NOTHING COULD MAKE ‘Northern Lights: A Journey To Love‘ shine as a film, even at a time when we’re longing for good Filipino films to watch. Not even the well-loved (yet controversial) Piolo Pascual.

The film isn’t without a good story to tell — its conflicts are enough to carry a two-hour runtime — but a lot of faulty lines, not-quite-there acting, and flawed storytelling make ‘Northern Lights‘ just another commercial film.

Synopsis: Charlie Sr. (Pascual) is a Filipino immigrant in Alaska living a carefree life. That changes when he’s tasked with caring for his estranged son, Charlie Jr. (Raikko Mateo), whom he’d left behind in the Philippines. As he struggles to become a real father to his son, Charlie crosses paths with Angel (Yen Santos), a quirky Filipina who went to Alaska to find her lost mother.

Directed by Dondon Santos, ‘Northern Lights’ has plenty of good values to offer, yes, but it fails to land what it’s trying to say any deeper in its viewers’ hearts.

Should. There. Be. Viewers.

When we watched the film during its second day’s last full show at Trinoma on Thursday (March 30), there were only five of us inside the theater. That’s too empty for a Piolo Pascual film, let alone one from Star Cinema-Regal-Spring Films.

Was it the timing? The lack of charisma? The tandem? We don’t know. But after watching it, one thing is certain: ‘Northern Lights’ is far from being a good Filipino film worth raving about.

As much as we’d rather not lean on star power and focus on acting ability instead, it’s safe to say Yen Santos wasn’t quite up to the role. Santos is pretty, and there are moments you’ll love her in this, but her acting doesn’t match the polish Pascual and Mateo bring. In nearly every scene, the chemistry we expected just isn’t there, and at times, they even fail to connect with each other’s characters.

The film does have its moments — great ones, even, of love, hate, and unresolved conflict. The frames showing the father-and-son dynamic between Pascual and child actor Mateo are its true gems.

Mateo, whose character is the heart of the film, does very well here.

Maricar Reyes was stellar, and most of the supporting cast holds up well. The location is perfect, but not even Alaska and its beautiful northern lights can save the film on their own.

The build-up was solid but falters somewhere in the middle, and the ending never quite lands strong.

If ‘Northern Lights’ has done one thing well, it’s making its viewers want to visit Alaska for the views — and yes, to experience the majestic Northern Lights themselves.

Will Filipino viewers embrace this film? We’ll find out this coming weekend.

Rating: 5/10 stars
Verdict: Watch but don’t expect too much.