John Arcilla hits the road with a singing carabao in Puregold CinePanalo’s ‘Beast’
Yes, a singing carabao.
The unlikely tandem and their relationship are at the heart of “Beast,” one of seven full-length films competing at the 2026 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival. Directed by Lawrence Fajardo, the movie takes Arcilla into the strange and enchanting territory of magic realism while sticking close to the realities of rural Filipino life.
Arcilla plays a farmer who, after completing a final harvest demanded by his landlord, sets off on a journey to Manila.
What begins as a seemingly ordinary road trip soon becomes anything but ordinary.
Because somewhere along the way, reality starts to shift—and a singing carabao is just the beginning.
ARCILLA MAKES THE IMPOSSIBLE FEEL REAL
The magic of “Beast” works precisely because Arcilla plays it straight.
Rather than allowing the film’s fantasy elements to overwhelm its story, the internationally acclaimed actor anchors everything in something painfully identifiable: the struggles of an ordinary Filipino farmer trying to survive.
It is fertile territory for an actor who has spent decades bringing complex Filipino characters to life.
The same gravitas Arcilla brought to films such as “Heneral Luna,” “Metro Manila,” and “Birdshot” now enters a completely different cinematic world. Here, hardship and wonder can co-exist and the bizarre can reveal something deeply human.
Arcilla gives “Beast” its emotional weight, making audiences believe in the man even when they may not quite comprehend what is happening around him.
And that could be exactly what makes the film’s unusual premise work.
MORE THAN JUST THE LEADING MAN
Arcilla did not merely hoist “Beast” on his shoulders as its star. He also helped bring the film to life as a co-producer.
Arcilla’s role marks another step in the evolution of an actor whose career has spanned across theater, television, and cinema—and whose performance in “On the Job: The Missing 8” gave him the distinction of being the first Filipino to win the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival.
In “Beast,” Arcilla utilized that heady experience and stature not simply to inhabit a story but also to help make it possible.
His move into production empowers him to actively support the kind of Filipino cinema he has spent decades championing as an actor. It also makes “Beast” more than just another acting showcase; it marks another leg in Arcilla’s continuing journey as a Filipino film artist.
A ROAD TRIP WORTH TAKING
A veteran actor. An aging farmer. A slow journey to Manila. And a carabao that sings.
On paper, “Beast” easily sounds like one of Puregold CinePanalo’s most intriguing offerings. But underlying its playful and fantastical premise is a story rooted in the lives of Filipinos who don’t have the luxury of escaping reality.
Perhaps that is where its magic truly lies.
“Beast” is one of seven full-length films screening at the 2026 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival, which runs from September 23 to October 4 at Gateway Cineplex 18, TriNoma, Fairview Terraces, Ayala Malls Feliz, Ayala Malls Circuit, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, and Market! Market!
Regular tickets are priced at ₱250, while discounted tickets are ₱200 for PWDs, senior citizens, students, national athletes, and Aling Puring and Perks cardholders.
A ₱2,000 festival pass provides access to all seven full-length films and 19 student shorts. Festival passes will be available starting September 22 at Gateway Cineplex 18, and from September 23 onwards at Gateway Cineplex 18 and TriNoma.
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