Without knowing what I was getting into, I sat down to watch the 2024 Filipino drama "Balota" (aka "Ballot"), as I was given the chance to do so here in 2025. And I figured with a rating of 6.3 here on IMDb, at the time of me watching the movie, I figured that there must be something worthwhile to the movie.
Writer and director Kip Oebanda put together a script and storyline that certainly had a lot to tell, and also showcased the corruption that is deeply embedded into the politics game of the Philippines. But at the same time, it was also a storyline that struggled to stay afloat, given its problematic pacing. And I have to say that a lot of the things that went on in the movie just felt like filler.
I was not familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, except for Felix Petate, but the actors and actresses definitely put on good performances.
"Balota" is a movie that doesn't cater openly to the wider audience at large, as it is somewhat of a niche movie. You need to have a hefty interest in politics and the corruptions that stem from having the wrong men and women in seats of influence and power.
Watchable, for sure, but it wasn't a particularly entertaining movie. And it definitely is not a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time.
Now, the movie is also listed as a comedy here on IMDb, a genre that it most certainly doesn't fall into. So that was very misleading.
My rating of writer and director Kip Oebanda's 2024 movie "Balota" lands on a five out of ten stars.
