Alessandra de Rossi’s performance as Maria feels especially poignant. Instead of relegating herself to the trope of victimhood, she embraces a sense of measured defiance.īeyond humanism, Watch List is also entertaining. It has a tightly woven plot, a significant degree of suspense, and a compelling underlying moral conflict. Our selection for the very best Pinoy movie of 2020 is Fan Girl.įan Girlĭirector: Antoinette Jadaone | Starring: Charlie Dizon, Paulo Avelino | Genre: Coming-of-Age, Drama This is also a rare Pinoy movie that gained a wide virtual release in the US and other countries during 2020, allowing overseas audiences to get a taste of Filipino stories on the silver screen. The latest title from director Antoinette Jadaone and Black Sheep Productions, Fan Girl swept 2020’s Metro Manila Film Festival and won eight well-deserved awards. The film focuses on the relationship between a young girl named Jane (Charlie Dizon) and her idol Paulo Avelino (who plays a fictional version of himself). Jadaone’s movie forces audiences to think about the complexities of fandom culture, as well as their roles and boundaries as fans. While Fan Girl occurs in the Philippines, its story is universal. The film speaks to many different kinds of fans, whether those of singers, artists, filmmakers, athletes, or politicians. Jadaone’s film also gives voice to a group that is often sidelined as hysterical and mindless young girls-when in fact, they are also a new force of social justice-whether through fancams, donations, or mobilizing movements.ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW Smaller and Smaller Circles (2017)Ĭarrying a considerable literary pedigree, Smaller and Smaller Circlesis an adaptation of the popular and influential F.H. While it could just as easily be exploitative drivel given its dark subject matter, Raya Martin’s direction shaped the film into a mournful, damning examination of powerful institutions and how they breed evil.

Grounded performances from Nonie Buencamino and Sid Lucero as crime-solving Jesuit priests ensure that the difficult subject matter does not buckle under its own weight. Ang Larawan (2017)Ī handsomely crafted ode to Old Manila, Ang Larawan is a musical that also says something meaningful about Filipino identity and our complicated history of colonialism.

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