In a world that still demonizes, ridicules, and mocks transwomen, it may prove difficult to find a family that will accept you and make you feel like you belong. 

That was the case for Lance Reblando and her Kitkat, who is kicked out by her transphobic dad at the start of the film and is welcomed by KaladKaren’s Joice into her gang.

Yet the film’s opening indicates a larger issue. 

A transwoman, with her throat slashed, was found floating in the waters. 

It was a one-off that does not impact the main characters in any way. Yet it was still an effective reminder of how we still have a long way to go, despite the progress we have made as a society.

Does not live up to its promising premise

Warla, which translates to quarrel or brawl in English, follows a group of transwomen who extort money from foreign, wealthy men to fund their gender-affirming surgeries. 

However, the execution fails to fully realize its premise. As the film builds up to the extortion of a rich Japanese man, director Kevin Z. Alambra rushes to this in a way reminiscent of going through the motions.

This is evident in the first act, through the retelling of plights faced by transwomen. 

Scene-after-scene, we get a transphobic paranoid woman embarrassing Kitkat for using the women’s comfort room, we get Valeria Ortega and her Luningning finding out her boyfriend cheated on her. 

While these instances bring to light some of the issues faced by transwomen in day-to-day life, its dull and tired presentation feels like something that is meant to be reposted on Facebook for easy clicks. 

Warla may something that will be described as heavy-handed.

For myself though, going the heavy-handed route for certain matters can really drill in the message for the masses. 

If Alambra thought this way was the best way, then I feel like it will work. Lest we forget, transwomen still tend to have it hard. 

I also did not like that the premise is centered around a group whose modus operandi is extortion, yet how they conduct their operations were merely told, or relayed to newbie Kitkat, instead of being shown. 

In the extortion of the rich Japanese man, we don’t really get a sense of the group knowing things. 

Sure, they were handicapped by the Japanese man’s resolve, but if they were established as having had extensive experience, I think they would have known how to handle things better. 

Performances rooted in lived experiences

Notable for its all-transwoman cast, Warla shone all the better with the amazing ensemble and their chemistry. 

Lance Reblando is believable as Kitkat, who is torn between right and wrong. Coming off a star-making turn in Walang Aray, Reblando shines just as much with a dramatic turn in this film. Her glances and nods do so much in humanizing Kitkat. 

Serena Magiliw, as hot-tempered Barbie Ann, is equally believable. I looked forward to every time the character appears back on screen. I also found myself really wanting more about Barbie Ann, as the character’s material was already there. 

The ensemble’s energy was infectious and delightful. This film really thrives off of everyone’s energy. The energy feels like it comes from lived experiences, a place of genuine joy, and sisterhood.

However, the script by Arah Jell Badayos did not really manage to expound on the other characters. Flashbacks would not have sufficed, and would have felt more heavy-handed, but getting a better grasp on these characters through further showing their own tics and quirks would have been nice. 

The information we got about the characters relied on what other characters said, and what they said felt more like exposition dumps than actual humans talking. This is most apparent when Barbie Ann was being scolded for ‘abandoning’ her son in pursuit of her own dreams.  

Imagining a better future for transwomen

There are certainly moments of happiness in this drama. One instance is when a little boy waves to Kitkat, as if he was mesmerized by her beauty. Joice immediately tells Kitkat that such instances are present in life. 

If a little boy, who hasn’t been exposed to hate, can perceive a transwoman as a human being deserving of everything in life, then I think so can adults. 

Society’s treatment of the transwomen here forced them to resort to crime. While it’s possible that they would have done so irregardless, it’s more likely that they were not given the right to enjoy the privileges of life, that other members in the LGBTQIA+ spectrum savor and relish in. 

Kitkat wears a shirt that has the face of Marsha P. Johnson, an activist who proclaims herself as a self-certified drag queen. It, to me, shows that a better future can be had for transwomen, indeed. 

If Johnson was able to imagine a better future for transwomen, then so can we in the present day.

Warla does not fully realize the potential of its premise, but its heart is in the right place. 

Further Information

Warla is an official Cinemalaya 21 entry. Cinemalaya 21: Layag sa Alon, Hangin, at Unós will run from October 3 to October 12, 2025. The festival’s main venue is the Red Carpet Cinemas – Shangri-La Plaza, and its other venues are Gateway Mall, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Ayala Malls Circuit, U.P. Town Center, and Market! Market!.

Regular tickets cost PHP 350, while student tickets cost PHP 250. For screening schedules, you may refer to this Facebook post.

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