'Some Nights I Feel Like Walking' strikes raw yet dreamy tone

Being young can be cruel, especially if you are a runaway on the streets of Manila, performing sexual favors for older men just to survive. But you don’t have to be alone when you have a group of friends in the same situation. And sometimes, that’s all you need to get by.

- By JANUAR JUNIOR AGUJA

That is the ethos of Petersen Vargas’ “Some Nights I Feel Like Walking,” which had a limited screening from August 27 to 31 in select cinemas, as one of the country’s bids to represent the Philippines in the Oscars’ Best International Feature Film category for its 98th edition.

Leading the group of misfits is Uno (Jomari Angeles), with Bayani (Argel Saycon), Rush (Tommy Alejandrino), and Miguelito (Gold Aceron), who are street hustlers roaming around to earn cash in hopes of alleviating their circumstances, which often includes trading sex for money in places like a shady cinema.

Zion (Miguel Odron), the newest member of the group, abandoned his unnamed boyfriend (Jess Mendoza) at a bus stop while attempting to escape from his abusive father. On his first day, Miguelito suddenly dies after being drugged by a client.