Where to Watch
You can stream Ngayon Kaya on Netflix. It became available on the platform in November 2022.
Production Details
- Director: Prime Cruz
- Writer: Jen Chuaunsu
- Producers: Paulo Avelino, Petersen Vargas
- Production Companies: T-Rex Entertainment, WASD Films
- Cinematography: Carlos Mauricio
- Editing: Benjamin Tolentino
- Music: Len Calvo
- Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Language: Filipino
- Release Date: June 22, 2022
Cast and Characters
- Paulo Avelino as Harold Coquia
- Janine Gutierrez as Amihan “AM” Fernandez
- Alwyn Uytingco as Justin
- John James Uy as Jet
- Donna Cariaga as Charmaigne
- Rio Locsin as Espie
- Joel Ferrer as Angcoy
- Agung Bagus as Brian
- Juan Miguel Severo as Motmot
- Shara Dizon as Grace
- Kych Minemoto as Mikel
- Iana Bernardez as Anastasia
- John Timmons as Arric
- Samantha Lee as Nix
- Brian Sy as Red
- Gabby Padilla as Nina
- Adrianna So as Issa
- VJ Mendoza as William
Plot
Harold and AM, once inseparable college friends bonded by their love for music, reunite after five years at a friend’s wedding. Their past, filled with shared dreams and unspoken feelings, resurfaces as they navigate the complexities of their current lives. Through flashbacks, we see their journey from hopeful musicians to individuals shaped by life’s choices. As they spend time together, they confront the “what-ifs” of their relationship and ponder whether timing will ever be on their side.
Edd’s Takeaway
Ngayon Kaya is one of those films that doesn’t shout at you. It sits quietly, aches softly, and lingers long after the credits roll. It’s not about dramatic declarations or explosive fights. Instead, it captures the slow burn of unrealized love — the kind that creeps into your thoughts years later, during quiet drives or late-night playlists. At its core, this film is a story of “what could’ve been,” wrapped in nostalgia, missed timing, and emotional restraint.
Directed by Prime Cruz and written by Jen Chuaunsu, Ngayon Kaya focuses on Harold (Paulo Avelino) and AM (Janine Gutierrez), two college friends-turned-bandmates-turned-almost-lovers. Their connection is undeniable, but life — in its usual chaotic, inconvenient fashion — keeps getting in the way. What unfolds is not a conventional romance, but a reflection on timing, regret, and the fragility of unsaid feelings.
Paulo Avelino brings a haunting stillness to Harold. He doesn’t oversell emotion, which works perfectly because Harold is not the type to show his cards. You see the tension in his eyes, the weight of things he wanted to say but didn’t. Janine Gutierrez, on the other hand, gives AM this light — this open, vulnerable energy that makes her both radiant and tragically hopeful. Together, their chemistry isn’t explosive — it’s magnetic in a quiet, slow-boil way. Real. Familiar. Painful.
One of the film’s strengths is its nonlinear narrative. It jumps back and forth between the present and the past, letting the viewer slowly piece together what went wrong. This style mirrors the way memory works: scattered, nonlinear, triggered by smells, songs, moments. The transitions between timelines are smooth and intentional, keeping the emotional tension high as you compare who Harold and AM were to who they’ve become.
Now, let’s talk music. This film is soaked in it. From college gigs to mixtape moments, the soundtrack isn’t just a backdrop — it’s a narrative tool. Music becomes a language between them, filling the space where words fail. At times, however, it overpowers. There are moments when the musical montages feel like filler, stretching out a scene that could’ve used tighter storytelling. It’s beautiful, yes. But sometimes, it slows down the pacing and dilutes the emotional punch.
That said, Ngayon Kaya is not trying to be grand or groundbreaking. It leans into subtlety. Its emotional impact doesn’t rely on tropes or clichés — it’s in the looks that linger too long, the silences that say more than dialogue, the hesitation before goodbye. It’s these small, aching moments that make the film deeply relatable for anyone who’s ever loved someone at the wrong time.
This isn’t a love story with a ribbon-tied ending. It’s a reminder that love — no matter how deep — doesn’t always lead to forever. And sometimes, the most devastating romances are the ones that almost happened.
If you’ve ever had a “what if” love in your life, Ngayon Kaya will hit you straight in the chest. Quietly. Deeply. And it won’t let go for a while.
