10 years ago, Honor Thy Father moved audiences with its melodrama of a family caught in a dangerous, high-stakes Ponzi scheme. Starring John Lloyd Cruz and Meryll Soriano as desperate husband and wife Egay and Kaye, respectively, the Erik Matti-directed drama proved to be “a flinty portrait of inequality and vigilante justice in the modern Philippines,” as The Hollywood Reporter once described it.
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Honor Thy Father returns to theaters on September 17 in SM Cinema branches. Matti took to social media to make this official announcement, while also noting several significant changes to the film. It has been remastered with “a completely new audio 5.1 mix,” cinematographer Berhil Cruz has stepped in to provide a black and white version of the movie, and Matti collaborated with music producer Mikey Amistoso to create a new audio take that explores “the inner darkness of Egay struggling to get out of him.”
“This, to me, is a landmark film for our lead actor John Lloyd Cruz,” wrote Matti. “Before this film, he was the perfect romantic lead/charming boy next door. I remember being criticized that the role I gave him for this film might be too extreme for his fan base to accept. That was where most attributed the weak box office result of this movie in [the 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival]. But I beg to disagree. When I get the chance to work with a big star, I go out of my way to find a character that they haven’t played before. Something to show their potential that would otherwise not be offered to them because it goes against their ‘branding.’ Something that would showcase their talent, charisma and skill but also a welcome challenge to them.”
