Ekis (2025)

When Ekis premiered on December 19, 2025, it arrived quietly into a crowded cinematic landscape—the kind of film that doesn’t announce itself with massive budgets or guaranteed box office numbers, but rather earns its place through the strength of what it has to say. Directed by Christian Paolo Lat, this drama unfolds across a lean 1 hour and 47 minutes, a runtime that speaks to a filmmaker confident enough in their material to avoid unnecessary padding. There’s something refreshing about that economy of storytelling in an era when many films seem determined to test our patience.

The film’s modest critical reception—sitting at a 6.2/10 based on early responses—tells a more complex story than a simple numerical rating suggests. These numbers don’t reflect failure so much as they reflect polarization, which is often the mark of a film that’s genuinely trying to do something rather than simply skating by on formula. Ekis was released by Vivamax, a studio known for taking creative risks in the Filipino film industry, and that partnership feels entirely appropriate for what Lat has crafted here.

The Artistic Vision

What makes Ekis significant isn’t found in box office tallies or industry accolades—at least not yet—but rather in what Christian Paolo Lat accomplishes with limited resources and maximum intention. There’s a particular kind of filmmaking that emerges when directors work within constraints, and Lat seems to understand this deeply. His approach here suggests someone less interested in spectacle than in the human moments that linger after the credits roll.

The ensemble cast—Angela Morena, Cheena Dizon, and Aliya Raymundo—anchors the film with performances that feel grounded and lived-in. These aren’t showboating turns designed to collect accolades; they’re the kind of work that exists in the spaces between dialogue, in the way characters occupy physical and emotional space alongside one another. The chemistry among these three performers becomes the film’s true narrative engine.

> The tagline—”Tirahin mo nang patalikod” (Pull back, push forward)—suggests a film preoccupied with contradiction, with the tension between retreating and advancing.

This duality becomes central to understanding what Lat is exploring thematically. His characters seem caught between competing impulses: the desire to move forward and the weight of looking back. It’s intimate, character-driven storytelling that doesn’t ask permission to be understated.

Cultural Resonance and Legacy

Perhaps the most telling aspect of Ekis is what it represents for Filipino cinema in 2025. The film exists in a space increasingly occupied by Vivamax productions—a space that prioritizes creative autonomy and narrative authenticity over the commercial machinery that often dominates mainstream releases. That matters. In an industry perpetually negotiating between international expectations and local sensibilities, films like this serve as crucial reminders of why original voices deserve platforms.

The limited data surrounding the film’s box office performance—neither budget nor revenue widely publicized—actually reflects something worth celebrating. Not every film needs to be a commercial event. Some films are made because they need to exist, because their stories matter to the people telling them. Ekis carries that quality. It’s the kind of work that builds legacy through word-of-mouth, through discovery by viewers seeking something beyond the obvious.

What This Film Does Well

1. Emotional restraint – Rather than manipulating viewers toward predetermined feelings, Lat allows scenes to breathe and characters to surprise us
2. Ensemble work – The interplay between Morena, Dizon, and Raymundo creates layers of meaning beyond what any individual could accomplish alone
3. Thematic depth – The push-pull dynamic suggested by the tagline operates throughout, creating philosophical resonance
4. Visual economy – Every shot seems considered; there’s no waste in how Lat frames his characters and their worlds

Why It Matters Now

In 2025, when streaming has fragmented audiences and theatrical releases face unprecedented pressure, Ekis represents something increasingly rare: a film that trusts its audience to meet it halfway. It doesn’t over-explain itself. It doesn’t apologize for its ambitions or its restraint. It simply exists as a complete artistic statement from a director working within the Philippine film industry, supported by a studio willing to take that bet.

The 6.2/10 rating, rather than discouraging, actually intrigues. It suggests viewers had genuine reactions—some moved, some frustrated, all engaged. That’s infinitely more interesting than universal mediocrity or calculated crowd-pleasing. Ekis asks something of its viewers: attention, presence, willingness to sit with complexity and contradiction.

As we move further into the 2020s, films like this become increasingly essential. They remind us why cinema matters beyond entertainment metrics. They prove that meaningful storytelling doesn’t require massive budgets or familiar names. They demonstrate that Christian Paolo Lat and his cast have something to say, and they’ve said it with precision and care. That’s a legacy worth acknowledging.