Last updated: January 2024
It’s Friday night, you have just finished a long hard week from work. You deserve to lay in bed with some popcorn and the best Philippines movies on Netflix! All thanks to Netflix, Filipino movies are now made more accessible to us. You don’t even need to go out of the house just to watch the latest Filipino movies.
I have to admit, I was not a fan of local movies before but when I started watching Indie Filipino movies, or the movies that are made outside commercialized movie producing companies. These movies depict more realistic storylines, which makes them more interesting.
I have listed down the top Philippine movies on Netflix that you should add to your watch list! If you’re looking for highly-rated movies for your Friday night movie marathon, check these movies below.
Top Philippine Movies on Netflix This Year
Pamilya Ordinaryo
Pamilya Ordinaryo is one of the most versatile Filipino movies that I have ever watched. This movie depicts two poor teenagers who are in a relationship and are living homelessly in the busy streets of Manila city. In order to survive their daily life, they are working as petty thieves to support their newborn baby’s needs.
The couple was both minors, but they are forced to survive through poverty because of their son. The plot has turned interesting when their newborn son was kidnapped by a transgender, whom they barely even know.
The couple attempted to look for their child and as the movie progressed, it showed how poor people were being mistreated by other people living a comfortable life, even the government itself.
In the end, they traveled all the way to Cavite to get their son, only to know that they had gotten the wrong child.
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Kita Kita
Kita Kita has been a career-defining movie for the leads Alessandra de Rossi and Empoy Marquez. This romantic comedy film starts with two neighbors in one of the provinces in Japan. Lea, the lead woman is suffering from temporary stress-induced blindness.
She is working as a tour guide, and if her blindness won’t be cured in weeks, it can turn into a permanent loss of eyesight. Lea was engaged to a man but she called the engagement off after knowing her fiance’s infidelity.
With all the pain that she felt, she became depressed and has almost lost the will to live. Her kind and funny neighbor, Tonyo, started helping her out in her daily life. The two became close all because of Tonyo’s humor and kindness.
I won’t give away the ending, but for all it’s worth, this movie portraits how important perception is, even if we cannot physically see the person in front of us. Kindness and good intentions would always beat physical aesthetics.
Iska
Poverty-driven movies are becoming so popular on movie screens because these movies allow us to see what it’s like living in the Philippine slums. Iska is a middle-aged woman working in a photocopying stall at the University of the Philippines.
She is also taking care of her grandson, who is a special needs child. The kid has mental retardation, and he needs to be watched all the time. The mother of the child has left her son to Iska because she cannot handle the kid’s condition.
Iska’s husband is a drunk, so they always end up fighting about their current life situation. She is relying on her neighbors to take care of her grandson while she’s away. Her grandson ended up in a mental health facility because of some rumors that her neighbors spread.
Ang Pangarap Kong Holdap
This laughter-filled movie would make you feel good and sad all at the same time. Ang Pangarap Kong Holdap depicts three friends who are living in a poor community where being a thief is normal.
The three friends were considered underdogs when it comes to being thieves, so they started planning out the biggest hold-up robbery that the three of them can pull out. One police undergoing a secret operation started befriending the three thieves but they ended up being real friends.
The three have successfully pulled out their dream robbery, but casualties and other problems were encountered. In the end, they gave up being thieves to start a normal and honest life.
Metro Manila
Metro Manila is another poverty-driven movie with lots of action and thrill. Oscar and his family were living as farmers in one of the provinces in the Philippines. Thinking that moving to Manila will provide them with better opportunities and jobs, they took the risk of leaving their province.
Arriving in Manila, they had a hard time looking for a place to reside. Her wife ended up being a dancer and a waitress in a bar. Oscar has found a job as a driver for a bank’s armored vehicle. He was partnered up with Douglas Ong, one of the pioneer drivers in the said security agency.
Douglas has been showing kindness to him ever since he started out as his partner. He even gave Oscar a place to live - all for free. Oscar didn’t know that this kindness has something in return, because Douglas has been planning to retrieve a stolen vault of money from the bank.
The ending was pretty drastic but inspiring, all because of Oscar’s bravery and resourcefulness. Douglas didn’t get to have the money from the vault, but the money has ended up in the hands of someone who needs it the most.
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A Faraway Land
A Faraway Land is the most popular movie on Netflix these days, all because of the intriguing plot that it has. Some people say that the film is romanticizing adultery, which is not really something to be proud of.
On the other hand, the story of a successful Filipina in a foreign country is an interesting start. The movie was shot in Faroes Island, Denmark. This beautiful country is filled with sceneries, mountains, and everything that you are looking for in a countryside life.
The movie focused on the cultural differences between Filipinos and Faroese, and it emphasized how Faroese men are not typically sweet to their wives. Mhajoy, the lead Filipina woman in the film is currently married to a Faroese man, but the story reveals that the lack of intimacy and connection has made her feel neglected.
Nico, a reporter, has been tasked to record and document the successful life of Mhajoy in Faroes Island. After a few days of spending time together, an extramarital affair rose between them.
Without spoiling the ending, I think this movie would make married couples realize how damaging affairs can be. Short-time happiness and gratitude can never validate our choices in life, especially if you already have your own family.
My Amanda
My Amanda gained its popularity because of its unusual plot. It is a story of best friends, Amanda and TJ. This is not your typical “friends fell in love” movie, because it is much more than that. Yes, it is not a secret that TJ has feelings for his best friend, but Amanda never knew that she did.
You will be amazed by how the director portrayed how important it is to have someone whom you can run to whatever life makes you feel. TJ and Amanda have got each other’s back through breakups, family losses, and even failed marriages.
The plot of the movie ran smoothly, there were no very unexpected plot twists, and the movie revolved around the two leads only. Amanda became pregnant with her ex-husband, the ending was sad yet inspiring. TJ and Amanda are one big proof that love and friendship are beyond unmeasurable.
Watching the Best Philippine Movies on Netflix
There are a lot of movie options on Netflix that can be perfect for your movie marathon. These 7 movies are only a portion of the highly-rated Filipino movies that would never disappoint you. If you love unique storylines without any cringe and very commercialized plots, then these movies are really deserving on your watch list.
If you don’t have a Netflix account yet, you can start exploring this amazing app for a month - for free! You can also find old and classic Filipino movies on this application, so everything that you would be looking for something to watch is right here.
After a long day at work, you deserve to grab some popcorn, set up your TV, and start watching all these movies in the comfort of your own homes. These movies amplify how amazing and talented our Filipino directors are, and how the art of cinematography is very underrated. Enjoy every scene and emotion from these movies above - because you deserve to rest and enjoy great movies!
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