PIOLO PASCUAL SHIFTS ACTING GEARS WITH 'THE RIDE'

PIOLO PASCUAL IS TAKING ON THE DARKER, GRITTIER ROUTE with his latest film, "The Ride," produced by his outfit Spring Films in partnership with Cornerstone and MQuest.

- NATHALIE TOMADA

The action-thriller finally makes its way to the big screen after a long wait.

Shedding off his romantic leading-man image, Piolo shifts gears by playing a father whose secret life in crime is exposed to his estranged son, played by Kyle Echarri, during a road trip that quickly spirals into danger.

Though filmed during the pandemic, the Thop Nazareno-directed movie represents his current motivation as an actor and producer.

“When you do a film, you make sure that it’s watchable and with meaning, that people will get something out of it,” Piolo told the press, including The STAR, during an advanced screening for the film that opens in SM Cinemas nationwide today.

“Of course, I’ve seen the film many times, when we were doing post production. But seeing it for the first time on the big screen and realizing what impact it may have on the audience, you have to be responsible.

“What lessons can people learn from this film? We hope we will be able to send a message across because it’s very important these days, it’s timely with what's happening around the world, the chaos, the violence. This is a film where you can reflect: Did I make the right choices as a person, as a father, as a son? And what are the circumstances that you have to avoid, things that you need to do to make your life better?”

He continued, “I hope this film mirrors what's happening in our surroundings and that we gain awareness that there are things that we have done that sana we should not have done and hopefully, we could have chosen the correct route so as to have a better outcome.”

As mentioned, “The Ride” was originally shot during the pandemic. But they took their time before presenting it to the public.