PATAY GUTOM (DEAD HUNGRY, 2026) Review
Directed by Carl Joseph Papa & Ian Pangilinan
There is beauty in the quietness, stillness, and quirkiness of the film. Co-directed by Carl Joseph Papa and Ian Pangilinan, Patay Gutom (Dead Hungry) is a slow-burn supernatural drama and a surprisingly gentle romance that takes stories of grief and the afterlife somewhere new.
The film’s slow pace hinges on its main character, Tristan (played by Ian Pangilinan), a reclusive call-in helper who keeps everyone at arm’s length. The story takes its time, matching the repetition of Tristan’s daily life. That quietness almost feels like a challenge to the audience: stay patient enough, and you’ll appreciate it that much more when his walls fall down.
The setup kicks off when Tristan accidentally eats a grave offering meant for the dead, opening his third eye and bringing Art (Khalil Ramos) into his life. Art is a curious, lonely ghost who respects Tristan’s boundaries and personal space. Despite being polar opposites and existing on different sides of life and death, their connection builds naturally without feeling rushed. Pangilinan and Ramos have a quiet chemistry that makes their dynamic really work, you can genuinely feel their connection even in their quietest moments together.
What makes Patay Gutom stick is how it treats hunger as more than just food. It’s about being starved for connection, closure, and a way forward. Carl Joseph Papa’s rotoscope animation blends right into the live-action footage, creating a look that makes the spirit world feel like a natural extension of real life.
A love story about the living and the dead is an interesting hook on its own. But Patay Gutom actually works because it treats its characters with care, turning a weird premise into a solid story about loneliness, trauma, and letting people in.
4 OUT OF 5 STARS
‘Patay Gutom (Dead Hungry) is now showing at Gateway Cineplex 18, Ayala Malls Cinemas TriNoma, Fairview Terraces, Feliz, Circuit, Manila Bay and Market! Market! An official entry to the Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival 2026. Rated R-13 by the MTRCB.