CHILD NO. 82

Child No. 82 (Cinemalaya 2025)

Directed by: Tim Rone Villanueva

Having a loving mother, it’s quite ungrateful for the son to keep looking for his father, who abandoned them right from the start. There’s a blind fanaticism over the father—which takes a long while to get acknowledged. For that, it can be dragging at times.

A conversation or two could’ve wrapped up the whole movie, yet they created an itinerary for the main character to accomplish. His journey has an on-and-off tone. Some conversations are too wordy and dry, but the colorful characters always save the scenes.

At first, JM Ibarra looks good on the big screen. His charisma serves as his initial weapon to win over the audience. But then, his natural acting skills, effortlessly transitioning from drama to action, allow him to level up. His weapon of looks has been upgraded to an armor of talent, making him a solid leading-man material.

Rochelle Pangilinan is mothering the mother role. Lahat ng kanyang mabibigat na eksena ay nabubuhat niya. Hindi siya bumabawi. Ramdam ang kanyang pagiging palaban na nanay at aktres.

Irma Adlawan does things with so much class and conviction. Even a song you don’t know makes you wanna hear it more.

Every cast member is essential in moving the story forward and in contributing to the main character's growth and development.

While a few crucial scenes suffer from fuzzy shots, the actors manage to compensate with their strong performances.

The mother and son relationship is grounded and strong. Whenever Rochelle Pangilinan and JM Ibarra talk to each other, it’s captivating. You can feel that they really mean it.

The scoring tends to overpower the scenes sometimes, but it eventually works in emphasizing the switching of genres. The lighting and production design essentially do wonders in highlighting the character’s POV.

Just when your energy starts to drain, a clever and entertaining gimmick kicks in, recapturing your attention. Whether it's visual effects, soundtrack, or game battles, it works everytime. You remain invested in the main character's journey.

Despite the long and winding road, the movie’s core stays consistent—there’s a child who’s trying to grow and be a man.

For embodying Child No. 82 and making his presence felt every time he’s on screen, JM Ibarra proves he is deserving of the lead role.

𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃 𝐍𝐎.𝟖𝟐

Cast: JM Ibarra, Zai Fernandez, Kai Montinola, Irma Idlawan, Inah Evans, Dexter Doria, Vhong Navarro, Rochelle Pangilinan-Solinap

Story by: Arvin Belarmino, Herlyn Alegre, Tim Rone Villanueva

Screenplay by: Herlyn Alegre, Tim Rone Villanueva

Presented by: Cinemalaya, Outplay

Release Date: October 4-11, 2025 for Cinemalaya 2025

A Movie Review by: Goldwin Reviews

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  JM Ibarra
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  Vhong Navarro
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  Zairene Fernandez
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  Kai Montinola

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