Sapul

Disclaimer: I watched this film purely out of curiosity due to circulating rumors about its low-quality production. This review focuses on its technical and storytelling aspects, not its adult content.

Sapul (2023) suffers heavily from poor editing choices, weak direction, and unconvincing performances, making it a difficult watch even for the most forgiving audience.

The film is filled with unnecessary and dragging shots, such as Jeric Raval's long, aimless walk to the hospital and multiple jeepney travel scenes that add nothing to the story. These sequences feel like filler to meet a runtime rather than serve any narrative purpose.

Dialogue is repetitive and unnatural. A moment involving the sick son's temperature is awkwardly repeated by several characters as if the writers ran out of ways to progress the scene. The musical score lacks emotional depth and fails to elevate any moment. The color grading in the flashback sequences doesn't distinguish itself at all, making them confusing and almost indistinguishable from the present timeline.

Continuity errors are also all over the place, and the overall flow of the story is disjointed, leaving viewers more puzzled than engaged. The acting from most of the cast feels overly rehearsed and robotic, with little authenticity or emotional connection.

That said, Sapul isn't entirely without merit. Christine Bermas, Suzette Ranillo, and especially young Apollo Abag manage to deliver solid performances in an otherwise forgettable ensemble. Abag in particular shows promise and arguably outperforms most of the adult cast.

Graphics and text overlays were poorly executed and often unreadable, distracting rather than adding to the film's message.

In short, Sapul had potential but squandered it with lackluster storytelling, technical missteps, and weak direction. Skip it unless you're curious to see how good acting can still shine in a bad production.