Let’s face it! Movies are pretty awesome; they fill our time, broaden our horizons, teach us new things and most importantly, keep us entertained, so today we’re going to take a look at the top 11 Filipino movies of all time.
While opinions regarding the Filipino movie industry are divided, it’s clear that there’s a market out there and that there are people looking to watch these movies. With more than a 100 million inhabitants, there’s a considerable market for domestic movies.
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There are quite a few movies made in the Philippines, but not all of them are successful. Much like it happens in Hollywood, just at a different scale. Regardless, Filipino movie makers are trying their best to bring vivid stories to the big screens, to tell everything about the lives of their characters and to figure out what makes them tick in order to successfully deliver the lines that put together the story arc.
In another article, we took a look at the top 11 Philippine exports and imports, so if that’s something that interests you then you should take a look.
In order to create this particular list, we took a look at Box Office Mojo who holds information about pretty much every movie out there, as well as other sources to get info on the movies. Without further ado, here’s the top 11 Filipino movies of all time.
11. My Bebe Love
Released in 2015, this movie is a romantic comedy and it was directed by Jose Javier Reyes. The film tells the story of a love-hate relationship, which will forever attract viewers. My Bebe Love focuses on the relationship between Vito Carillo, played by Vic Sotto, and Corazon Talatala, played by Ai-Ai de las Alas.
The movie has been highly successful, winning the 3rd Best Picture award at the Metro Manila Film Festival. It was also the record holder for the highest opening day gross for a Filipino movie.
10. Bride for Rent
Released in 2014, this is yet another romantic comedy. The director of Bride for Rent is Mae Czarina Cruz, while the stars of the film are Kim Chiu and Xian Lim. The movie follows the story of two young people, Rocco Espiritu and Rocky Dela Cruz who are both looking to score some money as fast as possible in order to fix problems in their lives.
Rocco’s plan is to get money from his trust fund, but he needs to get married first. Meeting Rocky is written in the stars and she agrees to marry him for a fee. Their relationship grows from there and viewers are kept on their toes to see if somehow they’ll manage to weather the storm together.
9. The Unkabogable: Praybeyt Benjamin
This 2011 movie is filled with action scenes and comedy. Written and directed by Wenn V. Daramas, The Unkabogable: Praybeyt Benjamin features Vice Ganda. This is one of the most notable entries on our list as it was the first Filipino movie to bring in over 300 million pesos in the box office.
Furthermore, the film was the highest grossing movie in 2011. It tells the story of Benjamin Santos VIII who is from a family with a military tradition. He is expected by his grandfather to join the army just like his ancestors, even though his father decided to follow his heart and become a scientist and inventor, which caused a rift in the family. Years later, Benjamin is, in fact, forced to join the military in order to help his ailing father. A whole new adventure begins after he is kicked out of the army because of his sexual orientation.
8. Sisterakas
This comedy parody film was one of the eight entries to the 2012 Metro Manila Film Festival and it was released in cinemas across the country in December of the same year. Directed by Wenn V. Deramas, this funny movie features Ai-Ai Delas Alas, Vice Ganda, Kris Aquino, Daniel Padilla, Xyriel Manabat and Kathryn Bernardo.
The film tells the story of two estranged siblings who are about to go through a lot together. Half sibling Bernice (formerly Bernard) plans to take revenge on Detty, who, as a child, was involved in the accident that left his mother, Maria, disabled. So, when Detty starts working for a big fashion company, she knows nothing about the fact that the owner is actually of her own blood. It’s a twisting tale of revenge, love and acceptance that will keep you on your toes while, most likely, rolling your eyes at the absurdity of it all.
7. My Litle Bossings
Released in 2013, this Marlon Rivera family comedy film stars a long list of well-known Filipino actors, including Vic Sotto and Kris Aquino. This film was an official entry in the 2013 Metro Manial Film Festival and it was released across the country at the end of December of the same year.
Following its release, the movie broke all box office records in the Philippines, even managing to snag the crown for the highest opening day. It seems that the movie was pretty well-loved, even though critics commented on the extensive use of product placement within the film.
The film tells the story of Torky, a bookkeeper who works for a billionaire. When danger comes, the billionaire’s son goes to live with Torky and his daughter, as well as a street urchin that he was helping out. The movie presents how the four get together living under the same roof as the dynamics change following the new kid’s arrival.
6. It Takes a Man and a Woman
This 2013 romantic comedy was directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina and it’s actually a sequel to two other movies that were released in 2008 and 2009. The film brings back together John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo which proved to be a good idea since it brought in a lot of cash at the box office.
The movie tells the story of the two young people following their break-up, which takes place in the previous film. It’s a rollercoaster ride as the two get to know each other again after two years, especially since they also work together and he’s involved in a new relationship. In the end, all goes well and the two go as far as to marry, the movie giving viewers a glimpse into the couple’s honeymoon.
5. Starting Over Again
Directed by Olivia M. Lamasan, Starting Over again had its premiere in February 2014. The movie features Piolo Pascual and Toni Gonzaga and is a romantic comedy with a twist. Starting Over Again tells a classical romantic story where two people meet, they get into a relationship and then they break up before getting back together years later. A twist at the end makes the movie stand out among others following the same pattern, and we all know just how many there are.
Critics and viewers were happy with how the film turned out and loved the jokes running throughout the film as well as the acting. Starting Over Again was a box office success, bringing in some 25 million pesos in the first day and 150 million within four days.
4. Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy
With its English title saying “Female, Male, Gay, Lesbian” you can probably figure out, at least in part, what this movie is about. The comedy parody film was directed by Wenn V. Deramas and it features Vice Ganda and Maricel Soriano, to name a few. It was an official entry for the 2013 Metro Manila Film Festival.
The movie tells the story of quadruplets Girlie, Peter, Mark and Panying who get back together after years of separation when Peter’s medical problems take a turn for the worse and he needs a liver donor. This unconventional family goes through an emotional rollercoaster as Mark, the only match for Peter, has some conditions before accepting to donate part of his liver.
3. The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin
Released in 2014, The Amazing Preybeyt Benjamin was directed, once more, by Wenn V. Deramas. If the name of the film sounds familiar, it’s because it is, being featured in another movie a few positions up. This is the sequel to The Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin and it was one of the entries to the annual Metro Manila Film Festival.
Vice Ganda is one of the film’s stars, alongside Richard Yap and Tom Rodriguez. This time around, Benjamin is no longer just a Private in the army but has advanced in rank, becoming Colonel. Given a new mission, Benjamin jumps from violent war actions to an unstable family situation where he needs to keep a brat kid safe. When the terrorists return and threaten the country, however, he steps up and tries to save the day. Overall, this was one of the top 11 Filipino movies of all time.
2. A Second Chance
This 2015 film was directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina and it features John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo. This, too, is a sequel, this one following 2007 film One More Chance. The film tells the story of Popoy and Basha who finally get married and start navigating the married life.
1. Beauty and the Bestie
This action comedy film was released in 2015. The director was, once more, Wenn V. Deramas, while Vice Ganda, Coco Martin, James Reid, and Nadine Lustre are among the cast. Beauty and the Bestie was one of the official entries to the 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival.
A police mission, a beauty pageant, and a lot of spies make up this movie which is packed with action and funny moments. With over 526 million pesos, Beauty and the Bestie is now the highest grossing Filipino movie, putting it in the first position of the top 11 Filipino movies of all time.
