While the cinematic landscape this January felt a bit sparse compared to the bustling pre-pandemic years, the arrival of February usually brings a renewed hope for local cinema. It’s “love month,” after all, and even though the volume of releases has shifted, there was one specific title I found myself genuinely anticipating. Starring Jericho Rosales and Anne Curtis Smith, this film felt like the breath of fresh air the season needed. The movie is The Loved One, written and directed by Irene Villamor.
Let’s watch the trailer first:
The last romantic film I’ve seen was Mae Cruz Alviar’s Love You So Bad. It has its peak and vibe for a modern and young love that is brave and unpretentious. Coming forward to this month, there is a specific kind of ache that Irene Villamor can curate, and with The Loved One, she has managed to tap into a vein of modern romance that feels less like a cinematic experience and more like a mirror held up to our most private anxieties. If you walked into this expecting a traditional Filipino romance fueled by grand gestures and tidy resolutions, you’ll find yourself instead caught in a heavy, contemplative tide. This is a film that doesn’t just ask you to watch a relationship; it demands that you audit your own place within one.
The brilliance of the writing here reminded me immediately of why I fell in love with Sid & Aya. Direk Irene has this uncanny ability to articulate the “in-between” spaces of human connection—the things we feel but are too terrified to say out loud. In The Loved One, she tackles the brutal, binary reality of companionship: Are you the one who loves, or are you the loved one? Because it literally showed both perspectives. It’s a haunting question that serves as the film’s heartbeat, exploring the inherent power imbalance that exists when two people try to merge their lives.
For someone standing on the precipice of a new relationship while carrying the weight of past trauma, this movie feels like a necessary, albeit painful, reality slap. It doesn’t rely on the tired tropes of third parties or external drama to drive the conflict. For me, I think it looks inward. It suggests that sometimes the greatest concern to a “happily ever after” isn’t a lack of loyalty, but the “demons” we carry—those internal disconnects and unhealed parts of ourselves that refuse to sync up with the person standing right in front of us. It captures that terrifying realization that, well, yes, you can be deeply in love with someone and yet remain fundamentally unreachable.
Also, I particularly loved how Direk Irene utilizes its visual palette to tell the story, choosing for a striking black-and-white treatment for the present day while reserving a clearer, more vibrant view for the past. For me, doing this gives more clarity of the past as a haunting reminder of the lucidity and hope they once shared before things became complicated. This color play beautifully mirrors the internal state of someone—where the memories of what was feel more vivid and “real” than the grayscale, uncertain reality of trying to move forward.
Anne Curtis delivers a performance that is grounded and vibing, navigating her character’s complexities with a grace that makes her internal struggle palpable. I like her styling here that defines stages. On the other hand, Jericho Rosales truly anchors the emotional weight of the story. There is a specific kind of storytelling that happens just in his gaze; his eyes speak volumes, conveying a sense of longing and silent heartbreak that dialogue could never fully capture. Together, they navigate a script that feels less like a performance and more like a real-time unraveling of two souls.
The ending, in particular, stays with you. It isn’t a “bow on top” moment; it’s an honest conclusion to a very honest premise. It validates the fear of getting back out there while simultaneously honoring the beauty of the attempt. It’s a film for the thinkers and the healers—those of us who know that sometimes, love isn’t about finding the right person, but about surviving the parts of yourself that aren’t ready to be found.
It’s genuinely heartening to see audiences returning to the theaters this Valentine’s season to reclaim that shared cinematic experience. For those looking to catch the highly anticipated The Loved One, SM Cinema is making it even more accessible, with tickets priced at ₱590 for Director’s Club and ₱275 for regular cinemas. Thanks to SM City Lazaro for having me, and congratulations to the newly renovated cinemas.
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