NGAYON KAYA (2022) Review
Directed by Prime Cruz
The film asks the what ifs in life. It is the core theme of the movie. But what the film also tells is the unending compromises we make in our lives. And seeing the same compromises you make put in a film is both heartbreaking and thought provoking.
Nostalgia. Ngayon Kaya tells two stories of AM and Harold: one when they both dream for the future and one when they both reminisce the past. Also part of the nostalgia feels in the film is the music. If you grew up to alternative rock songs especially from Mayonnaise, Ngayon Kaya definitely delivers what you’re missing from the 2000s, musically.
The chemistry between Paulo Avelino and Janine Gutierrez is present all throughout the film. It’s a testament of how good actors the two are, giving us two AM and two Harold: the past and the present. And the characters in both timeline are perfectly acted.
Ngayon Kaya isn’t subtle about talking the what ifs. It talks about parallel universe: what happens if their choices are different, what happens if they talk more about how they feel, what happens if situations are different and they can choose to be with each other.
I honestly am a sucker for stories about bottled up emotions. And that’s how I felt watching Ngayon Kaya. It’s as if all the feelings AM and Harold have for each other, which are not shared verbally, are buried inside of me. While the film is mostly silent, the two characters mostly discussing about their lives, it’s actually screaming how painful destiny isn’t always on their side. It’s screaming “here I am, notice me,” or “should I tell how I feel?”
All these questions, all these what ifs, Ngayon Kaya perfectly demonstrates how our what ifs emerge in our stories because of the decisions, the compromises we do. We think that maybe there’ll be another time, or maybe that we’re not meant to be. But those can only be answered by making a move now.
4 OUT OF 5 STARS
‘Ngayon Kaya’ is now showing in Philippine cinemas nationwide from T-Rex Entertainment and WASD Films. Rated PG by the MTRCB.