Filipina director Mae Cruz Alviar and writer Enrico Santos put their own stamp on the relationship time travel trope. They didn’t break new ground but they did commit to their story and characters in a way that came across as authentic.

Mary and John have been married for years and have a son together. Mary still deeply loves John and has built her world around helping him to fly while John has become selfish and angry. John never has time for her or their son, Austin, especially after Austin failed to make the football team. Austin tells his dad that Lodz has been talking with him and that everything is going to work out, his dad just has to figure out what he really wants. John asks who Lodz is and Austin shows him a picture of Jesus. When Mary dies the next day, John has his own meeting with Lodz who has a proposition for the guilt-ridden man.

John had a little over a day to put things right and save Mary. Not really long enough to have a complete personality change and to its credit the film showed John faltering at his first challenge. He was smacked upside his head with what was really of value in his life and how much time he’d wasted thinking only of work and himself. The people around him had suffered and been starved of his affection and attention. Mary was a skilled chef and she wanted to fly. Austin was a gifted pianist ready to fly if given the chance as well. John’s eyes were opened to the love and happiness he’d been shutting out for years and how badly he’d hurt his family.

Few people are given second chances and John learned about redemption, accountability, and regret in a crash course delivered by an electrician to help him see the light. Normally, this is the type of film I’d give a 7.5 to for being a good average movie, but I bumped it up for the commitment the filmmakers showed until the end to not take the easy way out.

11 August 2024