Movie Review: Miracle in Cell No. 7 PH Adaptation

January 06, 2020


When I first heard that "Miracle in Cell No. 7" will have a PH adaptation, I was really excited to watch it because it's one of my favorite movies. When I also saw the casts of the PH adaptation, I became even more excited because the actors are really the great PH actors. But even if I was excited, I was also a bit hesitant. The original version was so good and I don't know how the PH adaptation can be equal to it.

Miracle in Cell No. 7 PH adaptation is an MMFF 2019 entry. It was released last December 25, 2019. I was not able to watch it on the first day. I got to watch it last January 4, 2020 at the Mall of Asia. Ticket price costs P320.

Trivia about the "Miracle in Cell No. 7"

Before I start to share my thoughts about the PH adaptation, I would like to share some trivia both about the original film and the adaptation.

1. The original South Korean film "Miracle in Cell No. 7" is the seventh highest-grossing movie of all time in South Korea! No big stars and just a limited budget but still made it to the top due to the strong word of mouth.

2. The original film along with its casts have won a lot of awards such as - Most Popular Film in the 34th Blue Dragon Film Awards, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Child Actress, and more.

3. There were other adaptations of the original film. The first one was a Hindi remake. Although there were some copyright issues that happened here. Another one was a Turkey remake.

4. Bella Padilla was not the first choice to play the role of older Yesha. It was actually Nadine Lustre. Unfortunately, she has to give it up in order for her to have a rest since she already has a lot of projects earlier in 2019.

5. The original actor, Ryu Seung Yong, invited the Filipinos to watch this adaptation. Not only that, the director and the producer, Director Lee Hwan Kung and producer Kim Min Ki went to the Philippines to personally watch the adaptation.

My Honest Thoughts about the PH Adaptation

1. Aga's acting is a bit inconsistent


Maybe because I have watched the original so I keep on comparing Aga with the original actor.But there were times I can feel that he has a mental disorder, but there were also times where I felt like he is a normal person. Aga is a good actor but it may really be a challenge for him to act like someone who has a mental disorder all throughout the film.

2. Xia Vigor is the best choice


I can't actually think of other child actress that could portray this role. I started having teary eyes when her father was captured by the police and she was shouting "Tatay" all the way. This girl is really a talented one. She made me smile and cry while watching the movie.

3. The other casts (Cell No. 7 Squad, Arcilla, Bella Padilla) were great


With these actors, I never doubted them even for once. I know that they will show great acting in this adaptation. They were able to portray well the characters given to them. Special mention to JC Santos, who suddenly became one of my favorite Pinoy actors now. He made us laugh in the most simplest way. I can't actually remember his character from the Korean movie but his character in the PH adaptation is my most memorable character.

Throughout the whole movie, I didn't feel that they were acting. I felt that they were the real people behind those characters. They were able to cry in just a glimpse of an eye. Kudos to these actors.

4. They got all the main points of the original movie

Everything in the original film was seen in this adaptation. From the new life of the squad, the sailormoon, to the air balloon scene. Everything. Although I wished that they could have added more Filipino touch.

But the plus point in this film was how they ended it. The ending wasn't in the original film which made it more emotional. Well, even the director and writer of the original film praised this adaptation for it.

5. There were some flaws

Well, not all movies are perfect. Everything has a flaw. It's just that only few people can see those flaws. In this adaptation, the first flaw that I saw was during the death of the child victim. I find it funny that a perfectly placed hollow blocks will fall out of place with a child's hand. I can't even move a single block with two hands.

The next flaw is the CGIs. How I wish there was a better CGI here from the accident of the policeman's son to the air balloon. I didn't cry at those moments, instead, I laughed. How I wish it would have been better. I know PH can do better than this if given the proper equipment and budget.

Over-all Comment

Although there were some flaws in the film itself, it is still a movie worth watching (especially if you haven't watched the original version). It may not have surpassed the original film, but it is still a good one. The reason why I saw a lot of flaws is that because I keep on comparing it to the original. If only I didn't watch the original, I could've cried much harder.

The movie made me cry and laugh at the same time. The whole casts and crew did a really great job with this adaptation. I hope that this film will open the eyes of every Filipino about the injustice system this world has. And I hope we will have the guts to fight against it.

If you haven't watched the trailer, here's the link:




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