Synopsis
“5 in 1” is a raunchy Filipino comedy-drama film that revolves around themes of love, betrayal, infidelity, intertwined with reckless romantic relationships. The protagonist, Johnny “Dick” Jordi, is a businessman who gained immense wealth in the health drink sector, and is known for his “5 in 1 Coffee”. Johnny is very charming, but his infidelity and promiscuity is unmatched.
As enthralling as his empire is, Johnny’s personal life is a catastrophe. He is in a romantic relationship with five women, all of whom are completely in the dark about the other women. The film starts with a shocking twist where Johnny is revealed to have died mysteriously at 34. His death sets off a series of events that lead to his five ex-girlfriends meeting for the first time at the funeral wake.
At the wake, they are greeted by Sister Teresa, Johnny’s older sister. She updates the women that Johnny left a will with a clause that one of the five women would inherit his estate and company. However, to determine who deserves the inheritance, they must recount their version of meeting and dating Johnny. Each account is told in the form of vignettes with different tones, humor, and emotions.
Lana Rose’s memories includes the tender reminiscence of being an employee at a coffee shop. Her part of the story highlights a side of Johnny that was caring.
Mia Kalisa, a passionate labor union leader, provides a more aggressive angle of the story, blending Johnny’s shrewd charm with her fight against being softened to a more delicate version of herself.
Maria Osaka, an entrepreneur with some connection to dubious dealings, provides a more stylish, power-driven, and calculating angle to the story of their relationship.
Lexie Laurice portrays a more dark and emotional side of the story. With themes of personal trauma and mental health, a theme of being both a savior and a saboteur emerges with Johnny’s presence.
Riley Res, the most carefree of the group, offers a more comic and risqué angle into her time with Johnny that was much more absurd and erotic.
The juxtaposition of the stories reveal overlapped relationships with Johnny, which ultimately reveal hidden stories about his character and the women. In the end, the women form a reluctant sense of companionship. Their fight against each other might stem from a shared experience, but until the end of the film, Sister Teresa wrestles with a difficult choice of who truly deserves the legacy of Johnny.
The film’s shocking reveal is that Johnny is “alive” in a prerecorded video that reveals that the real message of his will was intended to make the women in his life self-reflect to attain a semblance of closure. The will was never intended to be a monetary gift; rather, a means to make each woman ponder what was important in their lives.
Cast & Characters
Wilbert Ross as Johnny “Dick” Jordi
The film’s main character, Johnny is a successful and flamboyant businessman whose magnetism and charm are heavily showcased in all his scenes. However, as his charm works on the women, his flaws become clearer as they share their stories.
Debbie Garcia as Mia Kalisa
An important and very zealous union leader. Mia’s struggle conflicts as she first resists and then gives in to Johnny’s advances, only to later on feel a sense of betrayal.
Rose Van Ginkel as Lexie Laurice
A young woman battling emotional and psychological trauma. Lexie’s story is much darker and poignant, showcasing the film’s raw, emotional moments that reveal Johnny’s manipulative tendencies.
Jela Cuenca as Lana Rose
A gentle and hopeful protagonist, Lana Rose is a coffee shop cashier who idealizes Johnny as a true love. Her segment features the film’s most romantic and classically feminine moments.
Ava Mendez as Maria Osaka
A powerful businesswoman with a sharp, dangerous edge. Her story showcases Johnny’s manipulative business dealings as well as the transactional nature of their interactions.
Angela Morena as Riley Res
A light-hearted, spontaneous individual who provides moments of laughter and captures stories with bold honesty. We all need a perspective that reminds us to not take life too seriously.
Giselle Sanchez as Sister Teresa
Johnny’s sister, who also oversees the execution of his estate, serves as a story arbitrator with deep bias and partiality to her own views.
Direction & Production
G.B. Sampedro, who is known for his work in adult and comedic cinema, directed “5 in 1.” His satirical style is intense, and he adds irreverence to the story, showcasing each woman’s tale in their own unique, over-the-top way—from slapsick to melodramatic and everything in between.
Viva Films, a major production house in the Philippines known for bold and provocative storytelling, produced the film. While the movie was created on a modest budget, the film is visually striking with innovative set design, stylized flashbacks, and the use of theatrically exaggerated performances.
Written by Marvic Kevin Reyes, the screenplay uses a mix of humor, shock, and character driven dialogue. From warm to outrageous, it attempts several tones, and it plays with the audiences empathy and ridicule by alternates and consistently shifts emotional cues.
Ratings & Reception
“5 in 1” has received a mix to negative reception on user driven platforms with viewers mentioning problems with the tone, acting, and narrative structure. The film has a dismal user score of roughly 3.7 out of 10 on multiple movie rating sites suggesting a lack of connection to the film.
Critics and audiences have noted;
There was a blend of good and weak performances on screen. Some cast members, like Debbie Garcia and Rose Van Ginkel, received appreciation for bringing emotional complexity and energy to their parts. At the same time, some of the other characters felt like they were cartoonish and exaggerated.
Told in five parts, the story structure received mixed reactions. While the format provided space for all actresses to perform in their segments, the story as a whole was fragmented.
While the film primarily aimed to market humor along sexual appeal, some viewers deemed it to be, excessive and in bad taste. Humor was not done right in many situations, and some scenes were seen as intended to be humorous and empowering, but instead, they were exploitative.
Viewers often struggled to follow along as the tone shifted from absurd to intensely emotional, then back again, as some presented segments humorously.
Regardless of critique, the film drew attention due to its bravado. Its tackle of adult topics is blunt, and its presentation is unapologetically extravagant. To some “5 in 1” becomes a guilty pleasure, whereas, for many others, it serves as a cautionary tale of exhibitionism overshadowing narrative depth.
Conclusion
“5 in 1” is unapologetically bold and unconventional by attempting to integrate satire, eroticism, as well as emotional drama into a singular chaotic collage. While the idea of five women confronting the ghost of their shared lover is rich with the potential for humor and insight, the approach taken often feels more like a showcase of flashy effects rather than a thoughtfully crafted narrative.
Even though the film has standout moments—especially from Debbie Garcia and Rose Van Ginkel, who deliver genuine performances—much of the film feels emotionally adrift. The blend of inconsistent tone, over-the-top situations, and a heavy reliance on sexual innuendo curtail its broader appeal.
Nonetheless, for those searching for bold Filipino cinema, “5 in 1” serves as a provocative, albeit divisive, experience. It is a film that sparks discourse, whether for its take on love and betrayal, or its controversial presentation.
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