'Habang Nilalamon ni Hydra ang Kasaysayan'
When Eleanor Robles (Frances Makil-Ignacio) lost her bid to be president of the Philippines in the 2022 elections, her campaign manager Kiko Consuelo (Jojit Lorenzo) and her speechwriter David Cruz (Zanjoe Marudo) were disillusioned. Kiko shared his frustrations with his wife Bea (Dolly De Leon), who held the family of new president-elect responsible for the disappearance of her father during the past oppressive regime of his father.
Greek mythology professor David resumed writing a book using the Hydra as a metaphor for the myriad of problems that beset Philippine politics. Meanwhile, he met election lawyer Mela (Mylene Dizon) on a dating app. The two of them hit if off very well on the first date, so much that it eventually led to their engagement. On the day that his book was formally launched, David learned a fact about Mela's family that threatened their upcoming wedding.
This new feature film is like a spiritual sequel to writer-director Dustin Celestino's acclaimed Cinemalaya opus "Ang Duyan ng Magiting" (Cinemalaya, 2023). When compared to "Duyan," the technical aspects of "Hydra" felt more sophisticated even as the several of same crew worked behind the scenes. The cinematography by Kara Moreno looked more stylish here, while the musical score by Paulo Protacio was more prominent and pulsating.
Like "Duyan," the true star is Celestino's screenplay. The story was also divided into chapters, this one had eight, each named for a memorable line within that chapter. Each chapter contained astutely-written dialog about political disinformation and injustice that challenge our own convictions. Aside from the titular Hydra, four other characters of Greek myth -- Sisyphus, Cassandra, Pandora and Tantalus -- were utilized as universal metaphors.
Again, like "Duyan," the ensemble of actors all understood their assignments. Two tense excellently-acted scenes make it to my list of best scenes of 2025. One was that post-book launch meal where the exchange of pleasantries between Bea and Mela turned from cordial to bitter. The other one was in the penultimate chapter where Bea faced the man she hated all her life. In both scenes, Dolly de Leon poured out heart and soul in gut-wrenching manner.
Even if it says that any similarities to real-life events were purely coincidental, it was quite obvious what this story was all about. In fact, everyone who watches this film will have gone through the same 2022 presidential campaign and elections. The memories and the feelings are still very fresh, making this indeed a one-of-a-kind movie experience. The enduring and eternal light of the final message touches everyone who shared that passion.
'Raging'
19-year-old Eli (Elijah Canlas) lived in a small hut in a remote forested area in Sibuyan Island, Romblon Province. Lately, he was being haunted by nightmares about himself wallowing in what looked like mud. Apparently he had experienced something traumatic about weeks ago which he kept to himself. He would just record himself verbalizing his thoughts day by day on cassette using his precious Walkman and listened to the drone of his voice on playback.
This film was very much a slow-burn drama set in a rural community -- pretty much the signature style of works by writer-director Ryan Machado, whether it was his one-act plays or his debut film "Huling Palabas" (Cinemalaya 2023). This one felt even slower because the audience had no idea what happened to Eli, and nothing much was happening to give us any clue. The first mention of the incident was ever so subtle, as if it were just an afterthought.
This traumatic incident that tormented Eli was also a metaphor for the ongoing abuse of Sibuyan by mining companies that continue to exploit nickel and other minerals illegally despite being officially banned. The area around the tallest peak Mt. Guiting-Guiting was supposed to be a protected natural park, but the Mayor himself oversees illegal mines there, mirroring the political corruption seen elsewhere in the country. Menfolk, like Ely's Tatay Manuel, are forced to endure dangerous work conditions in the mines because of their poverty.
The language used in this film was the Ini language spoken on Sibuyan Island. Machado wrote the original script in Tagalog, then let Rodne Galicha translate to Ini, which Machado did not speak. It was remarkable that all the main actors, who only received their audio guides just days before the shoot, delivered their Ini lines in a very natural-looking manner, thanks to Galicha who was also the language coach on the set.
This was practically a one-man show for skilled young actor Elijah Canlas. As he would in most of his past films, he also fit into the character of Eli like a glove. Canlas convincingly portrayed the deep repression Eli subjected himself into, followed by the slow process by which he steadily extracted himself out of this funk. This consuming feeling of extreme shame quietly built-up within Eli, inevitably percolating into a violent eruption of pent-up rage.
Reynald Raissel Santos played Eli's gay childhood friend Jepoy, a role that broke the monotony of grief that hung over the first two acts. Santos's Jepoy was a ray of sunshine, as she was smart and confident, a reassuring presence for constantly depressed Eli. The other supporting actors include Ron Angeles who played neighborhood ruffian Arjo, and Glenn Sevilla Mas, who played Mayor Bernardo, who thought Eli was crying wolf.
The slow-burn, long silences approach may not sit well with impatient viewers. However for me, this deliberate groping-in-the-dark approach, this very gradual, very restrained revelation of the mysterious trauma that caused Eli's titular raging was precisely the best part of the movie-watching experience. Because of this, I wonder why the synopsis of the film on the Cinemalaya website spoiled it outright by mentioning it in the very first sentence. I am glad I never read it before going in. Go into this blind.
These reviews were originally published in the author's blog, “Fred Said.”