the kingdom (2024)
director: Michael Tuviera
Writers: Michelle Ngu & Michael Tuviera
Genre: action, crime, and drama
language: Filipino
length: 2h 13m
watched: December 26, 2024
This week marks the start of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), and there’s an air of excitement among Filipino film lovers.
MMFF runs from Christmas through the first week of January. Historically, I didn’t look forward to MMFF season. my memories of it were dominated by cheesy romantic comedies and melodramatic teleseryes that tell the same damn story.
However, things have been changing in Philippine cinema, albeit subtly, year by year. I’m sure good films have always existed, but only recently have they caught my attention as a member of the public.
This brings me to the film I’ll be reviewing: The Kingdom. I enjoyed it far more than I expected. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, which is why I’m writing about it now.
If you want to support MMFF and are undecided on which film to watch, this article will explain why The Kingdom should be at the top of your list.
The Setting
The elevator pitch of the film: an alternate reality of the Philippines—what would our country look like today if we had never been colonized by Spain?
Before anything else, can we just appreciate how bold of a premise that is?
First, we wouldn’t be called the Philippines. Second, we wouldn’t be a democracy. Third, there would be no trace of Spanish influences in our culture.
Instead, we would be the Kingdom of Kalayaan—a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliamentary government.
There would be no Spanish-derived words in our vocabulary: Bathala instead of Diyos, Kalasag instead of guwardiya, dayang instead of prinsesa, and so on.
Our ancient religions would have been preserved—shamans as spiritual advisors instead of parish priests, and the reverence of ancestors and spirits instead of worshiping a single God.
So freaking wild.
In this alternate reality, tattoos would also be a big part of our culture. In native traditions, tattoos held social significance. For women, they were a marker of beauty (Maria Clara is shaking).
You can feel the effort, care, and research the filmmakers put into their vision. The Kingdom of Kalayaan felt convincing and could have easily fooled anyone. In a weird way, that reality seems more believable than the one we’re living in now. The movie reads like an Araling Panlipunan lecture—but far more engaging.
The Story
Now that you know the world in which this film is set, let’s talk about the story.
The plot revolves around the royal family of Kalayaan: Lakan Makisig (Vic Sotto) as the king, Magat Bagwis (Sid Lucero) as the only prince, and Dayang Matimyas (Cristine Reyes) and Dayang Lualhati (Sue Ramirez) as the two princesses.
The story follows Lakan Makisig, who faces a succession crisis, unsure which of his children is worthy of succeeding him. Bagwis has a temper problem and an addiction to gambling. Matimyas has been groomed her whole life to be queen, but her relationship with her father is strained. Dayang Lualhati, the least problematic choice, is about to marry the Prince of Thailand.
The plot takes a turn when a group of secessionist rebels abducts Lualhati on her wedding day. While the rebels attempt to keep her hostage in the back of a truck, a farmer named Sulo (Piolo Pascual) rescues her. What follows is a series of events that uncover hidden secrets, family grudges, political grievances, and unresolved social conflicts.
Reflections
When my Tita first told me about the concept of the film—the Philippines without its colonial past—I asked her, “Is it a positive or negative take?”
She replied, “I think it’s a realistic take.”
She hadn’t even seen the film yet, but she was right.
It was easy to appreciate this fabricated version of our country. Seeing how much of our ancient traditions had been preserved—the native language, architecture, spirituality, customs—was wonderful to witness. Or as we all say, nakakaproud.
You also can’t help but wonder: What if we weren’t colonized by Spain? Would our nationalism have saved us? Culturally, we would have celebrated the arts more; but what about socially and economically?
we have to understand that our country’s issues existed long before the Spaniards arrived. The divide between the rich and the poor would have been just as severe. There would still be groups and individuals willing to kill in the name of religion, justice, and freedom. There would still be corrupt politicians that betray their closest allies for power.
So yes, things might have been different if we weren’t colonized by Spain, but when it comes to our deep-seated issues, it wouldn’t have been that different.
The grass always seems greener on the other side, until we see the other side is just as fucked up.
Special Mentions
Badass Women
I appreciated that the women in the film knew how to throw a punch. I loved seeing a female villain who was as conniving and intelligent as any male character. I also appreciated seeing a woman associated with an armed rebel group—something traditionally reserved for men.
The portrayal of women was a subtle yet powerful touch. I’m not sure if the filmmakers did this intentionally, but women had equal footing with men in our pre-colonial history.
Vic Sotto and Piolo Pascual
Everyone did an amazing job, but I want to give special credit to Vic Sotto and Piolo Pascual. This is the first non-comedy role Sotto has taken on, and I’m surprised it took him this long to portray such a serious character. He was the perfect king—distinguished, stoic, and sophisticated.
Piolo Pascual, as always, was stellar. He embodied the role of a troubled peasant with authenticity. I was hooked throughout the film, but the most captivating scenes were the ones featuring Sotto and Pascual together.
Criticisms
I have only two criticisms:
First, Matimyas and Lualhati looked too mestiza. Cristine Reyes and Sue Ramirez did a fantastic job acting-wise, but they could have embraced a more kayumanggi look. A tan or makeup to reflect that would have added more authenticity. If there was a standard for Kalayaan beauty in the movie, I’d say Iza Calzado was it.
Second, Christine’s business-casual outfits looked chic on her, but felt out of place with the story's premise. I understand the film is set in a contemporary world with international influences from globalization, but I think there was a missed opportunity to give her a wardrobe that was more royal and culturally appropriate for the setting.
If we’re going to fully commit to this alternate reality, we might as well go all the way, right?
Other than that, the costumes, interiors, visuals, dialogue, and overall direction were excellent.
Conclusion
The Kingdom is as patriotic as it gets, and its vision is ambitious and captivating. It’s emotional in a way that feels meaningful. As Filipinos, our hopes and dreams for our country have never changed. The film does a spectacular job of reflecting both our deepest aspirations and our collective frustrations.
After watching The Kingdom, I feel a renewed pride in our culture and heritage. I’m more motivated to learn about our history, especially the pre-colonial era, which is often overlooked. This film has opened my eyes to the richness of our past in a way I hadn’t considered before.
The ending does hint at a possible sequel. I’m cautious about sequels, so let’s see if I’ll tune in.
Lastly, this movie has given me even more hope for the future of Philippine cinema. the last two years of the Manila Film Festival have been a pleasant surprise, and The Kingdom has brought even more momentum to this positive shift.
If you're Filipino and haven't seen this film yet, forget about inflation for a while, drive to the cinema, and spend your money on this movie.
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