An Honest Review Of 'The Hows Of Us'

The Long Plot, Sans Spoilers

George (Kathryn Bernardo) and Primo (Daniel Padilla) are schoolmates who fall in love. She's preparing to get into medical school and he's a musician waiting for his band to hit it big. Together, in a house they inherited from George's grand aunt, they dream of great success and promise to support each other no matter what.

But what happens when the dream of success doesn't come for one of them? Primo doesn't get the big break he's been working for and turns into a difficult and arrogant artist who can't even help with the bills. Faithful George stays true to her promise to support Primo through it all.

That is until she reaches her breaking point and gives up. Dejected, Primo walks out and does not look back.

Years later, he comes back a changed man. Can she still give him a second chance?

The Short, Honest Plot

The Hows Of Us is a moving story (read: a major tearjerker!) about the ups and downs of real-life relationships.

The Main Actors And Where You Last Saw Them

Kathryn Bernardo as George

Kath was last seen on the big screen in the 2017 rom-com Can't Help Falling In Love and also played a cameo role in the MMFF comedy Gandarrapido: The Revenger Squad. She starred in the fantasy-drama teleserye La Luna Sangre which ran from June 2017 to March 2018.

Daniel Padilla as Primo

Wherever Kath is, DJ can't be far behind. He played Dos to Kathryn's Gab in Can't Help Falling In Love, and Tristan to Kath's Malia in La Luna Sangre. He was also one of the three lead stars of Gandarrapido: The Revenger Squad.

Juan Miguel Severo as Mikko

The author, actor, and spoken word poet was last seen in the 2017 rom-com Can We Still Be Friends.

Kit Thompson as Dar

This Pinoy Big Brother alumnus, who is now an actor and model based in Los Angeles, California, was last seen in the LizQuen teleserye Forevermore and the Cinemalaya film #Y. In 2016, he starred in a short foreign film called Ear of the Beholder, which was given an honorable mention in the Cinalfama Lisbon International Film Festival.

Darren Espanto as Yohan

The Fil-Canadian singer, who won first runner-up in The Voice Kids 2014, is a regular performer in the variety show, ASAP. He plays Kathryn's younger brother in The Hows Of Us—his first film role!

Did You Know?

1. Filmmaker Cathy Garcia-Molina has seen Kathryn and Daniel grow up. She first worked with them in 2013 when she directed the teleserye Got To Believe. The following year, she was at the helm of the hit movie, She's Dating The Gangster. Sadly, The Hows Of Us might be the last collaboration Garcia-Molina will have with KathNiel as she is set to retire in August 2019 to focus on her family.
2. Kathryn, Daniel, Darren, and Kit shot some scenes in gorgeous Amsterdam. In the movie, you will see them sight-seeing in Rijksmuseum, strolling the streets around the Royal Palace of Amsterdam, taking a river cruise, and exploring the Amsterdam countryside.
3. The soundtrack of The Hows Of Us features the classic OPM song "Kahit Maputi Na Ang Buhok Ko" which was originally sung by Sharon Cuneta in 1977 and composed by songwriter Rey Valera. This time, Moira dela Torre lends her soulful vocals to the movie's updated version. You will also hear Daniel Padilla sing Orange and Lemons' "Hanggang Kailan (Umuwi Ka Na, Baby)" and Orient Pearl's "Pagsubok." DJ also sings a new song called "Ikaw At Musika Ko."
4. In the movie, Primo fondly calls George "jo." No, this is not a nickname for George nor is it short for jowa, which is what I thought it was (LOL). Primo explains in the movie that "jo" is a term of endearment. According to dictionary.com, it's a noun that means beloved one, darling, or sweetheart and is said to be pronounced "joe."

What I Think:

I got major goosebumps when I first saw the teaser for The Hows Of Us. This is the most mature material Kathryn and Daniel have tackled and I swear, they did not disappoint!

The movie started out a bit slow and light. I was waiting to really get into it fast but this one's the type that you let simmer a bit before it reaches boiling point. But I'm not complaining because the wait was worth it. For me, the turning point was when Kath got home one night and DJ was singing. (Disclaimer: You'll know what I mean when you watch the movie.)

The Hows Of Us is clearly Kathryn's best work yet! She was AMAZING as George. While I've always been a fan, there have been times in past shows and movies where I felt like she still had more to give. In this movie, she was vulnerable and honest, and TBH, I've never seen her more beautiful!

I've always been impressed with Daniel Padilla. His role as Primo may not be as emotionally demanding as his role in Barcelona, but he was effective in the dramatic and the comedic parts and gave Kathryn so much room to shine. Plus, this movie highlighted how talented DJ is as a singer.

Kit Thompson was a highlight looks-wise. I remember him to be this tall, cute teenager from PBB Teens but now he's hot AF!

I love how honest the movie was about the realities of a relationship—that it's difficult, it's ugly sometimes, and it takes sacrifice, patience, and commitment to make it work. And it can't be just one person doing the giving.

I don't know what it is about The Hows Of Us. Maybe because it's so relatable, I teared up many times (Okay, fine. My tears were flowing like waterfalls, but in fairness to me, I only ugly-cried two times! The other times were more ~graceful~ shedding of tears.), so take this as a PSA to be sure to have tissue when you watch this film.  

I also loved how the movie ended. While some might consider it to be abrupt, I thought it was a fitting ending, a proper closure.

Listen to the lines in this movie and stay on until the credits. There are a lot of quotable quotes which are actually valuable relationship advice.

What My Friend Thinks:

"I was both anxious and excited coming to see The Hows Of Us fearing that it will either not meet expectations (One More Chance is always the barometer) or surpass them all (beating Barcelona, my personal KathNiel favorite) and let me tell you, it went beyond my expectations and so much more! This is one of the greatest Filipino movies written. Ever. And Kathryn was at her BEST! There was no dry eye in the cinema from start to end. Star Cinema's amazing pool of writers simple gave us the perfect script!" —Mina  

I'd Recommend It To:

KathNiel fans, obviously! If you love them, you will love them even more after watching this movie.

I also recommend it to anyone who's experienced loving selflessly. If you've ever put a partner first before your own needs (which is not a bad thing, but he has to exert effort, too!), you will relate to this movie!

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