REVIEW: Keys to the Heart (Kerwin Go, 2023)

Oct 5, 2023

Keys to the Heart Movie Netflix

Keys to the Heart, Kerwin Go’s Filipino adaptation of the 2018 South Korean movie of the same name, follows a boxer (Zanjoe Marudo) who reunites with his long-lost mother (Dolly De Leon) and autistic brother (Elijah Canlas). With no one to go to after being fired from his job, he will be forced to rekindle with the family he’s been trying to avoid for years.

The film has big shoes to fill in from its source material, and while it wrapped up on a satisfying note, it is very apparent that it’s just trying to tick off a checklist of genre tropes. Oftentimes, Keys to the Heart just wants to impress itself on you, albeit only achieving its strengths on the surface level.


Keys to the Heart Movie Netflix
Photo from Netflix

I wish the movie took even bigger risks for its characters, whose stakes were only revealed in the final act as a surprise. Marudo, De Leon and Canlas delivered great performances, but they can only do so much given the limitations of the material they’re working on – which seems too focused on polishing its form than highlighting the rawness needed for the characters.


Despite its shortcomings, Keys to the Heart is still a good watch. I just really hoped the film would reach even greater heights due to the gravity of its actors.


Keys to the Heart is now streaming on Netflix. 

Comments

  1. capire il https://www.cineblog01.land/ cinema. I più intelligenti non cercano tanto la solitudine, quanto piuttosto di evitare il disordine creato dagli stupidi.

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