Cinema Escapist

Want to add some Filipino movies to your watch list? Consider these Best Filipino Movies of 2025!

As with previous years, we at Cinema Escapist have curated a list of top Filipino movies from the year of 2025 that we hope represent a diverse array of both blockbuster and indie offerings. Besides big-budget romances and historical epics, we’ve also included politically astute documentaries and innovative art films—whether you want a reliable watch or something novel, we tried finding something for each occasion. 

Though exact availability will depend on location, we’ve also provided links for you to stream any movies that happen to be available on streaming platforms like Netflix. Let’s take a gander through 2025’s best Filipino movies! 

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11. Quezon

Director: Jerrold Tarog | Starring: Jericho Rosales, Mon Confiado, Karylle, Arron Villaflor, Romnick Sarmenta, JC Santos | Genre(s): Historical Drama

Jerrold Tarog’s Quezon serves as the visually polished finale to his Bayaniverse trilogy about Filipino history, pivoting from the battlefields of Heneral Luna and Goyo: The Boy General to the intrigues of political power. Presented in a nonlinear fashion and spanning four decades starting from 1901, the movie chronicles Manuel Quezon’s maneuvering against rivals like US Governor-General Leonard Wood to secure the Philippine Commonwealth’s presidency. 

Rather than romanticizing Manuel Quezon, the film exposes how he helped secure Philippine independence through ego, charisma, and compromise. While some find it dialogue-heavy compared to other Bayaniverse movies like Heneral Luna, Quezon offers a vital critique of how personality politics and patronage were institutionalized in the Philippines. It is a bold, cynical look at history that challenges the audience to separate Quezon the statesman from Quezon the man, making it essential for understanding the roots of contemporary Filipino politics. 

10. Bloom Where You Are Planted

Director: Noni Abao | Starring: Agnes Mesina, Amanda Echanis, Randy Malayao | Genre(s): Documentary

Winner of Best Film at 2025’s Cinemalaya Film Festival, Bloom Where You Are Planted is a searing documentary that follows three interconnected activists in the Cagayan Valley: development worker Agnes Mesina, jailed mother Amanda Echanis, and the slain peace consultant Randy Malayao.

Moving beyond headlines, the film humanizes the victims of “red-tagging”—the practice of labeling individuals or entities as terrorists or communists with little evidence—exposing the intimate toll of state persecution on friendship and family. It specifically highlights the heartbreaking reality of raising children while imprisoned and the grief of political assassination.

Praised for its emotional rawness and ideological clarity, Bloom Where You Are Planted provides an essential historical record of abuses of state power in the Philippines. It is a must-watch for those seeking to understand the human cost of defending land rights. 

9. Only We Know

Director: Irene Villamor | Starring: Dingdong Dantes, Charo Santos-Concio, Al Tantay | Genre(s): Romance

Starring screen legends Charo Santos-Cocio and Dingdong Dantes, Only We Know eschews traditional romantic tropes, focusing instead on a deep, label-defying friendship between Betty, a retired teacher embracing solitude, and Ryan, a younger widower navigating grief. Critics have praised the actors’ restrained, magnetic chemistry in this quietly meditative drama, which topped Netflix Philippines’ charts.

Only We Know challenges Filipino melodramatic norms by validating singlehood in old age, and presenting undefined relationships as sources of healing rather than scandal. With the essence of Lost in Translation and director Irene Villamor’s own 2018 movie Sid & Aya: Not A Love Story, it is a poignant watch for those seeking a mature narrative about how human connection can heal without the need for romance or grand gestures.

Stream this Filipino movie on Netflix

8. Open Endings

Director: Nigel Santos | Starring: Janella Salvador, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Klea Pineda, Leanne Mamonong | Genre(s): Drama, LGBTQ+

Open Endings is a refreshing drama focused on  four queer women in their 30s—all ex-lovers turned best friends—navigating the complexities of their messy but unbreakable chosen family. With electric chemistry from its cast, the film earned a Special Citation for Best Ensemble at the Cinemalaya Film Festival. 

Unlike typical tragic LGBTQ+ narratives, Open Endings offers a polished, mature look at sapphic relationships, normalizing queer friend groups as a vital support system in Filipino society. It explores lingering romantic tensions and the disruption caused by a sudden engagement with emotional intelligence and wit. Ultimately, the film provides a nuanced portrayal of adult friendship that proves platonic bonds can be just as complicated—and enduring—as romantic ones.

7. Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea

Director: Baby Ruth Villarama | Genre(s): Documentary

Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea is a provocative documentary that humanizes the geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea. Following a real-life fisherman named Arnel Satam and Philippine Coast Guard personnel, the film chronicles the harrowing logistics of delivering food to remote Philippine outposts amidst harassment from Chinese maritime forces. Critics and viewers alike have praised Food Delivery’s ability to humanize an otherwise abstract territorial dispute, and showcases a degree of raw vulnerability not often seen on film. 

Besides chronicling Philippine resistance to Chinese encroachment, Food Delivery itself became a symbol of the Philippines’ struggle against China after being controversially pulled from the local CinePanalo Festival due to alleged political pressure, and facing ban requests from Chinese diplomatic missions at international screenings. Such attempts at censorship perhaps only helped bring more attention to Food Delivery though, and make it one of the most politically noteworthy Filipino movies of 2025. 

6. Meet, Greet & Bye

Director: Cathy Garcia-Sampana | Starring: Piolo Pascual, Maricel Soriano, Joshua Garcia, Belle Mariano, Juan Karlos Labajo | Genre(s): Family Drama, Comedy

As the highest grossing Filipino movie of 2025 thus far, Meet, Greet & Bye continues director Cathy Garcia-Sampana’s streak of producing crowd-pleasing blockbusters (like 2024’s Hello, Love, Again). This family dramedy stars Maricel Soriano as Baby Facundo, a matriarch battling relapsed cancer who promises her four estranged children that she will endure chemotherapy under one condition—that they help her meet her K-drama idol, Park Seo-joon.

Lauded for Soriano’s masterful acting and the ensemble’s chemistry, Meet, Greet & Bye explores the “K-drama tita” phenomenon as a legitimate source of healing. The movie balances lighthearted moments with heavier themes of family reconnection, becoming a cathartic tearjerker that is a must-watch for its emotional depth and exploration of how fandom bridges generational divides. 

5. Republika ng Pipolipinas

Director: Renei Dimla | Starring: Alessandra De Rossi, Geraldine Villamil | Genre(s): Mockumentary, Comedy

One of the critical favorites from 2025’s Cinemalaya Film Festival, Republika ng Pipolipinas is a biting political satire styled as a mockumentary. The film stars Geraldine Villamil as Cora Vitug, a disenfranchised farmer who, exhausted by government neglect and land grabs, secedes from the Philippines to declare her small plot an independent micronation. 

With raw performances and a great balance between absurdity and genuine emotion, the film critiques issues like systemic corruption and foreign waste dumping without overly romanticizing its characters’ suffering. If you want a cathartic laugh at the frustrating state of Filipino politics, Republika ng Pipolipinas is very much worth a watch. 

4. Child No. 82

Director: Tim Rone Villanueva | Starring: JM Ibarra, Vhong Navarro, Rochelle Pangilinan | Genre(s): Fantasy, Comedy, Drama

Child No. 82, a standout debut feature from director Tim Rone Villanueva, blends meta-comedy with heartfelt family drama. The film follows Max (played by JM Ibarra), an aspiring influencer who must compete against a horde of illegitimate siblings to prove he is the 82nd child of the late action star “Boy Kana” (played by Vhong Navarro), which will help him secure his inheritance and support his own pregnant girlfriend. 

Through a nostalgic 90s action movie aesthetic reminiscent of Leonor Will Never Die (which topped our 2022 Filipino movies list), Child No. 82 satirizes the Filipino “actor-politician” pipeline and the cultural worship of macho celebrities. The film also offers a sharp critique of toxic masculinity and absent fatherhood, and is worth viewing for its clever deconstruction of how entertainment shapes Philippine politics and society.

3. My Love Will Make You Disappear

Director: Chad Vidanes | Starring: Kim Chiu, Paulo Avelino | Genre(s): Romance, Comedy

My Love Will Make You Disappear is a romantic comedy that blends magical realism with social commentary. Starring top stars Kim Chiu and Paulo Avelino, the movie follows a woman named Sari and a man named Jolo as they bond while trying to save their residential compound from displacement. 

Praised for its K-drama-esque cinematography and the leads’ electric chemistry, the film was one of the highest grossing Philippine movies of 2025. Beyond the romance, My Love Will Make You Disappear is also notable for its progressive, normalized depiction of LGBTQ+ characters, and its grounding in the reality of urban housing struggles.

Stream this Filipino movie on Netflix

2. Sunshine

Director: Antoinette Jadaone | Starring: Maris Racal, Elijah Canlas, Xyriel Manabat, Jennica Garcia | Genre(s): Sports, Drama, Coming-of-age

Though Sunshine technically first premiered in 2024 at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), it saw most of its critical success, festival screenings, and Philippine premiere in 2025. Given we didn’t manage to include the movie on our 2024 top Filipino movies list, we felt that it was worth highlighting Sunshine on 2025’s list instead. 

The film is a searing social drama starring Maris Racal in a moving performance as a young rhythmic gymnast named Sunshine, whose Olympic dreams are threatened by an unwanted pregnancy. Set in a predominantly Catholic society where abortion is illegal, the film follows Sunshine’s desperate journey through Manila’s underground healthcare system and the streets of Quiapo, where abortion product vendors and churches meet in an ironic blend.

Besides its TIFF screening, Sunshine gained significant international acclaim, winning the Crystal Bear for Best Film at 2025’s Berlinale. The film provides a vital critique of reproductive rights in the Philippines, exposing the systemic dangers women face due to restrictive laws. 

Learn more about Sunshine in our full length review.  | Stream this Filipino movie on Netflix

1. Magellan

Director: Lav Diaz | Starring: Gael García Bernal, Ronnie Lazaro, Hazel Orencio, Amado Arjay Babon | Genre(s): Epic Historical Drama

Famed Philippine auteur Lav Diaz made a splash onto 2025’s cinematic scene with Magellan, which reinterrogates Portuguese colonial explorer Ferdinand Magellan’s exploits in Southeast Asia, and also provides a twist on the story of Lapu-Lapu, who is widely considered the Philippines’ first national hero for defeating Magellan in the 1521 Battle of Mactan.

The film features a highly international, star-studded cast, with Gael García Bernal starring as Magellan; veteran Filipino actor Ronnie Lazaro plays Rajah Humabon, the Cebuan chief who helped instigate the Battle of Mactan. While Diaz’s movies often veer into heavily art house territory with black-and-white cinematography and exceptionally long runtimes, Magellan is far more accessible, clocking in at 160 minutes with scenes in color. 

Diaz’s artistry still shines through though; coupled with Bernal’s subtle acting, Magellan’s hypnotic cinematography and meditative tone will suck viewers into its narrative. It’s no wonder that the movie is the Philippines’ official submission to the 2026 Oscars for Best International Film.