Alden Richards (left) and Kathryn Bernardo in “Hello, Love, Goodbye”
Hello, Love, Goodbye
Directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina; stars Alden Richards, Kathryn Bernardo, Jameson Blake, Maymay Entrata
Romance blossoms between two Hong Kong-based Filipino workers: a well-liked bartender and a domestic helper, who is her family’s breadwinner.
On working with Kathryn, Alden tells the Inquirer, “Nothing was forced. We just let the moment take care of itself and let everything be organic … Every moment I spent with Kath will stand out in my memory.”
0.0 MHz
Directed by Yoo Sun-dong; stars Choi Yoon-young, Shin Joo-hwan
A group of ghost hunters summons a spirit to an abandoned house using their brain waves.
According to SCMP’s James Marsh, “‘0.0 MHz’ is adapted from a hugely popular webtoon (online comic) … which garnered notoriety for its graphic and legitimately unsettling imagery. The film’s efforts to recapture that success falls flat, as flimsy CG visuals and deafening audio fail to compensate for a lack of atmosphere or tension.”
Dwayne Johnson (left) and Jason Statham in “Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw”
Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw
Directed by David Leitch; stars Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby
A hulking American lawman and a British ex-military operative hesitantly team up to end the threat posed by a cybernetically enhanced anarchist.
On playing the villain Brixton, Elba says, “David, Dwayne and Jason really wanted to tackle something slightly different, and I was all in … I’ve played some bad guys in my time, but he is definitely the most complicated I’ve ever played. He’s basically a war machine; there’s no stopping him.”
“Luis and the Aliens”
Luis and the Aliens
Directed by Cristoph and Wolfgang Launstein; features the voices of Callum Maloney, Ian Coppinger
In the animated film, a boy is skeptical of his dad, who believes in the existence of extraterrestrials, until three aliens make an unexpected appearance.
Hollywood Reporter’s John DeFore says, “Though peppy and bright enough that it might amuse some kids should it show up on a screen in front of them somewhere, it offers no reason for their adult guardians to actually take them someplace to watch it.”
Daily Express UK’s Andy Lea opines that “the slapstick is accomplished enough to keep younger children entertained.”
“Come On Irene”
Come On Irene
Directed by Keisuke Yoshida; stars Ken Yasuda, Natileigh Sitoy, Seiji Fukushi
A 40-year-old man leaves his rural village, but returns for his father’s funeral with a bride in tow.
According to Japan Times’ James Hadfield, “If there’s a lesson to be gleaned from ‘Come On Irene,’ it’s that immigrants are the least of Japan’s problems. It’s the locals we should be worried about.”
View of The Arts’ Sanja Struna says, “What started out as a black comedy with romance elements gets flipped into an entirely different, deeply dark territory.”