Academia de villanos

Similarly to the overrated Petersen Vargas' "A Very Good Girl" movie of Kathryn Bernardo and Dolly De Leon, it has a Devil Wears Prada-style concept but this Kontrabida Academy has far stronger and 100x better premise and execution. Barbie Forteza and Eugene Domingo shine in this one, delivering a film that tackles relevant themes about Filipino culture, realistic persona in real life compare to the things we watch on TV. The teleserye parody trope works brilliantly here, with Chris Martinez crafting a love letter to the iconic villains of Filipino telenovelas. I enjoyed this movie.

I think that this was creatively done, and it brings a new flavor to Philippine Cinema. I love that it involved a lot of actors from different generations and that this show, despite its title, gives us lessons that we can learn from. Barbie, Eugene, and the rest of the cast portrayed their roles very well. The storyline is simple yet engaging; it is direct and evokes a range of emotions.

Kontrabida Academy is the refreshing, wonderfully chaotic film that Philippine cinema needs right now. I absolutely loved it from start to finish. It finds the perfect balance of humor and heart, with a campy, theatrical flair that is never over-the-top but always tasteful and genuinely fun to watch.

The cast is what really makes this movie shine. There isn't a single weak link; every actor is a standout, delivering their lines and embodying their characters with an infectious energy. It's clear they all committed to the unique tone of the film, and the chemistry among them is simply electric. Every single one of them is fantastic.

Visually, the movie is also a treat. The photography is excellent, with a polished look that makes the world of the academy feel both grand and intimate.

This film is also a brilliant and subtle critique of the current state of shows in the Philippine showbiz scene. It feels like a breath of fresh air, proving that you can create something innovative, smart, and deeply entertaining without falling into tired formulas. Highly recommended.

This is a great show; however, if somebody is watching this that has to read the subtitles, it would just be unfortunate.

At some brief moments I saw bits of subtitles, those don't carry the humour and sincerity of the dialogues. It's as if the subtitles were shortcuts and the meanings are lost.

I am a native speaker and the dubbing and subtitles are of no use to me.

Story-wise, this is very creative and it really takes one on a journey to a realization, character development. This makes me remember the melancholic movie, Purple rose of Cairo, but witty, modern, and fun and the movie, The Truman Show, how it shows real life.

A great movie. Great actors. Definitely recommend.

I am Filipino American, born and raised in the US. I understand Tagalog, but have never been able to watch Filipino movies because of poor production quality, not to mention bad writing usually. But this one is different! Good direction, cinematography, special effects, story and editing. It's clever and over the top, yes. However, it's exactly the energy it needs for a story like this. I enjoyed it the whole time and would watch it again.