A lifetime of humiliating birthday pranks pushes a son to turn the tables on his father in “HB2ME (Happy Birthday to Me),” a dark comedy-thriller that takes a family prank into dangerous territory.
Elijah Canlas plays Jonathan Ramirez, a young man who has spent years being the target of his father Del’s (John Arcilla) birthday pranks. Determined to finally get even, Jon stages a fake kidnapping, but his plan soon uncovers a secret that changes the stakes and turns his revenge into a fight for survival.
Canlas said the movie was an original concept written and directed by Veronica Velasco that moves across several genres. The actor said it was shot only a few months before its release, making it a relatively recent project for the cast.
“It’s a comedy. It’s an action film. There’s drama. There’s a family dynamic. So there are so many things that we’re going to feel but I’m sure everyone will enjoy it,” Canlas said during the premiere night.
The film shifts from comedy to suspense, as Jon’s fake kidnapping exposes a darker truth within the family. According to the film’s synopsis, the scheme uncovers an illegal operation, forcing Jon to decide how far he is willing to go to protect the people he loves and pursue justice.
For Arcilla, the unusual premise was one of the elements that attracted him to the project.
Millennial mindset
“This is very timely. The idea of the script is very millennial. It has a very unique story about pranking your loved ones. That itself is very, very interesting. And the lesson, definitely, because I always look for moral lessons,” Arcilla said.
He added that the film ultimately raises questions about whether love can justify actions that go against one’s principles.
“Love is not enough. Values outweigh love. That’s the moral lesson of this. When I see that everything I’ve said doesn’t stop me, I keep looking for a new way,” he said.
The veteran actor also sees a larger social message in the film’s use of humor, particularly when serious wrongdoing becomes the subject of jokes and memes.
“Sometimes we make crimes into memes too much. We make them trivial. That’s why the wrongdoing of people who commit crimes becomes blurred because we laugh about it and turn it into comedy. So what happens now is that, for the public, the wrongdoing becomes less clear,” Arcilla said, connecting the observation to the current situation in the country.
For Arcilla, the issue is not simply whether something can be presented as satire, but whether audiences understand the message behind it.
“We who understand can always rationalize something as satire, but the larger audience and the public don’t necessarily appreciate the satire,” he said.
A lifetime of humiliating birthday pranks pushes a son to turn the tables on his father in “HB2ME (Happy Birthday to Me),” a dark comedy-thriller that takes a family prank into dangerous territory.
Elijah Canlas plays Jonathan Ramirez, a young man who has spent years being the target of his father Del’s (John Arcilla) birthday pranks. Determined to finally get even, Jon stages a fake kidnapping, but his plan soon uncovers a secret that changes the stakes and turns his revenge into a fight for survival.
Canlas said the movie was an original concept written and directed by Veronica Velasco that moves across several genres. The actor said it was shot only a few months before its release, making it a relatively recent project for the cast.
“It’s a comedy. It’s an action film. There’s drama. There’s a family dynamic. So there are so many things that we’re going to feel but I’m sure everyone will enjoy it,” Canlas said during the premiere night.
The film shifts from comedy to suspense, as Jon’s fake kidnapping exposes a darker truth within the family. According to the film’s synopsis, the scheme uncovers an illegal operation, forcing Jon to decide how far he is willing to go to protect the people he loves and pursue justice.
For Arcilla, the unusual premise was one of the elements that attracted him to the project.
‘Tough love’
The film’s themes include toxic masculinity, cycles of trauma, family and identity, revenge versus justice, power and control, and the hidden cost of “tough love.” It also examines how harmful behavior can become normalized within families.
Canlas, meanwhile, described working with Arcilla as both an honor and a learning experience.
“He’s one of our greatest actors of all time. And being able to learn from him, being able to witness him work up front, in the flesh, is a great honor for me. And sharing the scenes with him, we really played around with them,” Canlas said.
“He’s very collaborative as an actor and he really takes his work seriously. So we matched in that aspect because I’m the same. I tried. I hope I didn’t fail him,” he added.
“HB2ME” opens in cinemas today, Aug. 19 and also stars Carmi Martin, Criza Taa, Ron Capinding, Alexa Miro, Rubi Rubi and Dindo Arroyo.
