First Taste

Yuna is engaged to Nicco and imagining a steady future, until her first love Becca comes back into her life and complicates everything. The renewed contact brings old feelings to the surface and forces Yuna to reconsider what she wants, without offering easy answers. She spends time with both partners, comparing the comfort and certainty of her current relationship with the intensity of an earlier romance. The story follows her personal reckoning as memories, desire, and practical concerns intermix, and she tries to choose a path that feels true to herself while honoring the people involved. Scenes move between present decisions and recollections of their youth, which keeps the tone intimate and emotionally grounded. Small gestures and choices matter deeply.

Released in 2024, First Taste was directed by Roman Perez Jr. The film stars Angeli Khang as Yuna, Robb Guinto as Becca, Matthew Francisco, Susan Africa, and Audrey Avila, featuring a mostly Filipino cast mixing emerging talents and seasoned veterans.

First Taste has not received major international awards or high-profile festival prizes, and there are no widely publicized Oscar or Golden Globe nominations. It has been noted by some local critics and viewers for its performances, though that recognition has not translated into formal awards so far without broader recognition.

Critical response was mixed, reflected in a modest audience score near 5.06 out of 10 from early votes. Reviewers commented on its intimate character work, the tension between past love and present commitment, and its attention to identity in relationships, while some noted uneven pacing and tonal shifts and subtlety.

While not a mainstream breakout, the film prompted conversations among viewers about representation of same-sex relationships in contemporary Filipino romance cinema, and frequently sparked praise for Angeli Khang's lead performance and the film's low-key, personal tone. Audiences shared thoughts online, sparking small community conversations beyond release in blogs and forums.