Zaijian, Xyriel, Pepe, JC, and Cherry Pie offer shots of reality in dramedy movie ‘The Last Beergin’
The Last Beergin is the latest round from Cineko Productions and Obra Cinema Productions, the film studios behind Family Matters and Family of Two. Directed by Nuel Naval and written by Mel Mendoza-del Rosario, the movie is a raw and deeply Filipino dramedy that invites audiences to pull up a chair, raise a glass, and ask themselves — How much truth can you really take in one sitting?
How much truth can you really take in one sitting?
The film follows five strangers—each carrying emotional baggage—who unexpectedly find themselves in a moment of connection. As they share a drink, they begin to share something far more potent: their truths. Their stories. Their pain. And in between the shots, something stronger is served: the chance to be seen, heard, and maybe—finally—valued.
Writer Mel Mendoza-del Rosario shared, “‘Yung reality kasi, ako, hindi ako umiinom. So, tuwing may inuman, ako lang ‘yung kumakain ng pulutan. Ako lang ‘yung nakakaabsorb ng kuwento. So through the years, sa mga lasinggero kong kaibigan, naipon-ipon na ‘yan. Sabi ko puwedeng material. That’s how it started.” She also added, “Pinaghugut-hugot ko na yung magagandang kuwento tapos pinagsama-sama ko.” Reflecting on the cast, she further expressed, “It’s a kind of a dream cast! Hindi ko ineexpect na napakaprofessional ng lahat.”
During the production, Direk Nuel Naval and the staff experimented with the combination of beer and gin. He shared, “Habang ginagawa namin ‘yun [‘yung pelikula], ang nakita ko sa kanila yung tao, hindi na ‘yung characters. Parang nag-transform sila doon sa character nila. And that is every time na mag-i-shoot kami. It was a breeze noong mag-i-shoot kami. Para sila talaga ‘yung mga characters nila.” He continued, “Hindi naman talaga sila magkakilala, di ba, personally. So, parang sabi nga, magandang i-mix. Kasi, di ba, parang total strangers, bayon sa pelikula, hindi sila magkakilala, tapos nung nagtagpo, nag-gel nalang.”
What made them work together well?
“As actors, I think kasi professional sila. So ginagawa nila yung dapat nilang gawin. And as persons, sa akin lang, kasi parang, ano yun, ang ganda ng samahan, nagpapag-review, pinagsasabihan nila, ‘oh ganito gawin mo.’ Nagsasuggest sila. So lahat-lahat sila, may kanya-kanya silang input sa characters. Tapos nagsasuggest sila sa bawat isa,” Direk Nuel shared.
JC Santos, one of the leads, also reflected on the challenge, saying, “This is one of those scripts na sobrang hirap gawin. Kasi never kami nag-visual. May mga monologues kami na hindi namin ipapakita flashback visually. So, with words, kailangan namin ipakita sa iyo yun. So, it’s one of those scripts na kailangan namin mag-collaborate. Kasi ang hirap niyan, kailangan namin magkasundo lahat.”
Actress Cherry Pie Pie shared her experience about the character progression, saying, “Actually, yung ganitong klaseng pelikula, so how we’re working on this kind of script, Actually, yun ang pinakamahirap pag sitting ‘Yun ang pinakamahirap gawin. Lalo na, yung sa amin may progression, so kailangan din bantayan yung progression ng characters namin. Especially, yung nagsimula kami yung hindi umiinom pa hanggang sa umabot sa dulo.”
Characters in The Last Beergin:
- Tere (Cherry Pie Picache) — A woman quietly breaking under the weight of caregiving.
- RG (JC Santos) — Emotionally locked and unwilling to speak.
- Isaac (Zaijian Jaranilla) — A young man in love but painfully invisible.
- Sandy (Xyriel Manabat) — A privileged youth masking emptiness with attitude.
- Hilo (Pepe Herrera) — A father running from the family he can no longer face.
In a culture where emotions are often served with laughter and pain is chased with silence, The Last Beergin captures the bittersweet reality of being Filipino in 2025 – emotionally loaded, quietly hurting, and still showing up for one more round.
The Last Beergin hits cinemas nationwide this October 1, 2025.
