"The theme of love is universal, regardless of gender orientation." This is how Adolfo Alix Jr., the director of 'Unlocked', the Filipino anthology filmed in 2020 with iPhone about homosexual relationships during the confinement caused by the pandemic in Manila, responded when answering how he came up with the idea of telling these stories.
Scripted by the director himself and Jerome Zamora, each episode of the series, which at the time became the most viewed in the history of the LGBT+ streaming platform GagOOLala, addresses a different queer story, cast, and genre, but they all share the same context: how the Covid-19 pandemic has altered the already difficult lives of the LGBT+ community in the Philippines.
"During the early days of quarantine in Manila, I had LGBT+ friends who were trying to understand the 'new normal' while navigating the realities of the pandemic. So, I thought about developing stories where the pandemic can be a circumstance that prompts us to examine their relationships, like a kind of purge, whether it's physical distance or developing paranoia about the situation."
In the words of the Filipino director, people become more vulnerable to the stressors around them. In the circumstances caused by Covid-19, each individual was able to share more time with their loved ones and, locked in the confines of a limited space, they were able to unlock emotions and realities that put their relationships to the test, while at the same time they faced fear not only of contracting the virus, but also the feeling of uncertainty, often like their relationships.
In this way, the idea arose to create a series in which love would be the link that would connect the nine episodes of the anthology, since its characters reflect a variety of queer relationships that jump off the screen and resonate with viewers.
Family love, romantic love, long-distance love... Although the anthology uses a realistic and bittersweet tone, it shows the strength of human connections with our loved ones in difficult times. That is the main message that the series conveys.
It also reflects the atmosphere of uncertainty that prevailed during the pandemic. With lives disrupted and held hostage by quarantine, people became more vulnerable to the stressors around them, from limited mobility and work-related stress to the complex relationships they have with their partners, family or friends.
Knowing that stories like those reflected in the series are not only specific to Manila or the rest of the Philippines, Portico Media, the group behind GagaOOLala, gave the green light to the project.
With solid performances, in all the stories I liked the script, despite some holes. For example, in episode 4 I didn't understand what really happened to Mr. Greg's husband, whether he died or left home; while in 5, I couldn't understand how Ivan's mother knew what he did for a living and why put it out there that way, but overall it's a great series.
Given the limitations of filming during lockdown, some of the episodes, while fascinating and relatable, are rough around the edges, making them sting even more with thematic pertinence.
The anthology demonstrates that the LGBT+ community's journey is not all sunshine and rainbows. There are many experiences that remain locked in memories and experiences. 'Unlocked' opens our world to the trials and tribulations of a community, already repressed by society, and how they triumphantly overcome them.
The main conflict that the small four-person team led by Adolfo Alix Jr. faced was filming during the confinement. With safety as their top priority, they filmed all episodes using an iPhone, using familiar available locations, and working closely with the actors because they wanted them to be comfortable and safe.
The beautiful and emotional music by Mikoy Morales and Alex Diaz contribute to the recognition that while the stories are framed in the realities of the LGBTQ+ experience, the accessibility issues they address go beyond their niche market.
Each episode has the names of the characters as its title. The debut episode, 'Andrew & Brix', tells the story of a middle-class young man named Andrew (Markki Stroem) who, heartbroken due to a recent breakup, invites Brix (Mike Liwag) on the first night of quarantine, a rent boy she met online, to have a sex encounter. As the night progresses, their conversations open up many possibilities: healing and connection, lust and love… and probably moving on. Is Andrew ready to commit again to someone like Brix?
The episode stars Ardel Presentacion as Andrew's ex-boyfriend.
This episode was followed by 'Calvin & Drake', starring with convincing aplomb by Oliver Aquino ('Tale of the Lost Boys', 'Jino to Mari') and Miguel Almendras (Junjun from the popular BL series 'Hello, Stranger'), two young lovers since college, who are forced to learn good and unattractive things about each other as their increasingly toxic relationship unravels during lockdown.
The third episode, 'Eli & Frankie', the main characters played brilliantly by US-based Angeli Bayani and Angelina Kanapi, is about a young mother trying to reconnect with her lesbian lover who is now living a quiet life abroad.
The fourth episode, 'Greg & Harold', is about an old teacher named Greg (Joel Saracho) who is teaching online classes during lockdown and whose life will change when a young stranger (Ross Pesigan) shows up at his door and asks to borrow money your bathroom for a quick shower.
The fifth episode, 'Ivan and Jack', sees Jerould Golde Aceron (exceptional in his award-winning performance as a hermaphrodite in 'Metamorphosis'), playing Ivan, a boy who, desperate to raise money to bring his mother from Switzerland to house is forced to use his body to get the attention of his clients, since the pandemic makes it difficult for him to have decent job opportunities. When you go viral online for your "noble" reason behind what you're doing, are you caught in a dilemma between right and wrong, as you examine your true motivation behind your actions? Is he really doing it out of love for his mother or out of love for himself? Joining this actor is Evelyn Vargas as Jack.
The sixth episode, 'Kyle & Kyle' tells the story of Kyle (Adrian Alandy), who is trying to finish his script while in quarantine. The young man begins to feel and see strange things in his apartment, even in front of his exact facsimile. Is the double a projection of himself, a figment of his wild imagination, or a manifestation of his psychological breakdown? What follows is a spiral between fantasy and reality. At his side appear Marx Topacio as Jake, and Stephanie Sol as Lani.
Six episodes were initially planned, but seeing the audience's interest in these small but emotional stories, director Adolfo Alix Jr. wanted to expand the number of original episodes to nine.
In this way, the seventh episode, 'Luke & Matt', tells the story of Luke, a young man who loses his father to Covid-19 and now has the opportunity to reconnect with his father's lover. The visit brings back memories and pain that both of them experienced in the past. Can they finally forgive each other and put past sins behind them?
The episode stars Vince Rillon, the Filipino actor who leads the cast of Brillante Mendoza's Netflix series 'Amo' in the role of Luke, and top model Kirst Viray ('Mulawin vs Ravena', 'Ang sa Iyo ay Akin').
The eighth episode, 'Neo & Omar', is director Adolfo's vision of the current BL trend with a teenage romantic story full of nostalgia starring child actor Miggs Cuaderno and Savior Ramos, the son of actor Wendell Ramos, in his first acting role: Neo (Miggs Cuaderno), a shy and mute young man, and Omar (Savior Ramos), a mischievous teenager, are forced to live together by their frontline parents during the quarantine to keep them safe. Their cat-and-mouse banter evolves into a kind of budding bromance, complicated by the accidental possibility of an innocent kiss.
'Unlocked' ends with a very special episode, 'Pancho, Quinn & Ryan,' which marks Markki Stroem's return to the series after starring in its controversial first episode. This episode follows a gay couple consisting of Ryan (Miggy Campbell) and Quinn (Markki Stroem) in an open relationship with Pancho (JC Tan), suddenly faced with a reality during the pandemic: everyone is unhappy with the situation. The "trio" tries to reconcile their feelings for each other. What follows conveys the complexities of the men's complicated relationship that abounds in love, pain, secrets and lies.
Thanks to its popularity and good reception by the public and critics, 'Unlocked' was nominated in the "Best Drama/Feature/Quarantine-Themed Program" category at the Content Asia Awards, part of the Content Asia Summit, one of the leaders of entertainment and events in the sector in the region.
I recommend everyone to see this significant anthology because, in my opinion, it manages to integrate the struggles of the characters in each story into the series as a whole. On the other hand, it shows a side of relationships that resembles real life in the midst of quarantine. Situations that certainly did not romanticize the confinement, and showed a spectacle that thousands of people faced, which is maintaining a relationship, or managing to get out of it, in the context of the pandemic, be it love, family, friendship...