Sometimes, you only realize how good a movie is when you watch it a second time.
That’s exactly what happened to me with Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan. I liked it the first time I watched it, but the second viewing made me appreciate it on a much deeper level.
At first, you might think this is simply a political film. But for me, it is much more than that. At its heart, it is a story about people, families, history, and the wounds that are passed from one generation to another.
The film follows a history teacher, two speechwriters, and a family carrying the scars of the past. Connecting their stories is the Hydra, which becomes a powerful metaphor for disinformation and the repeated lies that slowly consume a nation’s collective memory.
And this is where I think the film really shines.
The writing is intelligent without feeling like a lecture. The dialogues have depth, but the movie doesn’t constantly tell you what to think. Instead, it allows the characters and their experiences to speak for themselves.
I appreciated the writing even more on my second watch because I noticed details and layers in the conversations that I didn’t fully absorb the first time around.
The acting is also one of the film’s strengths. Every character felt authentic and human, like people you could actually encounter in real life. Because the characters felt real, their struggles and the emotional weight of their stories became much more impactful.
What I also appreciated is that the film doesn’t present only one side of the story. It shows the perspective of the victims, but it also gives us a glimpse into the family of the oppressor.
That made the story more nuanced and, for me, more powerful.
Honestly, I’m not super into politics myself. But I think that’s also why this movie worked for me. It didn’t feel like I was being given a political lecture. I was simply watching people deal with history, family, truth, and the consequences of the past.
And that makes the film relatable even beyond politics.
Written and Directed by Dustin Celestino
Starring Dolly de Leon, Mylene Dizon, Zanjoe Marudo, and Jojit Lorenzo
#DollyDeLeon #MyleneDizon #HabangNilalamonNgHydraAngKasaysayan #MovieReview #AnarinaTV