THERE is a reason certain tropes are so common in holiday films. Audiences are hard-wired to find comfort in the familiar: a broken family household, a will-they-won’t-they romantic connection, and last-minute reconciliations. In “Rekonek,” director Jade Castro presents these same tropes through the contemporary lens of the digital age.
After a six-year hiatus since his previous directing effort in “LSS,” Castro expands the cast of characters he focuses on and creates an ensemble where each subplot occasionally intersects with one another.
The film starts off promising enough, with the sun sending out a solar flare that causes a global internet outage 10 days before Christmas, prompting the principal characters to confront their issues and connect on a more intimate level.
The opening narration of “Rekonek” alludes to an alien species observing the human race, likening the internet to a natural ecosystem and framing the film as a documentary that shows how humans survive outside their usual habitat.
“Rekonek” excels in how its screenplay interweaves several storylines into a cohesive whole. However, the overwhelming breadth of characters leaves each subplot feeling underbaked, often failing to explore the larger emotional implications of each conflict.
The film attempts to highlight several issues that are pervasive throughout the Philippines, such as phishing scams, the plight of overseas workers, and wrongful arrests.
However, like its overstuffed cast, the film is unable to delve deeper into these issues beyond the surface level. “Rekonek” hints at interesting commentary, but lacks the necessary depth and dramatic heft to fully explore it.
Despite this, there is something to be admired in how the film does not offer a clean resolution to all of the conflicts. Not every character is absolved of wrongdoing, and not every relationship is reconciled by the end. Many of the actors sell these scenes and give solid, earnest performances, with Gloria Diaz as an elderly widow named Cory being a particular stand-out.
Directing-wise, “Rekonek” is underwhelming as the placement of shots remains static throughout, and the color grading is generally bland and flavorless. The editing is choppy due to a lack of establishing shots that help ground the setting.
“Rekonek” makes for a heartwarming watch during the holidays, but does not leave a lasting impression afterwards. The film draws from universal themes of communal love, family, and togetherness, but fails to find fresh ways to tackle these timeless themes. John Kobe S. Balod
