Acting drunk when you’re stone-cold sober is tougher than it looks. Just ask JC Santos and Cherry Pie Picache, who found themselves walking that fine line while filming The Last Beergin.
Both actors admitted the challenge went further than slurred words or stumbling steps because it demanded keeping the emotions of their characters raw and believable without slipping into parody.
“It can easily turn into a caricature, and that was our fear,” Santos told Manila Standard Entertainment during the film’s press event.
“The challenge was to make all the emotions of the character appear sincere onscreen. There’s a tendency to go over the top, to become a caricature or stereotype. What we wanted to achieve was sincerity, because alcohol is like a truth serum,” Picache echoed the struggle.
The Last Beergin is the latest round from Cineko Productions and Obra Cinema Productions, the acclaimed studios behind Family Matters and Family of Two. Directed by Nuel Naval and written by Mel Mendoza-del Rosario, the film is described as a raw, resonant, and deeply Filipino dramedy that invites audiences to pull up a chair, raise a glass, and ask themselves: How much truth can you really take in one sitting?
Del Rosario said the movie was inspired by her own experiences observing people, especially friends, during drinking sessions.
“My reality is, I don’t drink. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t drink but is very observant during inuman. All the characters in the film are inspired by certain people or a combination of people I’ve observed while drinking. That’s where the story of The Last Beergin started. Through the years, I collected those stories. I picked the best ones and combined them,” she said.
The story follows five strangers, each carrying emotional baggage, who unexpectedly find themselves in a moment of connection. As they share a drink, they begin to share something far more potent: their truths, their stories, their pain. And in between the shots, something stronger is served: the chance to be seen, heard, and maybe—finally—valued.
Naval made it clear that the film does not fully revolve around alcohol. He said it’s about what spills out when people finally let their guard down.
Picache plays Tere, a woman quietly breaking under the weight of caregiving. Santos is RG, emotionally locked and unwilling to speak. Zaijian Jaranilla portrays Isaac, a young man in love but painfully invisible. Xyriel Manabat is Sandy, a privileged youth masking emptiness with attitude. Pepe Herrera takes on the role of Hilo, a father running from the family he can no longer face.
“It’s a dream cast for me as a director because they are all good,” Naval said. “They all transformed during our shoot. They imbibe the characters. Like in the movie, they were basically strangers to each other but eventually gelled. I think that’s the beauty of it. Even if they weren’t close, because they’re talented and professional, they were able to bring the characters to life beautifully.”
In a culture where emotions are often served with laughter and pain is chased with silence, The Last Beergin captures the bittersweet reality of being Filipino in 2025: emotionally loaded, quietly hurting, and still showing up for one more round.
The film hits Philippine theaters on Oct. 1.
