“You can always say ‘hello’. Don’t be a stranger, okay?” Ethan (Alden Richards) smiles sadly with tears in his eyes. He and Joy Marie (Kathryn Bernardo) sit on a park bench with the wind blowing on their faces. It’s reminiscent of how the first movie ended when the couple said their goodbyes.
But are they going to end up broken again? Or is this the start of something new? Here are the High Five reasons you need to watch Hello, Love, Again. You know the drill, spoilers ahead.
Authentic and Deliberate Storytelling
Still from ABS-CBN Studios and GMA Pictures
What made Hello, Love, Goodbye beloved to the masses was the fact that they treated the stories of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) with care. From Joy’s high and lows, to Ethan’s citizenship crisis, both aspects are explored in Hello, Love Again, but this time in a different setting—Canada.
The film depicted OFWs aiming for a better life, especially during the pandemic. Joy embodied this journey, from domestic helper, to healthcare assistant, to registered nurse, which another character, Jhim (Joross Gamboa) jokes about, saying that Joy is going through the whole alphabet. Despite it being a joke, it’s a real challenge for OFWs to work the jobs that they studied for, unless they already have established connections.
The film explores these things and more through careful storytelling that shows the struggles of our fellow countrymen who have made personal sacrifices to work abroad.
Dynamic Non-linear Framing
When the movie starts, we see Joy as she is now—a healthcare assistant in Canada—followed by a flashback montage from the last few years, the pandemic hitting, and her relationship with Ethan crumbling.
The struggles were too real, and were highlighted by the non-linear approach to storytelling. The montage was incredibly relatable, and seeing their hardships despite being together, testing the bond of their love, really hit home. The first half of the movie has the audience relating to the duo as they deal with the whirlwind of COVID-19’s effects on all aspects of their life, and is an ode to the traumatic experiences we’ve had to deal with during the pandemic. While the second half of the film deals with the present time, with Ethan returning to Canada.
The film is full of back and forth, delving into the past and explaining the current state of affairs between Ethan and Joy, who now goes by Marie after their breakup. Exposition was kept to a minimum, and was mostly shown through flashback scenes, making for an immersive approach that appeals to viewers emotions.
The Cast Returns
Photo from Joross Gamboa
The main cast members from the first film reprise their roles: Katheryn Bernardo as Joy Marie Fabregas, Alden Richards as Ethan Del Rosario, and Joross Gamboa as Jhim Gabriel. Maymay Entrata, Lovely Abella, Kakai Bautista, Jameson Blake, and Jeffery Tam also momentarily come back on screen for video calls, as their characters remain in Hong Kong.
A new batch of talented actors join them, with Valerie Concepcion as Jambi, Jennica Garcia as Baby, Jobert Austria as Tito Lino, Mark Labella as Marc, and Kevin Kreider as Uno, adding spice to the film.
Literal Comic Relief
Your honor, Jhim’s jokes actually hit in this movie. With a lot of puns and wordplay, even from the trailer (“Hala may Uno na. Di bale, ikaw naman Una”), Hello, Love, Again delivered the comic relief—emphasis on relief, especially after watching the most grueling and angst-filled scenes of the film.
A lot of one-liners diffuse tense moments. I won’t enumerate them all for fear of spoiling, but be prepared to appreciate the well-timed jokes which help put a brake on the tears as you watch this romantic drama.
Character Growth At Full Display
Still from ABS-CBN Studios and GMA Pictures
By the end of the movie, there’s an uncertainty in the last act reminiscent of how the first film ended. The duo sat on a park bench instead of talking on a pier, the wind blowing through their hair. Another choice is to be made, but Ethan lets Joy decide.
In the past movie, and for the first half of this film, Ethan was immature and self-centered. But here, he proved Joy wrong. Joy, on the other hand, changed because of Ethan—becoming more mature and discovering more about herself.
As with every movie with a sequel, you expect there to be developments between characters and their relationships—and that growth is on full display here.
Overall, Hello, Love, Again delivers as a brilliant sequel to Hello, Love, Goodbye, wrapping up themes that were explored in the first film and giving a satisfying conclusion to the story of Ethan and Joy. SEA Wave gives this film 4 out of 5 waves.