6 first-time pairings in Filipino movies that actually worked

Screencaps from the official trailers of “Elise” and “Write About Love”

From heated discourses on the interwebs to heavily-flocked mall shows, the gravity of love team culture in the Philippines remains palpable. There are times when the line between reality and fiction often gets blurred for successful Filipino movie pairings, as their stream of TV shows and movies get aggressively supported by stans. Sometimes, love teams also get pitted against each other despite obvious contrasting dynamics and personalities.

This is why projects that handpick new Filipino movie pairings are often seen as brave moves in the industry. How effective would the chemistry be on-screen? How would the audience react to the story without prior history or emotional connection with the pairing? Would they be able to resonate with these people not as celebrities but as their characters?

While love teams are an important facet of our pop culture, have built long-lasting communities, and have even been evolving through the years, seeing unexpected duos excites us just as much. Here are a few films in recent years featuring first-time pairings that can send you to a multitude of emotions.

Enchong Dee and Janine Gutierrez in “Elise”

If you a.) love a good meet-cute; b.) don’t mind traversing multiple timelines; and c.) have durable handkerchiefs ready, give this Joel Ferrer film a go.

This story revolves around two opposite childhood friends who reunite as grown-ups—but there seems to be tough luck in the Confession of Feelings Department. A warm hug disguised as a film, “Elise” has a diaristic and nostalgic atmosphere that is supplemented by Dee and Gutierrez’s sometimes childlike but profound interactions.

Anne Curtis and Dingdong Dantes in “Sid & Aya: Not A Love Story”

Late night talks are often used to describe budding romances, but this Irene Villamor movie takes it to a whole new level. “Sid & Aya: Not A Love Story” follows the two protagonists in their misadventures in the after hours, with a mature, grounded, and sometimes cynical lens.

A rich and insomniac stockbroker (Dantes) hires a tough cookie of a woman (Curtis)—who juggles multiple jobs—to accompany him during sleepless nights. The effectiveness of this pairing highlights the reality of complicated adulthood relationships, and how our internal demons can get in the way of creating quality connections (if left unattended).

Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards in “Hello, Love, Goodbye”

Who could forget the highest-grossing Filipino film to date? Despite its stellar reputation, Cathy Garcia-Molina’s “Hello, Love, Goodbye” serves humanity at its core.

Bernardo (who plays a strong and determined OFW who just wants to make ends meet) and Richards (who plays a straightforward Hong Kong-based bartender) served frustration, sadness, and hope, giving a raw snapshot of what it’s like to struggle between two priorities because you’re not privileged enough to choose both. The groundbreaking team-up—who then came from projects within their respective “canon” love teams—also signified an unexpected collaboration between networks.

Rocco Nacino and Miles Ocampo in “Write About Love”

If “films about films” is one of your favorite hyperspecific genres, this indie gem directed by Crisanto Aquino deserves a spot on your watchlist. Bowing to its title, “Write About Love” follows a budding female writer (Ocampo) and a more experienced male writer (Nacino) as they put their thinking hats on and rewrite an unfinished romance screenplay.

Their mini brainstorming sessions, consisting of unpacking tropes and digging deep within themselves, spark an extraordinary connection that’s beyond the heart-fluttering kind. There are cute banters, and there are also subtle love letters to the art of writing.

Daniel Padilla and Rans Rifol in “Kun Maupay Man It Panahon”

Carlo Francisco Manatad’s directorial debut “Kun Maupay Man It Panahon” brings viewers to the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda in an eerie, dark, and sometimes surreal perspective. Apart from painting the bleakness of disaster, it zooms into its three leads’ messy, sometimes-numb headscapes: Norma, a mother (Charo Santos-Concio), plus young couple Miguel (Padilla) and Andrea (Rifol).

While people would often declare chemistry as effective when it’s able to prompt that kilig feeling, the pair’s dynamic appears as an imperfect, consoling partnership, as the two grapple with grief and survival. With their “dead inside” stares but “we still have to make it through the next day” motivation, who knew that a prominent heartthrob and a former member of MNL48 would actually match onscreen?

Carlo Aquino and Maine Mendoza in “Isa Pa, With Feelings”

Remember when everyone was listening to Juan Karlos’ “Buwan” in 2018? There’s nothing else that could match the lovelorn hit than Prime Cruz’s “Isa Pa, With Feelings” especially in its gentle and earnest details.

A genuine romance blossoms between an architecture student (Mendoza) and her Deaf neighbor-turned-sign language teacher (Aquino), and they soon find comfort in each other’s welcoming presence in the middle of tricky situations. Mendoza and Aquino’s acting chops shine in their lingering stares, silences, and understanding of their own characters’ depths.