''Lolo and the Kid'' (lit. Grandpa and the Kid) is a 2024 Philippine

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

written, produced, and directed by Benedict Mique. Starring

Euwenn Mikaell Euwenn Mikaell Carreon Aleta (born January 14, 2013) is a Filipino actor. He is best known for his portrayal of the title character of "Tonton" in the drama film ''Firefly'', and as Kid in '' Lolo and the Kid''. Early life and education Aleta ...

and

Joel Torre José Rizalino "Joel" de León Torre (born June 19, 1961) is a Filipino actor and producer who is best known for his numerous films such as the biographical film ''José Rizal'' (1998), crime thriller film '' On the Job'' (2013) and the histor ...

, with the special participation of

Juan Karlos Juan Karlos (commonly stylized in all lowercase) is a Filipino rock band from Manila, Philippines, consisting of lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, primary songwriter and only constant member Juan Karlos Labajo, together with lead guitarist Je ...

, the hard-hitting emotional drama film revolves around the relationship between an adult hustler and a child. ''Lolo and the Kid'' premiered on

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

on August 7, 2024. On August 11, 2024, the film reached number 1 spot in Netflix's top 10 movies in the Philippines.

Synopsis

A hustler and the child he has taken in routinely con the wealthy, but a life-changing opportunity could end their inseparable bond.

Cast

as Kid **

Juan Karlos Labajo Juan Karlos Labajo (; born February 5, 2001) is a Filipino singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Labajo rose to fame at age 13 when he finished third in the first season (2014) of ''The Voice Kids''. He is the frontman and primary songwri ...

as Adult Kid *

as Lolo Mario *

Iza Calzado Maria Izadora Ussher Calzado-Wintle (born August 12, 1982) is a Filipino actress. Known for her roles in blockbusters and independent films, particularly drama, psychological thriller and horror, she has received a selection of accolades, in ...

as Sandra, Kid's second adoptive parent *

Meryll Soriano Mary Rosalind Soriano Revillame (; born December 9, 1982), known professionally as Meryll Soriano, is a multi-awarded Filipino people, Filipino actress. Career Soriano started acting as a child star during the early '90s appearing in "The Ma ...

as Gemma, Allan's wife & Kid's first adoptive mother *

Joem Bascon Joseph Emmanuel Bascon (born August 29, 1986), popularly known by the stage name Joem Bascon, is a Filipino actor. Career Bascon's first relevance in the entertainment industry came due to his supposed resemblance to established entertainers ...

as Allan, Gemma's husband & Kid's first adoptive father *

Nico Antonio Jerico Antonio (born May 24, 1983), commonly known as Nico Antonio, is a Filipino actor, comedian, producer and singer. Biography Antonio is the eldest of four siblings, to Reynerio Antonio and Joji Alonso is a film producer. After graduating ...

as John, Norman's partner & Kid's third adoptive parent * Markki Stroem as Norman, John's partner & Kid's third adoptive parent *

Shaina Magdayao Shaina Garcia Magdayao (; born November 6, 1989) is a Filipino actress. Known primarily for her dramatic roles in film and television, she began her career as a child actress and starred in her first titular role ''Lyra (TV series), Lyra''. She ...

as Irma, Joel's wife & Kid's present adoptive mother *

Alfred Vargas Alfredo Paolo Dumlao Vargas III (born October 24, 1979) is a Filipino politician, actor, and model serving as a councilor of Quezon City from the 5th district since 2022. He previously served as a city councilor from the 2nd district from 2 ...

as Joel, Irma's husband & Kid's present adoptive father * David Shouder as Taba * Leila Ang as Larra

Reception

The movie received a score of 61/100 from 10 reviews according to review aggregator website Kritikultura, indicating generally positive reviews. Archi Sengupta of LeisureByte.com gave the film a rating of 3 over 5 and wrote; Lolo and the Kid feels a tad bit rushed sometimes but there’s enough emotion and genuineness here for the movie to be memorable. Thanks to fantastic performances, the movie leaves you emotional and you can feel Lolo’s mindset shift about Kid’s future the more time we spend with them. It’s Euwenn Mikael Aleta and Joel Torre’s film through and through and that’s evident in every frame. Daniel Hart of Ready Steady Cut gave the film a positive review and rated it 4 out of 5 and he wrote; The Filipino film pitches a premise that’s difficult to process emotionally because you are unsure what to feel. John Serba of

Decider Decider is both a real word and a "Bushism". It may refer to: * ''Decider'' (website), a pop culture website operated by the ''New York Post'' * '' Bill Maher: The Decider'', a stand-up comedy special * Decider (Turing machine), a Turing machin ...

satisfied at the film and gave it a positive feedback and he wrote; Lolo and the Kid has its issues, but its depiction of a grandfather/grandson dynamic is nice enough to warrant a very mild recommendation. Jason Flatt of But Why Tho? A Geek Community gave the film a rating of 8 over 10 and wrote; Lolo and the Kid is sweet and simple... most definitely give this one a watch when you’re looking for something bittersweet to enjoy.

Soundtrack

* Composed and written by

Steve Dorff Stephen Hartley Dorff (born April 21, 1949) is an American songwriter and composer whose work is mainly in the field of country music. Career Dorff has written several songs for other artists, including " Hypnotize the Moon" and " My Heart W ...

and

Marty Panzer Marty Panzer (March 20, 1945) is an American songwriter and first song-writing partner of Barry Manilow. He is the author of over 30 songs recorded by Manilow and over a hundred songs for Disney Pictures. He also co-wrote the song " Through The Y ...

. Interpreted by

Published and administered by Island Records Philippines.

References

External links

* * {{Netflix title 2024 films 2024 drama films Philippine drama films Filipino-language films Netflix original films Films about social issues Films about adoption Films shot in Metro Manila Films set in Metro Manila 2020s Philippine films