‘Sisa’ Review: Powerful and haunting, boasts a plethora of talents

 

‘Sisa’ Review: Powerful and haunting, boasts a plethora of talents

March 9, 2026 By Nazamel Tabares

 

More than the film being Hilda Koronel’s comeback, which is great, she’s exceptional in it, as always, but as the story progresses, I’m in awe of the performances of its ensemble as a whole. Koronel, with Eugene Domingo, Jennica Garcia, Angellie Sanoy, Barbara Miguel, Jorrybel Agoto, Kobie Brown and Tanya Gomez, the film boasts a plethora of talents, of course, including its director, Lana.

 

It’s a marvel to watch these talents portraying characters that are specifically written to present different types of people in society. From the restraint in their characters from the start, accepting their tragic fate at first, and then leading to how they break from their shackles and put matters into their own hands, the film becomes a one remarkable cinematic experience.

 

The cinematography is beautiful. Lana’s use of long shots is purposeful, and the change from a landscape to a square aspect ratio shifts the perspective, giving the story the intimate, raw feeling of found footage recorded by someone within that era. The framing of every scene is perfect to highlight not just the performances but also the dialogue the characters say.

 

I was surprised the film isn’t as slow-paced as Lana’s previous serious dramas. ‘Sisa’ is an entertaining, immersive and powerful drama that will leave you in awe because of its story, powerhouse cast and how it is told. This is Jun Robles Lana at his best, controlling how every scene is perceived and presented, and demonstrating a masterful command over its narrative that keeps the audience glued to the screen from start to finish.

 

PELIKULA MANIA: ‘Sisa’ Review: Powerful and haunting, boasts a plethora of talents - https://pelikulamania.com/2026/03/09/sisa-review-powerful-and-haunting-boasts-a-plethora-of-talents/

 

 

 

 

Sisa (2025) by Jun Robles Lana Film Review

 

Sisa (2025) by Jun Robles Lana Film Review

Instead of a genre movie, we got a historical lesson and a political pamphlet

 

Marko Stojiljković

November 26, 2025

 

For a movie to defy the expectations is not always easy. Sometimes the reason for that lays in our own inability to disregard them in order to approach the film in an honest, fair and square way. Reviewers bear some power and responsibility that comes with it, but we’re all humans after all. In that regard, marketing and PR come as powerful, but ultimately a dangerous tool – if used in a wrong way, it backfires and does the damage.

 

Case in point: Jun Robles Lana’s newest film “Sisa” that has just premiered at the official competition of Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn, Estonia. Sold as a war movie and a revenge thriller set just after the American takeover of the Philippines from the Spanish, it turns out to be something else entirely, and not in a good way.

 

That should be clear from the get-go, since the filmmaker opens the film with a series of info-cards that give us a politicized historical lesson on a pretense of providing some context. The theme is the American occupation of the archipelago in 1899 following the war with the Spanish who ruled the islands for the previous three centuries. Americans have established a reign of terror, executing hundreds of thousands of men and putting women and children in concentration camps. While there were still some fighters trying to resist to the new colonial oppressor from the jungle, the fear of revenge was great and the rest of the population suffered. (At this place, one can’t help asking a question whether the previous Spanish or the subsequent Japanese occupation were any better or milder from the Filipino point of view, but let’s not go down that alley.)

 

Anyhow, a nameless and seemingly aimless traumatized woman (Hilda Koronel) walks into the fenced village going straight to the guard tower without saying a word. The American soldiers are about to shoot her, but the women from the village beg them to spare her life. The woman does not remember her own name, but gets a new one, Sisa, after a crazed character from a popular book. Simmering with anger that could explode to rage and fury, Sisa observes the proceedings in the village: the openly racist attitude from the camp military commander and the condescending one from the teacher (Isabel Lamers), the pedophilia from the soldiers, the different survival tactics adopted by the different women in the village, from open defiance to accepting the role of the concubines in order to make something for themselves, which almost always results in rivalry and conflict among them.

 

Given that the men coming to the village to trade goods or to pass the message are no less opportunistic and abusive, one might wonder not if, but when will the titular character lead the rebellion against the cruelty world. Alas, that does not happen, so, instead of a genre movie that we are promised, we get two hours of thinly veiled historical lesson from a raging anti-colonial and pretend-feminist perspective garnished with a dose of torture porn to make a point. Basically, a pamphlet.

 

The acting is underwhelming throughout, given that the cast members usually deliver some rigidly written lines in an amateurish way with more or less theatrics. One noble exception is Hilda Koronel, whose character rarely speaks, so the actress has to use her facial expressions and posture as tool more often, which she does quite well. The same applies to Isabel Lamers, who has enough experience and instinct to make something out of her character. The choice of the actors to play the American soldiers is quite questionable, as it seems that it consists of amateurs that never acted for camera before, although it might be a deliberate statement.

 

From such a modestly budgeted movie, no one could expect some high production values, but the production design is basic rather than minimalist and the costumes seem lifted directly from a local theater troupe. Some saving grace might be found in Carlo Mendoza’s cinematography, but not for the reason of the cinematography itself, but simply coming from the outdoor locations that could pose as the scenery from a western, adventure or a war movie.

 

“Sisa” is a highly underwhelming experience, but what frustrates the most is that there was the way for it not to be the case, and that way was pretty obvious. Even on a shoestring budget, adopting a genre approach of a war action movie or a period-set revenge thriller flick would result in a better movie and in a vehicle that could deliver the message in a way that is both more elegant and more loud. It had the character, it had the setting, but its filmmaker might have lacked both courage and skill to do so.

 

Asian Movie Pulse: Sisa (2025) by Jun Robles Lana Film Review - https://asianmoviepulse.com/2025/11/sisa-2025-by-jun-robles-lana-film-review/

 

 

 

REVIEW: 'Sisa' is a powerful story of madness in a time of war

 

REVIEW: 'Sisa' is a powerful story of madness in a time of war

By Mikhail Lecaros

Published Feb 26, 2026 3:19 pm

 

 

Jun Robles Lana's Sisa takes place in 1902, three years after Spain's infamous ceding control of the Philippines (along with Guam and Puerto Rico) to the United States after losing the Spanish-American War. For a people who'd been promised independence from colonial rule before the treaty, the betrayal led Filipinos to rise against the Americans in one of our nation’s bloodiest chapters.

 

Sisa opens with Hilda Koronel's (Insiang, The Mistress) titular madwoman approaching the outer perimeter of a concentration camp, where Filipino survivors of the ongoing genocide live in brutal conditions under the watch of American soldiers. Forced to live in the compound, Sisa assimilates into life with the local women, performing menial tasks for the colonizers. As the days progress, we learn that Sisa's madness belies a keen analytical mind, constantly observing the camp's goings-on to fulfill an unknown agenda. By the time we reach the film's climax, nobody in the camp will ever forget the name of Sisa.

 

While far from the battlefields of Heneral Luna or Sakay, the conflicts depicted here are no less brutal or provocative—from Eugene Domingo as a wife robbed of her husband and sons, to Jennica Garcia’s Leonor carrying on an illicit relationship with the garrison commander, experiencing the war through the traditionally marginalized female lens gives it a perspective rarely seen in the genre.

 

Koronel is the main draw here, and with good reason—despite this being her first onscreen role in thirteen years, you wouldn’t know it from her performance. With Sisa remaining purposefully mute for the bulk of the film, Koronel’s legendary ability to convey character through body language and facial expressions is on full display. Introduced as a near-silent amnesiac, the moments where Sisa does use her voice are made all the more impactful.

 

Domingo reunites with her And the Breadwinner Is… director Lana to deliver a solid turn as a broken matriarch, her overwhelming distrust of the occupying forces being justified in the worst possible way. Garcia's character is decidedly more complex, fraternizing with the enemy in every sense, blinded to the Americans’ atrocities by a woeful combination of self-delusion and naiveté.

 

While the script takes a definitive stance on the morality (or lack thereof) of the events taking place, it largely avoids placing judgments on its characters for their actions. Given that few, if any, of the people watching would have found themselves in similar circumstances, it’s difficult to say what one would do in any of these characters’ places. It’s a question that Lana’s screenplay asks of the audience, while leaving the answer entirely up to interpretation.

 

At the media conference immediately after the preview screening, Lana shared that his intention wasn’t to present history as it was, but to place his narrative in a representation of the time period—an experience heightened by non-diegetic sound design, costume choices, color grading, and computer-rendered skies that enhance the shooting location’s landscapes. This may not be an entirely accurate historical recreation, but the questions posed by the story are endlessly relevant.

 

By the time we reach the bravado final act, the tension reaches an almost breathless intensity, anchored by everything we’ve learned about these characters and their respective situations. If one had to nitpick, it would have been nice to see some of the scenarios discussed, though that's more a question of resources than anything else; what we’re given here is rendered no less compelling by their absence.

 

Overall, the film is a fascinatingly raw take on one of the darkest periods of Philippine history, told from an angle that demands conversation. That the Filipinos of the time were subjugated goes without saying, the fact that divisions and marginalization existed and continue to exist gives the film its core. It’s an intriguing dilemma, and one well worth exploring further.

 

Long live the revolution.

 

Philstarlife: REVIEW: 'Sisa' is a powerful story of madness in a time of war - https://philstarlife.com/geeky/682635-review-sisa-film#

 

 

SHE’S ANGRY: In ‘Sisa,’ The Women Lose Their Shit

 

SHE’S ANGRY: In ‘Sisa,’ The Women Lose Their Shit

Female rage is the heart of this revenge drama, but is it enough to fuel the entire movie?

 

By Mel Wang

March 05, 2026

 

Sisa is an all-women affair.

 

Director Jun Robles Lana’s historical thriller, set in the final days of the Philippine-American War, features a notable lack of men among the major ensemble. Yes, male American soldiers patrol the village they’ve turned into their headquarters, and yes, male commanders with their male Filipino rebel counterparts call the shots when it comes to deciding the war’s outcome. But their military machismo largely unfolds on the periphery, and it’s nowhere near as compelling as the intrigue stirred up by the women of the village.

 

The women of Sisa have their own problems to think about. Delia (Eugene Domingo) is busy fretting over her 13-year old daughter Nena (Angellie Sanoy), who’s spending too much time with a young, trigger-happy American soldier. Ofelia (Tanya Gomez) can barely leave her bed after the capture of her husband, the village leader. And they, along with the other women of the village, are united in their distaste for the young widow Leonor (Jennica Garcia), who spends her evenings warming the bed of Commander Harrison (Kuya Manzano) — allegedly. Sharp glares, side-eyes, and well-timed sarcasm all color how the women make their dislike known, and it is a delight to watch them bicker and squabble as a way of distracting themselves from their shared grief.

 

Things change when a seemingly deranged woman (Hilda Koronel) wanders into town. They immediately welcome her into their fold, naming her Sisa after the madwoman of Noli Me Tangere (a little on-the-nose there, ladies, but alright). Quiet, stoic, and prone to bursts of anger, Sisa is quickly labelled the town lunatic and left to her own devices. But underneath her guise of madness, Sisa’s out for revenge, and she’ll stop at nothing to get even with the Americans who ruined her and her family’s lives.

 

Focus on the Rage

 

There’s no denying that Koronel is a formidable actress, even after 14 years away from the silver screen. Her movies with the late National Artist for Film Lino Brocka firmly planted her in the national spotlight, from Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang, to Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag, to Insiang. And in Sisa, she does not disappoint. With far less dialogue than her female co-stars, Koronel infuses her stares and body language with a rage so great that it’s a wonder that no one realizes what Sisa is up to. Whether she’s visibly shaking as she walks by the American soldiers or frowning at Leonor as she claims, for the nth time, that the Americans are good, Sisa’s definitely seething over how the Filipino people have traded one violent colonizer for another.

 

But while Sisa’s trying to keep her rage in check, the same cannot be said for the women around her. Domingo, in particular, excels at portraying a mother just one push away from a downward spiral. A skilled actress in both comedy and drama, Domingo doesn’t shy away from throwing shade, sobbing, and threatening murder, sometimes all in the same breath. Delia may start off quietly grumbling about how the Americans took everything from her family, but when the last push inevitably comes, we can’t fault Delia for finally picking up an axe.

 

Sisa is at its best when it’s shining a light on female rage, but these moments are, unfortunately, too few and far between. Instead, we get the usual narrative of Filipinos versus colonizers, when the real and more compelling threats come from within. We already know that the American soldiers do not have the Filipinos’ best interests at heart, and we already know that the war doesn’t end in the Philippines’ favor. So it is the in-fighting and the intrigue that keep us watching Sisa, because we do not yet know how things will end for this one particular group of angry Filipino women.

 

But do these women get what they want in the end? By the time the final act comes around, most, if not all, of them, are looking for some form of retribution. As a director, Lana has laid more than enough pieces of their stories down to show that they are no longer satisfied living under a new colonizer’s regime. All he needs to do is complete their arcs in a finale that he’s carefully spent the last two hours building towards.

 

And Lana grants us this pay-off, albeit not with any grand, final showdown. Just like his past dramas (most notably Mga Kuwentong Barbero, which also features Domingo as a grieving, spiraling woman), Lana ensures that each of his main ensemble cast members gets the vengeance they long for, regardless of the consequences.

 

If Lana’s goal was to create a historical thriller with female rage at its core, Sisa more than delivers. It leaves no easy messages or morals with its audiences by the time the end credits roll, and it asks us only to consider how far is too far when faced with a tempting chance at revenge.

 

Rolling Stone Philippines: In ‘Sisa,’ The Women Lose Their Shit - https://rollingstonephilippines.com/culture/philippine-cinema/sisa-hilda-koronel-movie-review/

 

 

‘Sisa’ review: Hilda Koronel delivers a haunting comeback in feminist wartime drama

 

‘Sisa’ review: Hilda Koronel delivers a haunting comeback in feminist wartime drama

Fred Hawson

Published Mar 05, 2026 11:29 AM PHT

Updated Mar 05, 2026 11:39 AM PHT

 

A strange woman (Hilda Koronel) wandered into an American camp led by Commander Harrison (Kuya Manzano). Her odd behavior made everyone assume that she had gone insane probably due to severe trauma she experienced during the war between Filipinos and their American oppressors. The American school teacher Ms. Warren (Isabel Lamers) suggested that she stay in the house of townswoman Delia (Eugene Domingo) and her precocious 13 year-old daughter Nena (Angellie Sanoy).

 

The woman did not know her name nor where she came from. Nena suggested that they called her Sisa, after the woman who went mad in Dr. Jose Rizal's novel. Sisa worked with Delia and the other women of the town, like Rita (Barbara Miguel), Cedes (Jorrybell Agoto) and Gloria (Janina Mendoza) in keeping the garrison clean. She also met Ofelia (Tanya Gomez), the wife of the imprisoned town captain Cardo, and Leonor (Jennica Garcia), a pretty young widow whom Harrison ("Eddie" for her) had taken as a mistress.

 

With that iconic name as the title, the automatic assumption is that this movie would be about the tragic character on Dr. Jose Rizal's "Noli Me Tangere," the mother who went mad when she could not find her two altar boy sons named Basilio and Crispin. Within a few minutes from the start of the film, we realize it was not about that familiar Sisa at all, but another mad woman just named after her instead.  The story was also not set in the correct time period in Philippine history as this Sisa existed during the American occupation.

 

It is best if you go watch this film without knowing more about who Sisa was, so I won't go any further. Suffice it to say that the story revolved around the indignities suffered by Filipinos under the American regime, and there was a secret revolutionary force being organized in the mountains to fight back against the enemy, and restore their lost independence. Writer-director Jun Robles Lana told his story in the point of view of these women who were being treated as lowly slaves, as they were still mourning the deaths of the men in their lives.

 

Prior to this one, Lana had once already told a fictional historical story from a female perspective with "Barber's Tale" (2014), which was set during Martial Law. His star in that film Eugene Domingo is back with an intense dramatic role as Delia. Jennica Garcia followed up her star turn in "Sunshine" (2025) with her subtly nuanced portrayal of the tainted Leonor. Former child star Angellie Sanoy stood out as young impressionable Nena who was learning to speak English, as she was wooed by a American soldier Smith (Kobie Brown).

 

Of course, the centerpiece of the ensemble was none other than Ms. Hilda Koronel as Sisa. Ms. Koronel had been on an extended hiatus since her last film "The Mistress" (2012), so her return to the big screen this year is very big news. Because of Sisa's condition, Koronel had to rely mostly on her facial expressions to get her emotions across at first. However, as Sisa was not really mute, Koronel did get to deliver lines as she interacted with and gained the trust of the other women in town, doing so much within the limits of her character.

 

ABS-CBN: ‘Sisa’ review: Hilda Koronel delivers a haunting comeback in feminist wartime drama - https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2026/3/5/-sisa-review-hilda-koronel-delivers-a-haunting-comeback-in-feminist-wartime-drama-1129

 

 

Class Act: The Restraint of 'Sisa' Offers Satisfaction of a Different Kind

 

Class Act: The Restraint of 'Sisa' Offers Satisfaction of a Different Kind

Hilda Koronel conveys a history of trauma with just her eyes.

by Philbert Dy

Published on Mar 5, 2026

 

(SPOT.ph) Sisa opens with text explaining America took the Philippines from the Spanish, and dealt with any local resistance with a scorched earth policy. The film takes place in a Reconcentrado, a concentration camp meant to separate Filipino civilians from the insurgent forces. Into one of these camps strides a mysterious woman played by Hilda Koronel, who seems to have been driven mad by the horrors of the war. She is given the name “Sisa,” after the character from Noli Me Tangere, and she is made to serve the needs of the camp.

 

The movie doesn’t spend a lot of time on the pretense that Sisa is crazy. Practically from the start, the movie makes it clear that this is a form of subterfuge that allows her to move freely into this guarded territory. Through her, we meet the other residents of the camp: Delia (Eugene Domingo), who is worried that her thirteen year old daughter Nena (Angellie Sanoy) is becoming too close to the Americans; Leonor (Jennica Garcia), who is ostracized for sleeping with the American commander of the garrison; and Ofelia (Tanya Gomez), whose husband was imprisoned for being a spy.

 

A lot of anger, but also restraint

 

There is a plan being enacted, but it largely takes a backseat to the affairs of the camp, where the children are being taught English, and the women seem to exist as servants, in spite of the American promise of freedom. At one point, the women are meant to be pleased that their captors are throwing a ball, and they’re invited to attend. They’re given Western-style gowns donated from Manila, and they are made a sort of spectacle: a pack of savages in finery, supposedly meant to integrate into the American way of life.

 

And so it feels as though the film lights the fuse early, but lets it burn for a very long time. There’s a lot of restraint at play here, as it often feels like more could be happening. There is a lot of anger at play, too, and it wouldn’t be unreasonable to want to see Sisa taking a more active role in taking revenge on the oppressors throughout the film. But the film chooses a more artful path, and while it doesn’t quite provide the same visceral satisfaction, there is merit to the choice. It is, certainly, the classier path, and it largely befits the craft put into the movie.

 

And there is indeed a lot of craft in Sisa. Director Jun Robles Lana, with the aid of director of photography Carlo Mendoza and production designer Jaylo Conanan, fully reflect the madness of war with deliberate artifice. The film calls attention to its own falseness with shifting aspect ratios and a general design that defies the conventions of historical accuracy. Teresa Barrozo’s score is haunting and powerful, and might be enough in itself to recommend the movie as a whole.

 

The eyes of Hilda

 

Of course, Hilda Koronel provides a powerful center to the movie, holding attention on screen with just her eyes, conveying a history of trauma that barely needs to be spoken. Eugene Domingo and Jennica Garcia are great in their respective roles as well. There is a weak link, though: all of the actors playing Americans just don’t rise to the occasion. One might interpret this as part of the knowing artifice of the film, but it’s hard to say that it wouldn’t have been beneficial to cast stronger actors in those roles.

 

Personally, I wanted Sisa to be a little bloodier. Its restraint is admirable, but I think there might have been an opportunity here to break away from the respectability of the historical film and really just deliver on the visceral pleasures of the oppressor brought low through violent means. But clearly, Sisa has other things on its mind; higher minded values that speak of violence that go beyond the edge of a knife, or the sting of the bullet. And it employs incredible craft to do so, delivering satisfaction of a different kind.

 

Rating: 4 stars (4/5)

 

Spot.ph: Class Act: The Restraint of 'Sisa' Offers Satisfaction of a Different Kind - https://www.spot.ph/entertainment/movies-music-tv/sisa-movie-review-a6866-20260305-bsc?ref=home_wgt1-featured_cta

 

‘Sisa’ review: Beyond madness, more than Hilda Koronel’s comeback

 

‘Sisa’ review: Beyond madness, more than Hilda Koronel’s comeback

March 4, 2026

—

Migs Ramos

 

‘Sisa’ is a historical film set in 1902, during the time when Americans and Filipino revolutionaries were at war. It tells the story of the people who became victims of that violent era—most especially the women.

 

Sisa, a name often used to describe a woman who has lost her mind, is portrayed by Hilda Koronel with striking depth. But in this film, Sisa is far more than just a “crazy” woman. She becomes a reflection of pain, grief, and survival. The movie makes you question what truly drives someone to the edge and whether madness is really madness—or simply the result of unbearable suffering.

 

Written and directed by by Jun Robles Lana, ‘Sisa’ feels especially timely for Women’s Month. It is not an in-your-face women’s rights film, but rather a quiet and honest story about women who endured war. In a topic often dominated by men—soldiers, heroes, and generals—women are usually pushed to the background. This film brings them forward.

 

Some may think these stories are familiar, but what we rarely see are the deeper wounds war leaves on women. Whether as mothers, sisters, daughters, or lovers, their battles are different but just as painful. ‘Sisa’ sheds light on these silent struggles. Every female character feels alive, with her own story told through her choices, her silence, and her strength. There is something almost theatrical in the way each woman carries her pain, as if every scene were a stage where emotions are laid bare.

 

None of this would have been possible without the powerful performances of its cast. Hilda Koronel’s comeback is nothing short of remarkable. She embodies Sisa so naturally that it feels effortless, yet deeply moving. Eugene Domingo delivers a strong and heartfelt performance, bringing both intensity and vulnerability to her role as a mother. Jennica Garcia perfectly fits her character; despite sharing that the role was challenging for her, she rises to it beautifully. One can only hope to see her in more period films after this.

 

‘Sisa’ is not just a film about the past. It is a reminder that women have always carried the weight of history in ways we often fail to see. It challenges us to look closer, listen better, and understand more deeply.

 

This is not just a movie you watch, but a story you feel long after the credits roll.

 

Support women’s rights—and women’s wrongs. Watch ‘Sisa’ in Philippine theaters starting March 4, 2026.

 

CinemaBravo: ‘Sisa’ review: Beyond madness, more than Hilda Koronel’s comeback - https://cinemabravo.com/2026/03/04/sisa-review-beyond-madness-more-than-hilda-koronels-comeback/

 

 

REVIEW: Hilda Koronel exceptional in Sisa

 

REVIEW: Hilda Koronel exceptional in Sisa

Eugene Domingo and Jennica Garcia also give outstanding performances.

By Mark Angelo Ching

 

Jun Robles Lana is back in top form with Sisa, his new historical drama that’s akin to his best work, Barber’s Tales.

 

Its story is a powerful reminder that history isn't just a record of men on the battlefield.

 

It is also written by women who fight their battles in the shadows of society, proving that the most profound revolutions often begin with the courage to survive.

 

The movie begins when Sisa (Hilda Koronel), a mysterious woman who is not of sound mind, sneaks into a concentration camp during the American occupation of the Philippines.

 

There, she meets the women who were enslaved by the American military, just because they are related to men who are members of the resistance.

 

The women hesitate to accept Sisa into their fold, regarding her as just another mouth to feed.

 

However, the film soon reveals a compelling layer of storytelling: Sisa’s insanity is a calculated ruse.

 

SISA: CAST PERFORMANCES

 

Hilda Koronel is exceptional in this role, portraying Sisa as a double-crosser who weaponizes her perceived madness to gain access to the camp and coordinate with the prisoners.

 

Her performance is magnetic because of this duality. It easily sits alongside her legendary work in Insiang (1976), Maynila Sa Kuko ng Liwanag (1975), and Kung Mahawi Man ang Ulap (1984).

 

Her presence is immediately magnetic, even from the very first second.

 

The supporting cast is just as strong.

 

Eugene Domingo as Delia and Angellie Sanoy as her daughter, Nena, share a tragic story that really tugs at the heartstrings.

 

The climax of their story also had us on the edge of our seats.

 

Then there is Jennica Garcia as Leonor, a widow who survives by staying close to an American general.

 

While the other women in the camp look at her with distaste, her journey toward self-acceptance is one of the most moving parts of the film.

 

Kobie Brown is the most surprising.

 

The Kapamilya newbie plays a soldier named Smith, a stand-in for colonizers who charm women into submission, only to leave them dry in the end.

 

The role masterfully balances romantic charm with a simmering intensity, representing the insidious nature of colonial abuse.

 

Given Kobie’s low profile since departing Pinoy Big Brother five years ago, his acting prowess is a remarkable revelation.

 

SISA: CINEMATOGRAPHY

 

Aside from the performances, Sisa also excels in its technical aspects.

 

Carlo Mendoza’s cinematography makes the world feel expansive, while Lawrence Ang’s inventive editing keeps the suspense tight.

 

The ending, however, may feel a bit lacking.

 

After a two-hour runtime that meticulously builds the villainy of the American oppressors, the film concludes on a will-they-or-won't-they cliffhanger.

 

And rather than providing the visceral satisfaction of seeing the colonizers get their comeuppance on screen, the antagonists are largely handled in the background.

 

A more definitive resolution—perhaps a final, climactic confrontation or a clearer shot of the survivors' escape—could have provided the closure needed to match the film's otherwise high stakes.

 

Beyond the performances and the technical sheen, Sisa delves into a profound thematic insight: that the greatest strength of the marginalized is their unity.

 

The film argues that when these women finally resolve their internal differences and band together, they become an unstoppable force.

 

It is a study on how collective trauma can be forged into a weapon of resistance.

 

 

VERDICT

 

Overall, Sisa is a strong entry in Lana’s filmography.

 

Since it focuses so heavily on the power of women fighting back against abusive colonizers, it is the perfect movie for Women’s Month.

 

It is a compelling, honest look at a dark part of history that manages to be both a deep character study and a suspenseful drama.

 

Sisa is now showing in cinemas nationwide.

 

PEP.ph: REVIEW: Hilda Koronel exceptional in Sisa - https://www.pep.ph/news/local/191220/review-sisa-a738-20260304