Kalakal

Angel spends long nights collecting garbage at a city dumpsite while shouldering responsibility for her younger brother, determined to give him a better life. When she takes a side job at a nightclub as an escort, her routine changes from labor to late-night glamour, but old ties don't vanish. As Angel seeks financial security she balances affection for a local man and protection of family obligations that link her to the past. The film tracks her efforts to change circumstances, the compromises she accepts, and the social forces shaping each decision. Scenes move between the dump and the club, and supporting characters bring pressure, temptation, and moments of tenderness without revealing how things finally resolve or whether she achieves peace.

Kalakal was released in 2025, directed by Roman Perez Jr. The screenplay adapts an original concept and leans on intimate, character-driven scenes and textures. Aliya Raymundo headlines as Angel, supported by Gold Aceron, Jero Flores, Divine Villareal, and Zel Fernandez.

Kalakal opened in select theaters and at a few festivals, with a limited commercial footprint. Box office totals weren't widely reported, with the film's audience mostly built organically through word of mouth and regional screenings rather than a wide release.

Critics gave Kalakal mixed to positive notices, reflected in a modest 6.2 average from early voters. Reviewers praised Raymundo's gritty performance and the film's focus on class, desire, and family obligation, while some noted uneven pacing and an uneven script that undercuts emotional payoff for certain subplots, and viewers noted.

Although new, Kalakal sparked conversations about sex work, dignity, and how economic pressure shapes choices. A few scenes and Raymundo's line readings have been shared on social platforms, and local film communities used the movie to open discussions on labor, stigma, and challenges faced by women rebuilding lives, and discourse.