Before there was a script, there was just a yes. That’s how both Xyriel Manabat and River Joseph describe signing on to “Stuck on You” — director Mikko Baldoza’s entry at Puregold CinePanalo 2026 — after years of half-joking about working together since they first met on Pinoy Big Brother, the long-running reality competition that’s launched a sizable chunk of the current generation of Philippine showbiz. “Yes agad, no questions asked,” is how each of them separately put it.

What they said yes to turns out to be considerably darker than the kilig premise suggests on paper.

The Plot: Heartbreak, a Hit Job, and a Choice

Manabat plays a heartbroken manicurist who takes a job from a hitman — a decision that spirals into a conspiracy where protecting her own family may mean killing the man she’s fallen for, played by Joseph. It’s being pitched as equal parts kilig rom-com and thriller, with individual scenes leaning harder into one register or the other. Manabat’s character is also described as delusional in places, which gives the film room to play with how much of the romance the audience should actually trust.

On-Set Chemistry Is the Whole Marketing Strategy

The film’s rollout has leaned hard into the two leads’ real-life rapport, and it’s working — the poster reveal, teaser, and a same-day feature all landed within the same week and a half, an unusually sustained run of coverage for a single CinePanalo entry this early. The trailer’s most-discussed moment is an intimate bathtub scene between the two, which outlets have framed as evidence of genuine on-screen tension rather than the more common photographed-for-the-poster kind.

Off-camera, both actors describe a relaxed, collaborative set. Joseph has credited Manabat’s professionalism directly, saying she gave him “acting tips” throughout and singling out how she treats crew members on set — a detail that reads as more meaningful than the usual co-star compliment, since it’s coming from someone who watched her work rather than a press junket line.

A Genre Bend for Both Leads

For Baldoza, “Stuck on You” is a chance to prove a rom-com can carry real stakes without losing its lightness — a harder trick to pull off than either genre alone. For Manabat and Joseph, it’s a reunion built on years of anticipation finally getting tested against an actual production, rather than staying a nice idea from their PBB days. Whether the chemistry that’s driving pre-release buzz translates to the finished film is the thing CinePanalo audiences will get to judge first.

Catch It

“Stuck on You” screens as part of Puregold CinePanalo 2026, running September 23 to October 4 across eight Metro Manila venues — Gateway Cineplex 18 in Araneta City (the festival hub), Trinoma, Fairview Terraces, Ayala Malls Feliz, Ayala Malls Circuit, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, and Market! Market! Regular tickets are ₱250, with a discounted ₱200 rate for PWDs, senior citizens, students, national athletes, and Aling Puring and Perks cardholders. A ₱2,000 festival pass covers all seven features plus the student shorts program — passes go on sale September 22 at Gateway Cineplex 18, a day ahead of general on-sale at the other venues.