Who else is in the mood for love? You can never go wrong with a movie/series marathon for a V-Day celebration because that means you can get all the ‘feels’ right in your own home. And if you’re looking for more to add to your list, Kapamilya stars share their ultimate picks! These movies/series will up the romance if you’re in a relationship, and also warm the heart whether you’re feeling cold this Valentine’s.
Tick that ‘bakit’ list with “My Ex and Whys” which is about a blogger stuck in the past and questions left unanswered (like “Pangit ba ako? Kapalit-palit ba ako?”). She creates a ‘bakit list’ online while her ex-boyfriend publishes a ‘dahil list’ to answer her many ‘whys.’ Perfect for those who need a little push to move on! Filmed in Korea, the golden autumn leaves added more beauty to the already gorgeous pairing of Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano. This movie is Kira Balinger’s pick!
Laugh trip or love trip? Why not have both! Those obsessed with rom-coms can count on Sarah Geronimo and John Lloyd Cruz’s “A Very Special Love” trilogy. The fairytale-like story of publishing hotshot Miggy Montenegro and his assistant Laida Magtalas will never get old! They’ll give you the cutest airport proposal, fireworks date, flash mob scenes, and rain dance! This would have to be Kiara Takahashi’s favorite.
Keann Johnson mentioned another John Lloyd film, “Just the Three of Us,” this time with Jennylyn Mercado as leading lady. It’s about the debonair pilot Uno (John Lloyd) and aspiring flight attendant CJ (Jennylyn), whose escapes from personal conflicts lead them to a one-night-stand. CJ gets pregnant, forcing them to live under one roof. This will surely fly your hearts to a heavenly place of ‘kilig’!
Talking about JLC, it would count as a sin not to remember “One More Chance.” The Bea Alonzo-John Lloyd Cruz magic will never fade! We don’t even need to rehash the plot because, admit it, you know Popoy and Basha’s tale by heart, and you’ve already ugly-cried with them countless times. KZ Tandingan belongs to the solid Popoy-Basha shippers.
But, of course, John Lloyd and Bea are more than just Popoy and Basha. The loveteam royalty has more ‘kilig’-trigger flicks to offer like “Miss You Like Crazy.” Adrian Lindayag likes it best for its plot anchored on destiny, on how the universe conspires to bring two people together – at the right place and at the right time. For Alan (John Lloyd) and Mia (Bea Alonzo), it was a case of attraction at first sight. They instantly clicked like true soulmates would. But, the catch: he is already engaged and breaking up with his fiancée isn’t the best thing to do.
When talking about the most kilig local films, Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo aren’t dubbed the King and Queen of Hearts for nothing! If you dream of falling in love in a romantic city, “Barcelona: A Love Untold” is perfect for you! Aljon Mendoza likes this KathNiel classic for the perfect balance of sentimentality and light moments. Set in Spain, Ely crosses paths with Mia, whose semblance with his past love, Celine, will trigger the grief. Knowing Mia is in trouble and has no place to stay, Ely offered help and that’s how the love story unfolds.
“She’s Dating the Gangster” is the KathNiel gem for teenagers and young at hearts even Juris Fernandez can’t stop swooning over the refreshing tale of Athena and Kenji. Set on a campus, Athena’s playful trick on Kenji backfires. Now, she’s forced to pretend as his girlfriend. And it turns out playing the girl of a gangster comes with more trouble than she’s expected. Moviegoers fell in love even more when the timeless CharDawn tandem of Richard Gomez and Dawn Zulueta made a cameo appearance!
We know you’ll never get tired of George and Primo’s love story as well. KathNiel’s “The How’s of Us” turned out to be a heart-warming, ‘kilig’ tear-jerker, chronicling the real ups and downs of young couples. It’s lit with the ‘feels,’ so lingering you’d end up calling your partner ‘jo,’ which means sweetheart or beloved. This classic is a favorite of Nash Aguas, Keann Johnson, and Bugoy Carino.
In 2019, Kathryn was paired with Alden Richards, and the result is a piece we now consider the highest-grossing Filipino film of all time, “Hello Love Goodbye.” For Karina Bautista, just seeing the seemingly impossible team-up come to life is already magic in itself. Kathryn and Alden’s respective characters, Joy and Ethan, are OFWs with opposing personalities. She’s hardworking and no fun, trying her best to survive and catch dreams for her family, while he’s a happy-go-lucky guy jumping from one relationship to another. Love blossoms between them, but not without a plethora of conflict anchored on responsibilities, dreams, and choices.
Some of the stars we asked mentioned K-dramas as the most ‘kilig’ thing they’ve seen. JC Alcantara chose True Beauty, which is based on a webtoon of the same title. It’s about a high schooler who mastered the art of makeup to hide her real appearance (and somewhat overcome the bullies), and the only boy who saw her bare-faced. Don’t we love dramas that remind us of awkward high school days and the kilig we get from campus crushes?
Yamyam Gucong picked “It’s Okay Not To Be Okay” which is about two brothers who transfer each spring since their mother’s tragic murder, witnessed by the older brother Sang Tae who also has autism. The other sibling Gang Tae, left with the responsibility to take care of his older brother, works as a caretaker in psychiatric wards. While it mostly tackles mental health, there’s also a dash of kilig added in the characters of Gang Tae and Mun Yeong. Their chemistry is so electrifying even while just staring into each other’s eyes!
Rita Avila is into K-dramas as well especially if it has Ji Jin Hee in it. Included in the actor’s list of most heart-sweeping series is “I Have a Lover.”
Joross Gamboa and Roxanne Guinoo also went for K-movies like the iconic “My Sassy Girl” which will have a Pinoy remake. The beloved rom-com is about a college student who gets involved with a sassy young woman.
Other picks include Hollywood classics! Just like Nash Aguas and Zephanie Dimaranan, you’d be all-smiles over the story of an ordinary guy who crosses paths with a Hollywood actress in the good old Hugh Grant-Julia Roberts film “Notting Hill.” Oh, the forever ‘kilig’ confession scene where she said, “I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.”
“Pretty Woman,” another Julia Roberts starrer, has a spell that never fades. Julia and leading man Richard Gere charm us with the story of a wealthy businessman, who hires a prostitute during a business trip. What’s supposed to be just a plain business, weekend thing turns real when they begin to fall for each other. It’s such a rom-com gold classic Regine Velasquez will never get tired of watching it.
Another rom-com beloved is “The Proposal” starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. The chemistry heightens when the pushy boss Margaret halts her deportation by forcing her helpless assistant, Andrew, to marry her. Andrew takes the ‘proposal’ but with some conditions. For Markus Paterson, this one gets all the ‘awww.’
“Titanic” is another treasure to whip out the movie archive. Because when talking about ‘kilig,’ love, and romance, Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet) have it all – shared aboard the passenger liner R.M.S Titanic which actually sank in 1912. The film is so romantic and a real tear-jerker Joseph Marco can get cheesy talking about why it’s his favorite.
If you’re a sucker for anime, Francis Magundayao would suggest “Kaguya-sama: Love is War.” Filed under high school love, the story is about two campus geniuses who can’t confess their feelings.
Another one, picked by Migs Almendras, is “Kimi no Nawa” or “Your Name.” This hit Japanese anime film explores love, time travel, and alternate realities. Village girl Mitsuha and Tokyo boy Taki wake up one day and find themselves in each other’s bodies.
If there’s one ‘kilig’ show Jeremy Glinoga will never get tired of watching, it would definitely be the total charmer, “Friends,” which follows the lives of six friends.
Not just because she’s part of it but Gillian Vicencio would vouch for the ‘kilig’ in “Hello, Stranger.” From a digital series, the adorable story of Mico (JC Alcantara) and Xavier (Tony Labrusca) will be continued in a full-length film adaptation showing for Valentine’s!
Keep this list in handy for some binge-watching date nights with bae!