Like in the Movies (2020)

BL SERIES WORTH WATCHING FOR

STORY: The story is well-written, of course by none other than Juan Miguel Severo. The script is so brave. The emphasis of saying the word “gay” from the characters which they portrayed makes it so different from other BL stories. Other series only show that a man loves another man, but are not highlighting that they are gay, which Gaya Sa Pelikula wants to convey that being gay should be a normal thing in our society. I love the development of the story especially how the other characters support “Karl” to have the courage to enjoy himself out of his comfort zone expressing who he really is.

ACTING/CAST: The fact that the two lead actors (Ian and Paolo) are portrayed by the same surname (Pangilinan) makes the series more interesting. The two Pangilinans really fit for their respective roles. Ian Pangilinan as Vlad is as hot and charming to be the "manly gay" in the story. He executed perfectly his character as an ideal romantic partner we hope for. Paolo Pangilinan as Karl did a wonderful performance which really connects to the viewers especially to the real life “Karls” out there. The story wouldn’t be successful without the supports. Being an ally is a great help for the members of LGBTQIA Community. Anna, Ate Judith and Uncle Santi are the best allies. And I must not forget to praise how the character Anna is played with so much wisdom from her story and advice to Karl.

MUSIC: Soundtrack of the series are very on-point. Heaven! They really add the feels in every scenes especially the unforgettable moments.

REWATCH VALUE: Given that I watched this in 3 times in 3 consecutive days means the rewatch value is more than 10. And I'm on my fourth times watching this as of writing this review.

OVERALL: This BL series is a masterpiece. Yes, there are flaws in editing and other stuffs but they’re all ignorable. The acting is good considering that the lead actors are just amateurs in a full-length series. I agree that the series is on another level compared to other BL series. Casting an openly gay which is very rare in a BL series makes it more realistic. Admitting as “gay” and saying the word “gay” without euphemism are very well emphasized and another reason why this is different.

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A phenomenal film that deserves to be recognized.

I've never typed a review like this before, so bear with me.
Goodness, where do I begin? As someone who doesn't speak Filipino or Tagalog, I felt like I knew what they were saying with/without subtitles. The acting, production, dialogue, story, chemistry, as well as the ost was just extraordinary. These writers were able to bring a story without those sex scenes or the "it's so easy to come out as gay" or even the "I'm not gay, I am just in love with you" narrative. But instead, they gave truth to the hardships of what it's like to be a closeted gay, and the message "Liberating love and equal right, to every one of us, the real fight is on the outside. We will welcome you when you are ready" is what makes this a beautiful film. Furthermore, 'Like In The Movies' deserves more attention and praise. So, thank you to the cast, writers, and production team for giving us a story that we will always remember.

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Cute, touching, deep. A pearl

This is one of those stories that really make you think. This series is filled with educational messages that are very important. The love story is sincere and it portrays the many difficulties of dealing with your sexuality and the outside world. How complex human heart is and how strong and blocking your fears can become. The weight of the world's judgement outside of the safe walls of your home.

Watching it I felt as if I was a witness to a real-life setting. I was the spectator of something very very beautiful and deep. It all felt extremely soft but, at the same time, full of struggles.

The prom part, where they dance and the environment suddenly changes, was breathtaking. Seriously, that scene was so well shot. It captured me and I rewatched it like three times. Those cuties were immersed in their own world and nothing else mattered or even existed. Because, well, when you're in love, even the world around you can magically change.

Amazing script, very beautiful soundtracks, very good actors. I hope with all my heart that we get a sequel. But at the same time I feel it's ok like this. I wouldn't probably worry anyway, given the great direction of these episodes.

Such stories are pure pearls that can make you reflect more about something and I'm sure they have the power to change some minds too.

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The Truth about Coming Out

Out of all the BL’s I’ve watched this past year, this is the first Filipino drama I’ve watched and it’s been the best thing. Over a short course of 8 episodes, you can see the characters really develop. Unlike some Thai dramas, there is no fetishisation or dark humour of the LGBTQIA+ community. The story seeks to contend with reality and really explain how coming out for many people can be hard. And while some can be brave, others can’t but both these things are ok. This series really touched me as a closeted person, myself and I found myself relating to both Vlad & Karl. I found the acting to be effortless and amazing, the characters to be relatable and real. Overall, I would definitely recommend watching this series!!

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Living your Story on your Terms

Gaya Sa Pelikula's OST is one of the best OSTs in a series or movie. All songs were subtitled so international viewers could understand the underlying emotions of the music.

What I like most about this story is that everybody's flaws and weakness are not judged in an accusatory way. It's like real people, everyone has their good and bad traits. Gaya Sa Pelikula doesn't demonize Karl who is still hanging on the closet door due to fear. Closeted people are still LGBTQ+ individuals and the writer is sensitive to this. Vlad is compassionate, but is out of the closet and is unwilling to live a closeted life and he is entitled to this.

This series is more complicated than it appears on the surface. Questions about coming out and being out, being the lead in your own story and family are given importance. Yes, Vlad's sister, Judit, oversteps and causes a huge problem by backing Karl into a corner. Karl has shown is that when he feels safe, he will tell the truth, like he did to his uncle. He just needs more time than a semester break. Although we heard Anna's story, we didn't hear Judit's. I hope we see what she went through in Season 2.

Hopefully Karl and Vlad will get their HEA in season 2 and they can face their futures together. They have Judit, Anna and Uncle Santi there to support them.

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A very important, touching, and wonderfully made show

This review will start with a spoiler-free section before moving to a more spoiler-y section so you can read it even if you don't want spoilers.

You know when you start watching a show or reading a book that resonates with you on such a deep level that you keep thinking about it when you go to sleep, and it is still on your mind when you wake up the following day? This show is one of them and I did not expect it to be. I will go more into details as to why exactly in the spoiler-y section but suffice to say here that this show completely exceeded my expectations. We (myself and my viewing partner) went into it expecting a well-produced BL drama that we would enjoy. We got that, but we got so much more.

Firstly, the production values are quite high when compared to other dramas we've watched. This is my first foray into Filipino dramas, so I do not know whether it is standard or not, but the job is really well done. The director, JP Habac, who is starting to have an impressive CV and whose film work I will definitely check out, is doing a great job with a very limited setting. This was filmed during 2020 with everything that implies, and they've used their almost single location (everything mostly takes place in the main characters' flat and building with only a few scenes in other places and a lot of conversations happening over videocalls) and limited cast in a very effective way. I do not know whether the show would have looked the same in a different year (maybe it would have) but suffice to say that they've used the limitations in a very effective way regardless. It is only when reflecting on the show after having finished it that we started to think that this might have played a role. There is a very effective use of texts and videos on screen as we have come to expect it in shows nowadays. The only thing, and it is not a criticism more something I want to note just cause, is that Karl really need to think about getting glasses because every time his laptop screen is on screen, it is at 300%. In short it was very enjoyable to watch visually and in terms of sound.

And related to this, I want to give a special shout-out to the playlist for this show which is amazing. I am of the LiveJournal generation, when I would download fanmix curated to fit a fandom with the lyrics printed on the back cover for each song for maximum feels power and this show! This show! Just absolutely deliver with its song choices. Every single song is not only a bop, but the lyrics are there and translated on screen (with the subs) and they all fit SO well. It makes some of the heartbreaking scene even more heartbreaking. I do not know whether Juan Miguel Severo is the one who selected these songs, but whoever it was did a stunning job. I always pay particular attention to the music and it brings me such joy when there was clearly a lot of thoughts that was brought into it. You can find the official OST on Spotify if you search for “Gaya sa pelikula”.

Next, I am moving to the characters and actors. First things first, I loved them all. I am always a good audience and I really want to get attached to the characters that are presented to me and this was the perfect show for that. The two main characters, Karl and Vlad first, are played Paolo Pangilinan and Ian Pangilinan respectively. When looking for this review, I discovered that this was their first acting credit for the both of them and I am absolutely floored. Whoever is the casting director who discovered them should be thanked! Ian seemed to have done theatre extensively and this makes me love his interpretation even more (theatre <3). The both of them have amazing chemistry together and they just work in a way that feels completely natural and believable for their characters. Both characters are really touching, fragile in their own way as we get to know them more and more throughout the series. Judit, Vlad’s sister, is such a good character. The way she always wants to protect her little brother. She is larger than life, she wants to be an ally, she randomly says words and phrases in foreign languages for no reason. I feel like I have met her before. She is archetypal, but in a very real way. Anna, the neighbour, who becomes part of the trio and ships it so hard, who hasn’t as large a part to play, but still gets to have a story and an arc and is also so touching. We only see Sue, Vlad’s best friend, for a few videocalls, but she manages to steal the show for both of those. And finally, Karl’s uncle, who is introduced at the very beginning as “the gay uncle”. While he only appears at the end of the show, the couple of scenes he has with both main characters are some of the most moving and important scenes in the show. He is such an important character for someone who is only in the show very little. I will go into more details about the characters in the spoiler section but suffice to say that none of the characters felt like they were just cardboard cut-out there to only play a single role and deliver line. Even if they only had a part to play in our main couple’s story, they all felt like well-rounded characters with a life outside of this little bubble. I do love good sibling relationships and good friendships and this drama delivers on both of those points so well. Characters start as archetypes and gain very quickly and more and more as the drama goes a real depth.

And finally let us talk about the story. Without going into too much detail here, this story resonated with me in a way I did not expect when I started watching a “oh my god, they were roommates” fake dating story. I expected pining, I expected caught feelings, I expected teasing between them, and I got all of that. But I also got discussions on microaggression, reflections, discussions, and story arcs surrounding internalised homophobia, shame, coming out, expectations that are put on us by our parents. Even some of the ideas and storylines introduced that I would want to be developed more were just right for the 8-episodes of 25-35 min format they were going for. It has a bittersweet ending that works so well and fits the characters and the story arc perfectly. But I desperately want a season 2 because there is so much more I want from those characters. I will be happy with the story I got which gave me everything I wanted and more if this is all I get. But I will be overjoyed if I get a season 2.

/SPOILER SECTION/
Now I will not go into too much detail, but I do want to touch on some spoilers concerning the characters and the story as an addendum to the review above.

There is a tag for this show on this website called “Death of a Sibling” which I will be honest, I did not see coming. The whole scene around this particular topic and the ensuing conversation is a very powerful one and they add so much depth to both characters, outside of their own relationship with one another. I very much want a second season that explores some of the themes developed in that scene.

One of the true strengths of this drama and something I truly did not expect going in was the entire discussion surrounding homophobia, that of others, but especially the one inside of us. I do not always expect BL drama to have discussions about it, but even when I do expect some discussion, I never expect what I got here with one of the best representations of what it feels like to be gay and what one’s journey might look like whether we are talking about Vlad who has always felt like he was gay even if it took time for him to realise what those feelings were and who has been out and proud for a while and does not want to hide anymore, who patiently teaches and listens to Karl. Or whether we are talking about Karl who must face his parents, and especially his father’s expectations for his career and life, and who is deadly afraid of what they might say, who has such deep internalised homophobia, internalised shame, internalised fear that he cannot even be open to himself about what he feels. As someone who is both of these characters, who is out and proud in my daily life and still cannot use the word gay/lesbian to describe myself when talking about it with my mum, I was not expecting to see some of the same feelings and difficulties I feel. I do not think I’d ever seen this particular duality represented on screen so well before. It was a “sans faute”, a flawless performance and this is what we mean when we say we want people behind the camera who understand what it means. Who understand that the journey to accept yourself is a long and difficult one and that you sometimes are not at the same phase of your journey and that does not mean that you do not love each other. Gosh do I want a second season to explore this journey more.

I also want to mention the importance of Karl’s uncle, Santi, who presents the point of view of an older gay man and a support to both leads. His discussion on the differing journeys that different people have when it comes to their identity that I mentioned in the paragraph above is something that I have not seen in fiction before. The focus is always on coming out, on living your truth to the world, and this drama very much is about this also, but it is important that this happens on one’s own timeline and when one is ready to live their truth in the open and not as soon as possible to please allies. I could write pages and pages on what it means and how important it is, but I am so happy that a show for a teen/young adult audience is presenting such a true, beautiful story and I desperately want more of it.

In conclusion if you have made it this far, please watch this show! It is SO, SO worth it and it deserves to get the largest audience possible.

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The series has a simple story, easy to watch but has its own message. Some things in the series are subtle and doesn't really explain much but the more you rewatch it the more you'll catch the glimpse of it. Example: Arki took the gift of Vlad. So Vlad opened the family picture of Arki instead, We'll only know this because Arki mentioned something about the "jockstrap", sad thing is they haven't shown the reaction of Arki's family opening their present during Christmas Eve, which is acceptable considering the Pandemic. The more you rewatch the series the more you'll understand each character especially Arki.

Although I'd like to know the insight of Vlad in the movie "Y tu mama tambien", in which in the ending the 2 male lead kiss then went separately they met once after but never meet again. On Vlad's Perspective the kiss has a meaning while Arki is unsure, which I think also happens to both Arki and Vlad. When Vlad and Arki kiss, Arki is unsure about the meaning while Vlad is sure after sometime they meet again but Arki talk about wanting to change the ending so he change their ending because at some point if Arki doesn't want to change it Vlad and Arki may never meet again (same as the 2 leads in Y tu mama tambien)

On the 8th Episode, Arki talk about changing the how their night ends on Episode 7. What he did is he relive the night of Episode 7, he set up the projector and watch the video of him and Vlad with some bystanders, there is a woman to their right, which means Arki came out their dimension in the end.

What I'm amazed about is how they were able to use a single place to deliver a good series. Hopefully the pandemic ends soon so we could see more of this series.

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breath of fresh air

this is my first Pino BL drama and what can i say... quite a few commenters have mentioned this, as a "must see" and thought WTH as is wasn't fairing well with the regular drama's or BL's (finding reasons to drop them cause of "reasons"...) but have to say, hooked from the sec it started :D
donno the actors and how experienced they r - but they brought their A-game. it was fun and funny, light where it needed to be and yet it dealt with real life issues, in a mature way.

but for me the best part was no overly sexualized B.S passed of as gay romance and more importantly, there was respect shown for each individual, in that partnership, no invasion of boundaries or forcing unwanted advances.. for sure the one interested didn't get his crush blind-drunk and then "oopsh" they woke up gay and loving it...

even the kissing scene's were so natural and sweet it didn't feel cringey, like watching someone who wasn't comfortable being forced into a intimate scene. even their body-language, showed comfort and kinship. as a viewer watching this made my soul smile. cause it felt like they were a real couple, not as if i was watching actors being forced into uncomfortable situations.
this was just good and for sure a rewatch! donno if there's gonna be a season 2, and considering how it ended - there is more then enough ways to develop this.. would be happy either way -
from start to finish Karl was my favorite, so i for one would hope / be happy i get to see him grow and find the strength with-in himself to explore his new found sexuality and stand-proud.

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Not my kind of drama to watch

I read some reviews before watching this drama, and I think most of them were overrated. I don't think this was a great drama, either because it was overrated or perhaps it just didn't suit my personal taste. The story line was too simple, sometimes predictable, and there wasn't a moment when I became curious to know what was going to happen next. Fortunately, it only had 8 episodes, so I could just bear until the end.

First of all, I didn't quite like the supporting characters. Vlad's sister was so annoying, always assuming things, but never listening to what people have to say. And yet she gets mad when she finds out her assumptions were wrong. Anna was also another character which could be ignored or taken out of the drama. For me, it just did not matter whether Anna was there or not there. Through the early episodes, we also hear a lot about Karl's uncle. The when the uncle appeared, I was so disappointed. I thought he would be a strong and powerful character in this story: the uncle who can become a role model for Karl. But it turned out, he was another supporting character with minor significance. I don't think I can give these three supporting leads high points for their acting. For me, they were so mediocre.

Ian Pangilinan and Paolo Pangilinan did their best acting, but still I feel the characters were not that interesting enough to make me feel emotionally involved. Not once did I feel like laughing or crying, not even curious to ask "what next?", while watching this drama. The building of the romantic relationship also seemed to run so quickly without particular conflicts or drama, except the usual feelings of uncertainty which happens in any kind of relationship.

I liked the music soundtrack though. Many of the songs were great, and were given subtitles in English, so I understood the lyrics in relation to the story, but the visuals sort of spoiled the mood. It could have been made different. Instead of just having the main leads dance, they could have made more dramatic or romantic scenes.

I had already watched Gameboys before watching this, which became one of my favourite BL dramas. I have also seen a few Filipino gay-themed movies before this (way back in the 1990s and 2000s) and many of them were great. But this drama did not particularly touch me in one way or another. If there was a Season 2, I'm not sure I would want to watch it.

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Give it up for the Philippines!

As one who have recently entered the BL world have quickly observed that amongst the tonne of shows out there it's hard to find an actual good one so ll I'm gonna say is thank you to the whole creative team for this gem.

Just goes to show that it doesn't matter if you only have a small budget when you have such good writing. A great plot with 5 on screen characters, filmed in one small location. Excellent.

I honestly consider it a legitimate LGBTQI+ series because it is far above the standard of the typical mediocre/unrealistic/problematic BL show to be regarded as such

Oh and the MUSIC!

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Raw and Real

I will be the first person to say I enjoy BLs. I tend to watch Thai BLs which are generally cute and fluffy and easy to watch. Bonus are the few that have genuinely good messages and ideals. They also tend to be full of tropes and there are a fair number of them that have problematic ideals or are just problematic in general. This drama, however, doesn't just break that mold, it shatters into a million pieces. This is what BLs should aspire to be.

With Karl and Vlad, we get two very different perspectives of their sexuality and identity which is what the story focuses on.
-Vlad has known he's gay from a very young age whereas Karl has never had the freedom to really explore his sexuality or identity until he spends the semester break on his own. And for each of them, its a different journey. Vlad blamed the fact that he was gay for his father's leaving the family. He felt that he had failed in his purpose to save his parent's marriage. He thought his mother was ashamed of him being gay. It was a hard journey for him to become comfortable with himself and find pride in his identity and sexuality and once he did, he wasn't willing to go back into hiding, and rightly so. He's come to a point where he's not only proud of who he is, but he's able to educate others. When Karl flounders, dancing around the word "gay", telling Vlad that he doesn't look gay, rather than getting angry or defensive, Vlad gently corrects and guides him and Karl learns.
-For Karl, he's been living his deceased older brother's life for his entire life instead of living the life he wants, studying architecture instead of film like he wants. Fear rules his life, fear of telling his parents that he wants to transfer majors, fear of his feelings for Vlad, fear of his own sexuality, fear of what others will think, fear of the outside world. This drama highlights just how incredibly hard it truly is for someone to come out. Its not all sunshine and roses, even when they know the people around them will support them, coming to terms that their sexuality and identity does not match what society deems as "normal", that they are faced with telling family and friends who may or may not be supportive, that has to be terrifying. And I feel like they portrayed that so realistically here. But Karl does start facing his fears, little by little, first by telling his parents that he does want to transfer majors and then at the end, with Anna's encouragement, by going out into the world.
What this drama also highlights is the struggle of relationships where one person is out and the other is not. Despite their love for each other, Vlad and Karl are faced with a situation where Vlad is out and he is, understandably, not willing to go back to hiding his sexuality and Karl is still discovering himself and isn't quite ready to take that step. The scene there towards the end in the condo is bittersweet because of that discrepancy. But the open ending of them together watching the movie outside the condo in the open gives me hope that things will work out for them.

I loved our two female characters of Anna and Judit. BLs tend to do female characters dirty either by using them as objects, fangirls for the leads, or villains to cause conflict. Not the case here. They were both well developed characters with their own stories and reasons behind their actions.
-I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to like Judit at first. Her over the top behaviour and constant line that she was an ally seemed very fake. I didn't think she was a bad person, I just didn't really believe her to be as supportive as she said she was. But when she and Vlad had dinner together and he calls her out and everything unfolds, it suddenly all made sense why she acted the way she did. For the first time, he made her face her actions, the damage that her words had caused, and she finally apologized and she admitted that she was still learning too. It was a really great moment between the two of them. What I also appreciated about her character was that even though they had that conversation, Judit was still Judit, there was no immediate change, she was still over the top, she was still spouting her, "I'm an ally" spiel, which I found realistic. Change takes time. She'll get there eventually.
-For Anna, I also found her to be realistic. If a woman has kids, she's expected to be a mother 24/7, 365 days a year and if she takes a break, for some reason, that's looked down on. That is such a damaging concept, and I loved that Anna realized that she needed a break from mothering and she took it. Her comment that she didn't want to blame her daughter was so powerful. Mothers are human beings too, they needs breaks, they need time to themselves and there should be no shame in taking that time. I think she highlights the fact that just because you become a mother, that does not mean your life is over, you can still have your own hopes and dreams and strive for them. And in doing so. she is being a role model for her daughter to never give up. She was just such an amazing character to me and I loved her.
As a side note, although she wasn't a big character, I also really liked Sue. She was always supportive of Vlad and was someone he could really talk to. She gave it to him straight and was pretty no nonsense which I appreciated.

My favorite dramas are the ones that are like puzzles. You have all these pieces, actions or items that you don't think much of, that end up being part of a bigger picture and in the end everything come together like a puzzle. This was one of those dramas. Things like Vlad not liking his hair touched , the corpse in the closet story and then Vlad finding the picture of Karl's deceased brother in the closet, Vlad having a keychain that was a match to Karl's, there was just so much symbolism, so many little moments that turned out to have a bigger impact, it was fantastically brilliant.

The OST can make or break a drama for me. Music is what brings it all together, makes you feel more deeply, immerses you in the moment. The OST for Like in the Movies was flawless. I loved it. Each song was perfect for the scene it was used for and the lyrics too just fit so beautifully.

Literally everything about this drama was just so well thought out. The credits scenes were absolutely genius. I loved how they showed the progression of their relationship each episode. It was perfect. And the icing on the cake was the quote at the end of each episode. Each one was clearly carefully chosen and I looked forward to seeing them.

This was truly such a beautiful drama. I loved every second of the emotional journey it sent me on. I laughed and cried and came to love each and every one of the characters. I cannot recommend it enough.

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The best series i watched!

Apparently, I never thought that I would be saying this for this series, but this series isn't for everyone. Some people are pointing out flaws, which I guess is understandable. However, when I compare this series to some other shows that I watched this year, this series is of a higher standard than them. I mean, yeah, it's realistic and not what BL's have been giving us for years- but I still LOVED it!

loved it

Apparently, I never thought that I would ne saying this for this series, but this series isn't for everyone. Some people are pointing out flaws, which I guess is understandable. However, when I compare this series to some other shows that I watched this year, this series is in a higher standard than them. I mean, yeah, it's realistic and not what BL's have been giving us for years- but I still LOVED it!

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