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Leonor Will Never Die

Play trailer 2:02 Poster for Leonor Will Never Die Released Nov 25, 2022 1h 39m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
91% Tomatometer 46 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Leonor Reyes was once a major player in the Filipino film industry after creating a string of successful action films, but now her household struggles to pay the bills. When she reads an advertisement looking for screenplays, Leonor begins tinkering with an unfinished script about the quest of young, noble Ronwaldo, forced to avenge his brother's murder at the hand of thugs. While her imagination provides some escape from reality, she goes all-in after an accident involving a television knocks her out, sends her into a coma, and transports her inside the incomplete movie. Now Leonor can play out her wildest dreams firsthand and discover the perfect ending to her story.
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Leonor Will Never Die

Leonor Will Never Die

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Critics Consensus

A delightfully unique tribute to the transporting power of cinema, Leonor Will Never Die marks director/co-writer Martika Ramirez Escobar as a talent to watch.

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Critics Reviews

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Kevin Maher Times (UK) The film has heart... Plus the clever layering of movies within movies is exquisite — and a closing dance routine isn’t too shabby either. Rated: 4/5 Apr 7, 2023 Full Review David Jenkins Little White Lies The fun-time larks wear a tad thin by the end, but this is a stellar calling card for Escobar. Rated: 3/5 Apr 4, 2023 Full Review Leslie Felperin Guardian There’s an array of twists and turns as the film toggles back and forth between levels of reality, playing with film-making conventions with insouciant glee. Rated: 4/5 Apr 4, 2023 Full Review William Stottor Flick Feast The end result can be a little messy and haphazard, but it is impossible not to be whisked away by the boundless energy and creativity on show throughout Leonor Will Never Die. Rated: 3/5 Sep 3, 2024 Full Review Ryan Oquiza Sinegang Leonor Will Never Die wears its playful sweetness as a badge. It glistens with a lustrous sheen tinged by the colorful past of Filipino action films and pays homage to the emancipative wonders of storytelling. Rated: 5/5 Aug 18, 2023 Full Review Alexa Dalby Dog and Wolf Leonora Will Never Die is an unclassifiable meta-mixture of a fantasy pastiche of the schlock ’70s action movies that Leonora used to write. Rated: 4/5 Apr 27, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jonah K One of the more creative movies I’ve seen in a quite a while. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/31/24 Full Review Angeli R underrated! but i like it! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/28/23 Full Review Matthijs v Saw this in kriterion Amsterdam. I was delighted. I am not a connaisaeur of phillipino movies but this definitely has a resemblance to Tarantino quoting kung fu, leaving out the quotes. As far as I can judge a tribute to the phillipino movie scene I failed to notice. Best movie I ever saw with the main character wearing a flower dress after ma flodder. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/07/23 Full Review Audience Member ONE OF the worst films i’ve watched Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 12/05/22 Full Review brent m For creative types (especially writers), sometimes it's all too easy for the lines between reality and their work to become blurred. Where does one leave off and the other begin? Indeed, can someone become so absorbed in a project that perspective becomes lost? And what does this mean for those who care (and worry) about the artist? Those are the dynamics at play in this quirky, thoughtful comedy-drama about a retired screenwriter (Sheila Francisco) who has experienced her share of heartache during her life and has now fallen on hard times during what are supposed to be her golden years. She longs to complete an unfinished work, an action film reminiscent of those frequently made in the Philippines in the 1970s, with elements similar to those also found in classic martial arts and Blaxploitation pictures of the era. However, while in the midst of writing, she experiences a freak accident that leaves her in a coma – and her consciousness in the middle of her script as one of its central heroic figures, a sudden, unexpected appearance that befuddles the characters she created. But, as her adventure plays out in her mind, her family and friends can only look on and wonder what, if anything, they can do for her – that is, until these two different worlds somehow manage to become intertwined with one another. And, as these two parallel yet interwoven stories play out, a curious mix of synchronicities, kooky laugh-out-loud moments and metaphysical insights into the nature of existence all begin to emerge (sometimes simultaneously), providing viewers with much to ponder and plenty to chuckle over. Writer-director Martika Ramirez Escobar's multiple-layered debut feature is an absolute delight, one that tells a hilarious yet perceptive tale, a challenging narrative combination to pull off as successfully as it is here, an accomplishment comparable to what was achieved in such other 2022 releases as "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "Strawberry Mansion." What's more, this offering is a campy yet lovingly reverential homage to the cheesy action flicks it so capably and intentionally mimics in terms of its clichéd camera work, trite dialogue and sloppy technical elements (like out-of-sync vocal dubbing). Admittedly, the film begins to drag a little in the home stretch, but, as a very deserving Independent Spirit Award nominee for best international film, this is must-see viewing for those who appreciate unexpectedly profound subject matter served up with a healthy slathering of unrepentant kitsch. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Leonor Will Never Die

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Leonor Reyes was once a major player in the Filipino film industry after creating a string of successful action films, but now her household struggles to pay the bills. When she reads an advertisement looking for screenplays, Leonor begins tinkering with an unfinished script about the quest of young, noble Ronwaldo, forced to avenge his brother's murder at the hand of thugs. While her imagination provides some escape from reality, she goes all-in after an accident involving a television knocks her out, sends her into a coma, and transports her inside the incomplete movie. Now Leonor can play out her wildest dreams firsthand and discover the perfect ending to her story.
Director
Martika Ramirez Escobar
Producer
Monster Jimenez, Mario Cornejo
Screenwriter
Martika Ramirez Escobar, Martika Ramirez Escobar
Distributor
Music Box Films
Production Co
Arkeofilms, Globe Studios
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Filipino
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 25, 2022, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA)
$30.0K
Runtime
1h 39m
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