navigate their relationship across boundaries both geographic and emotional.
In addition to stunning cinematography across locations ranging from Canada to Hong Kong, and strong performances from its two leads, Hello, Love, Again tells an emotionally layered story about the complexities of love, in addition to highlighting the challenges of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
Given such factors, the film achieved the highest box office success of any Filipino film thus far, and garnered international screenings in numerous cities outside the Philippines with significant Filipino diaspora populations.
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Want more Filipino movies? Check out our lists for 2023 and 2022‘s best Filipino movies!