Coming-of-age film 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten Hits Theaters, Gets R-18 Rating

The teen coming-of-age film 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten from director Petersen Vargas (Lisyun Qng Geografia, Hanging Out) starring Khalil Ramos, Ethan Salvador and Jameson Blake hits theater this Wednesday, March 15, 2017. The film is one of last year's critically acclaimed Filipino films and has won numerous awards in the 2016 Cinema One Originals, from Best Picture, Best Cinematography and Best Supporting Actor for Jameson Blake. The movie is the second Cinema One Originals film entry that Star Cinema has picked up for nationwide distribution after Samantha Lee's Baka Bukas. But on March 14, a day before the film's release, the film was given an R-18 rating by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB). The film was originally given a much lower R-16 rating by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) during it's limited theatrical run as part of the Cinema One Originals Film Festival. The R-18 rating surprised many, and was met with negative response from critics and audiences alike. It can be noted that the recent Hollywood release, Beauty and the Beast (2017) was rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for some action violence, peril and frightening images, but was rated G (General Audiences) by the MTRCB, meaning viewers of all ages are admitted even without a parent or supervising adult.

"No redeeming social value. Uhm... so coming out and discovering one's self has no value at all?

Wow. MTRCB.

#2Cool2Be4GottenNowShowing 

 - @theFelixSalonga"

The youth-oriented film is set in the late 90s in Angeles, Pampanga, almost a decade after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. Felix Salonga, a friendless achiever, is bent on topping his class to elevate his status from a resettlement area. Magnus & Maxim Snyder, half-American brothers, want nothing but to escape life from the Philippines with their prostitute mother and live with their American GI father in the US. The Snyder brothers each have their own way of reaching this dream. One struggles to finish high school with the promise of America after graduation while the mischievous one has a dark, sinister plan. As Felix develops a relationship with the brothers, he unearths desires within him he never confronted before. He slowly learns that behind the manicured lawns of “Little America,” each of his actions can lead to fatal consequences.

Francis Joseph Cruz of Rappler describes it as "intelligent as it is emotionally potent" while PEP.ph calls it a "roller coaster of emotions". So make sure that you don't miss one of 2016's best films that's definitely "not to be missed... an experience that's too cool to be forgotten". 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten is now showing in select theaters nationwide.