Like in the Movies (2020)

To a better beginning

The story gives light to the lives of some of the members of the LGBTQIAP community in the Philippines. They also included the struggles of women, artists and laborers. They also brushed on the of plight of the workers and tenants of the land caused by the oppressive landowners. They also showed the different faces of 'allyship'. They opened many of the viewers' eyes to the systemic problems caused by the patriarchal society. The story may be cliche at first but slowly evolves into a locally relevant and pressing analysis of the current state of the society in the Philippines that needs addressing. The show is humbly imploring each of its viewers to respect each other regardless of their gender. It is time that we, the members of the community, should never ask for any form of validation, beg for acceptance nor tolerance 'cause we were never below anyone may it be in status, rights or privileges. Each of us were born equal. And let me remind every Filipino that it is written in the annals of history before the Spaniarda came that men and women were treated equal. Our women were valiant and were great rulers. They even wore tattoos on their bodies. They were never below anyone. Some of the men wore clothes similat to women and were allowed to join other men in a sacred marital ceremony. To the Vlads out there, I salute you for your courage. To the Karls, take your time and muster your courage. Littlefinger once said, "There is no justice in the world, not unless we make it." This show showed many of us to never remain silent. But being vocal doesn't mean violence. Every dispute can be solve with compromise. I believe that this is the beginning. Being called gay would never hurt me 'cause as Tyrion have said, "Never forget what you are, the rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor and it can never be used to hurt you." Remember that your validity isn't anyone's nor the society's to dictate.

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A must watch

This series deserves the acclaim it's been getting and more. At first, I was hesistant because of how new the country Philippines is towards bl, and as a viewers, we are drawn towards things that gives us a sense of familiarity. Not inly does tgis series attract me as a foreign viewer, which means it can transcend way past the language barrier, but as a viewer in general. It touched a part of me that is personal; my sexuality and everything about it. We, as queer people, had been set to look at our queer love as the main conflict in series in the past. Watching this series gave me a different point of view. I cried, I literally did. An eye-opening experience.

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Good enough.

I kinda liked this show but I think it could've been directed better. Some details essential to the story should've been clearer/obvious; like for example: 1) Vlad opening Sue's gift only to realize that it was a portrait of Karl's family; or 2) Karl denied Vlad in front of Judit because he saw his family's photo on the dining table... I don't understand why they didn't show close up shots of these details. What was the point of the vagueness?

Also, would like to note that people shouldn't have to read comments on the comments section explaining every single detail to fully understand what the show is trying to get at.

But the music/OST is amazing! I discovered a lot of great tracks through it. And Ian Pangilinan is dreamy, and I wanna meet Paolo Pangilinan in real life.

PS: MDL user Leemitless pls stop crying.

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I'm craving for Friday

I'm craving for Fridays since I started watching this series. The scenes are well executed. I know that there are a lot of restrictions due to pandemic. But still, this is so well made! I love the actors. I'm already a big fan of Vlad's acting and hotness. Lol. As well as Karl's potential in this industry. I was shocked that he can easily cry and shed a lot of tears know that he is a newbie. Music is as always. 11/10. Who ever the music director of this show, I respect you sir. And ofcourse, I would like to commend the author of this wonderful show. Whoever you are, I can feel your loneliness through the character of Vlad and this is the main reason why I'm keeping on watching this show. This is so relatable that I thought you're already writing my story and the story of all those lonely gay whos celebrating their birthday, their christmas and new year alone and only wanting to be loved and to be with someone. :( I hate you

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I don't know what the hype is about.

I had to watch this movie cause of the rating.
I was expecting so much, and I was so disappointed.
They had a very nice storyline but the acting was poor. I like watching a movie where I forget it's even movie am watching. The acting was poor. Most expecially Vladimir.
It's not just by saying the word, convince me too.
I could have done better..
The only reason I see this series having this clout is because of what they are trying to talk about, and the kissing scenes.
Gosh, am angry, let me not lie. I so wanted to see this series cause of the rating. I had to watch it online when I couldn't download it.
You guys just wasted my precious expensive data.

I believed the people that rated this movie haven't watched many bl series.

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The Best BL Series So Far

Gaya Sa Pelikula (Like In The Movies) is the best BL series so far. Why? Most BLs suffer from problematic tropes whereas GSP addressed these issues and called them out single-handedly.

Also, Gay, Bi, and Queer erasure in BLs are pretty rampant and GSP clearly showed us #NoToGayErasure #NoToBiErasure and #NoToQueerErasure. Not to mention, one of the main leads (Paolo Pangilinan) is openly a member of the LGBTQIA+ Community and that is representation right there. I have nothing against straight actors, but we need more members of the community to play LGBTQIA+ characters because “representation matters”.

GSP is beyond just a BL Series, it is a protest--a revolution.

Those who sees this show as too woke or preachy are just blinded by their own self-serving biases. But then again let's not forget to #EducateNotHate

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Spoilers for GSP eps 4, 5, 7 and 8, includes a bit of private lives and dodosol

I will focus on 3 things:

1- Vlad and Anna ( Episodes 4, 5, 7, 8). Their fist bump at the alternative ending was so satisfying to see. Sure, it's not the Karl and Anna bestie dynamic. But I also enjoyed this Vlad and Anna bro/dude/wingman dynamic. From Ep 4, we see a wary Vlad wondering who Anna is, and then his annoyance with the overstaying Anna ("Dude, I will go home now"). In the beginning of Ep 5, Vlad was still wary -- covering Anna with the blanket to shield the bare-chested Karl (haha) and doubting Anna's ghost story (haha).

The turning point in Ep 5, I think, started in the moment where they were both eyeing the scared Karl during the ghost story session. That shared glance at Karl, teasing him for his 'bravery' and leaving him alone in the darkened unit was something naughty friends would actually do. They bonded because of Karl and from then on, Vlad and Anna were buddies - we saw them next laughing in the grounds.

That chat in the gazebo like a usual hangout with friends was my favorite scene in the entire series - Vlad clinking his beer bottle with Anna after she told them her story; Anna teasing Vlad/Karl and Vlad telling her to shut it ("you know, we're just starting to get along."); Vlad covering drunk Anna with the same blanket from ep 4, while Anna was hugging Vlad's orca plushie. The dialogue and acting of those scenes felt so natural and so true. By the time Ep 7 came, it is actually believable that Vlad enlisted Anna to help organize the movie surprise for Karl. I want to see more Vlad-Anna bro/dude buddy dynamic in S2.

2 - Episode 4. This is my favorite episode. The whole series is actually Karl's story, but this episode belongs to Vlad. I wonder why it didn't reach 1M views as fast as the others but I enjoyed the structure and pace of this episode. Here we see how Vlad evolved from insisting his old self-destructive ways, then tentatively inviting Karl for Christmas Eve Dinner (after Sue called him out), then backsliding again in a fit of tantrum for being alone on the eve of his birthday until he eventually surrendered to his own solitude. In his aching theme song test (perfect ost), a calm came to him as he embraced the possibility of liking Karl. In this episode, we see masterful writing and acting - revealing so much in such a short span of time.

3 - Reunion in Episode 8 - I am watching GSP at the same time as Private Lives and Dodosol, I cannot help but compare the reunion scenes in these three shows. In Private Lives, when the leads met again after ML fake death, it was the usual anger turned to passion then wariness - which may be also consistent as they are all con-men who find it hard to trust each other. In Dodosol, when the leads met again after the younger ML runaway had to return home, it was a refreshingly calm reunion, no crying and lashing out from the lovable FL - so true to her character.

In Gaya sa Pelikula, when Karl and Vlad met again, it was actually passive-aggressive at first for Vlad (while sorry and remorseful for Karl) and then the bittersweet setting of boundaries in the end. I appreciate how passive aggression was conveyed here by the drunk Vlad . On one hand, still playful and flirtatious (acting like a baby, calling Karl pancake, wanting Karl to taste and kiss) but also being mean and spiteful ,on the other hand (throwing the shoes, avoiding the hair rub, that snarky remark about the toothbrush and being hopeful, ugh). Instead of the usual fists-to-chests crying reunion we often see, this is a layered, realistic portrayal of someone hurting inside and wanting to lash back but still caring about the other person.


P.S. Switching of gifts - This was not executed well but why it was included? After some thought, this is an important scene because it foreshadows the time when Karl would eventually come out to his parents.

Well done...Looking forward to S2. I hope Severo will also write more about friendship dynamics in the future.

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Please watch this if you want real gay representation.

Wow. I am in awe of this series. This made my lil gay heart sing. It had everything good that a series containing a gay character should have.
Now listen, it's not by any means a million dollar budget, and there's only 4 characters in the series, but wow it really doesn't need it.

Just watch it the episodes are only 25 mins long, you won't regret it!
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Must Watch

I almost missed this series, glad that I watched it.
This series is quite realistic, which is the best part I liked of the series. I can even go as far as to say its one of the most realistic ones that I have ever watched
It showcases the trouble that the LGBTQ community goes through, the denial, the self-acceptance.
The story contained just the right amount of drama, perfect chemistry between the leads.
The lead actors are both cute and have played their role in a very beautiful and mature way. Their acting, especially for the character Karl's was a bit lacking for eg. half of the time when he cries.
I guess the director did an amazing work in the series, explaining and displaying so many things with so many restrictions.

Coming out is such a big deal, this series showcases the same perfectly.

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It'd give this an 11 if I could

Juan Miguel Severo's script is outstanding. The lead characters have rich backstories and the plot has plenty of twists and turns to keep the momentum moving forward without too much padding from incidental characters. The 8-episode drama is stretched out with musical montages in every episode but at least they further the story. I was a bit skeptical about the movie metaphor, fearing that we'd get the usual gay stereotypes but this actually plays out more like a reality show. The characters and situations ring true to life. The leads have a lot of chemistry together and their kissing scenes are believable. The direction is impressive, with a lot of very sophisticated flashback and dream sequences. The sound design deserves special mention, with a lot of complex elements like sub-sonic tones. I didn't catch any microphone-clothes rustling, which is too common in these low-budget affairs. The low light scenes were a bit dark, I've seen better cinematography in other BL dramas, but the quality was good enough it didn't distract too much from the story. I would have wished for a more romantic scene at the end, but I can't fault the producers for knowing the limits of the target demographic for BL dramas. Most memorable line (used in Episodes 2 and 8) "So why act like I just accused you of a crime?" When Vlad asks Karl if he's gay.

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Gaya Sa Pelikula: When we repress our true selves.

Ufff! This series hit me right in the heart with its ending. I didn't expect it but I felt "something" in me that sensed that ending ... I'm getting ahead of myself.

A series that I really liked. You can see the chemistry between the main actors (Paolo & Ian) and although I don't know much about acting, as a spectator they fulfilled the task in their roles. I identified with Vlad and Karl. I understood the conflicts of its characters I understood the ending. I didn't like it but I understood why. As a foreign spectator, the movie posters caught my attention and I immediately realized that they are recreations of posters of famous Philippine movies and I was able to identify the one from the movie LSS, which pleasantly surprised me. On this side of the pond, the television media also do the same.

Here I stop because I must emphasize the music, and it really is another implicit protagonist within the series. She stratospherically elevated the most relevant scenes of the series, and many tears escaped my eyes ... Bravo!

In short, a great series that knew how to take advantage of its actors, dialogues and with a high production value in the style of large entertainment companies. It is worth seeing again, while the second season arrives.

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