In 2016, parts of the Filipino film industry were going through an overhaul. In particular, the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) was restructuring its criteria and competition sections in the hopes of putting several controversies to bed (e.g. the disqualification of Erik Matti’s Honor Thy Father from its Best Picture race in 2015). This revamp proved fruitful, begetting memorable hits like Die Beautiful, Seklusyon, Sunday Beauty Queen, and the list goes on.
Other Filipino films went on to make history, with director Brillante Mendoza’s Ma’ Rosa receiving a 10-minute standing ovation at that year’s Cannes and earning Jaclyn Jose the honor of becoming the first Filipino to win Best Actress at the prestigious international film festival.
It’s 2026 now, and over the past 10 years, these films have undeniably found their place among audiences, fans, and movie lovers who look back fondly on the Philippine cinema of 2016 and the fresh stories they brought to the silver screen. In no particular order, here are 10 of the most unforgettable Filipino films that graced cinemas a decade ago.
‘2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten’
In his directorial debut, Petersen Vargas wields his chosen themes like the sharpest of knives: youth, love, and colonialism all come alive in his coming-of-age tale, set against the backdrop of late ‘90s Pampanga. Khalil Ramos shines as Felix, a quiet young man whose lonely sophomore year changes when the enigmatic Snyder brothers, Magnus (Ethan Salvador) and Maxim (Jameson Blake), transfer to his high school. But don’t be fooled by the film’s exploration of first loves. Things take a dark turn, and Vargas knows exactly how to pull at your heartstrings.
‘Die Beautiful’
Picture this: a trans pageant queen spends her whole life dreaming of winning Binibining Gay Pilipinas, only to die the second she’s crowned onstage. Such is the fate of Trisha (Paolo Ballesteros, or Mama Pao, to Drag Race Philippines fans). But rather than have her wake be a sad affair, Trisha has one dying wish: to be transformed into a different celebrity (Angelina Jolie, Lady Gaga, etc.) on each night of her vigil. Directed by Jun Robles Lana, Die Beautiful is equal parts campy and emotional, especially as we pick apart the not-so-glamorous parts of Trisha’s life as a trans woman in the Philippines.
‘Vince & Kath & James’
We love a love triangle, and in Theodore Boborol’s Vince & Kath & James, the triangle gets even messier (and bonus for love team fans: this was the first time we ever saw JoshLia onscreen). It follows engineering student Vince (Joshua Garcia), who can’t seem to figure out how to confess his feelings for his classmate Kath (Julia Barretto). But his much more popular cousin and varsity basketball player, James (Ronnie Alonte), is also interested in Kath, and recruits Vince to win her heart via anonymous text messages.
‘Seklusyon’
Let’s not trust any child-sized miracle workers so quickly. Erik Matti’s religious horror Sekluyson, which earned him Best Director at the 2016 MMFF, toes the line between reason and faith. It centers on Miguel (Ronnie Alonte), a seminarian about to enter the priesthood. When he and three other seminarians are tasked with secluding themselves for a week in a convent, chaos quickly unfolds when Anghela and her menacing caretaker, Sister Cecilia (Phoebe Walker), join them in their seclusion.
‘Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis’
At eight hours long, Lav Diaz’s award-winning meditation on Andres Bonifacio may seem like a daunting cinematic mountain to climb. However, the filmmaker wastes no time in weaving threads that all tie back to the National Hero. One storyline sees the sorrowful Isagani (John Lloyd Cruz) and Basilio (Sid Lucero), both on a quest to find the missing Simoun (Piolo Pascual). Another plotline sees Gregoria de Jesus (Hazel Orencio) searching for her husband’s body in the forests of Marogondon. Grief, historical folklore, and revolution run deep in Diaz’s narrative, and it only confirms Diaz’s place as an auteur storyteller.
‘Ang Babaeng Humayo’
Another of Lav Diaz’s gifts to the hallowed halls of slow cinema is Ang Babaeng Humayo. Marking Charo Santos-Concio’s return to the silver screen after 17 years, Ang Babaeng Humayo follows former schoolteacher Horacia (Santos), who has just spent three decades imprisoned for a murder she did not commit. Charo does not disappoint, and it’s a dark, brooding treat to watch her enact her revenge.
‘Barcelona: A Love Untold’
Never date a guy who’s not over his ex. This was what I screamed at my TV screen when Mia (Kathryn Bernardo), a young woman who’s trying to build a new life in Barcelona, falls for Elly (Daniel Padilla), who can’t stop bringing up his past love, Celine (also Bernardo). Directed by Olivia M. Lamasan, Barcelona had everything Filipino rom-com fans could hope for back in 2016: the ghost of a persistent ex, the romantic backdrop of the Catalan city, and KathNiel, KathNiel, KathNiel, right at the height of their love team fame.
‘Ma’ Rosa’
Brillante Mendoza’s Cannes entry came at a time when former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war was about to hit its full swing, delivering a scathing tale of a family cornered by poverty and the law. Mendoza crafted one of his more precise films in Ma’ Rosa, a straightforward tale in which we witness the family of Rosa and Nestor scrounge to bail out their parents after a drug trafficking charge. Ma’ Rosa is famously remembered as the film that won Jaclyn Jose the much-coveted Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival (apart from receiving a 10-minute standing ovation), beating out contenders such as Isabelle Huppert (Elle), Sandra Hüller (Toni Erdmann), Ruth Negga (Loving), and Kristen Stewart (Personal Shopper). Mendoza then directed the first two SONAs of Duterte in 2016 and 2017 before helming the gritty thriller Alpha: The Right to Kill and the controversial drug-war series, Amo.
‘Sunday Beauty Queen’
Baby Ruth Villarama’s tender portrait of overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong is, so far, the only documentary to win Best Picture at the MMFF — which says a lot about a film fest that’s usually dominated by tentpole blockbusters and crowd-pleasers. Well, Sunday Beauty Queen is a crowd-pleaser in its own way, letting us into the world where these OFWs live with their employers 24/7 for six days a week. But on Sundays, they can be whoever they want to be, unshackled by work and free to chase their dreams — to be beauty queens. Villarama crafts a wonderful documentary that isn’t necessarily sappy but rather celebratory and grounded in the crucial issues surrounding OFWs.
‘Patay na si Hesus’
Jaclyn Jose delivers another career-defining turn in Victor Villanueva’s Patay na Si Hesus, where she stars as Iyay, a vendor who learns of the death of her estranged husband, Hesus. The film is structured as a road movie in which the family’s dynamics are on full display, supported by stellar performances from Chai Fonacier, Melde Montañez, Vincent Viado, and Angelina Kanapi, who almost steals the show as a demented nun. Patay na si Hesus is bizarre, deranged, and endearing, proving even the most dysfunctional family can show us there is comfort in strangeness.
