There’s a lot of anticipation for Bar Boys: After School.
The first film, helmed by a confident Kip Oebanda in 2017, charmed critics after it premiered in the now-defunct Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino.
Eight years later, Bar Boys has become a cult classic, boasting over 17 million views on its digital release on YouTube, a sold-out stage adaptation in 2024, and another stage revival just this past October.
BAR BOYS: AFTER SCHOOL'S CAST
Now, Oebanda invites moviegoers to go back to college with Bar Boys: After School.
This Metro Manila Film Festival 2025 entry is jam-packed with different characters and their intersecting stories.
We begin with the core four, who are all grown up.
First in line is Torran Garcia (Rocco Nacino), now a law professor tasked with helping graduating students pass the bar exams.
Erik Vicencio (Carlo Aquino) works for a non-profit organization that helps the poor with their legal issues. He narrowly survives an assassination attempt after helping farmers battle a nefarious corporation.
Christian Carlson (Enzo Pineda) practices law in New York, but he is back home after a messy separation.
Finally, there’s Josh Zuniga (Kean Cipriano), a washed-up actor looking for a new direction. He is now in law school, having failed the entrance exams during the first movie.
When their beloved professor, Justice Hernandez (Odette Khan), becomes debilitated due to a terminal illness, the four reunite to plan a deserving send-off.
The subplots don't end there.
Oebanda, along with his co-writers Zig Dulay and Carlo Encisu Catu, adds new fully fleshed out characters—graduating law students from Torran's class—to this sequel.
First is Sassa Gurl's Trisha Perez, a trans woman who faces discrimination from her university even after topping her batch.
Then there’s Will Ashley as Arvin Asuncion, who struggles to balance work and law school. Arvin's story echoes Erik's in the first Bar Boys.
Rounding out the group is Therese Malvar as CJ David, who wants to be a lawyer to save her hometown from a mining company.
The sheer number of characters, each given an individual arc, makes the screenplay feel overstuffed.
As a result, some characters fail to achieve full closure onscreen. With a longer running time, their resolutions might have been more fully realized rather than reduced to post-credit footnotes.
STRONG PERFORMANCES ALL AROUND
While the screenplay has its limitations, the film allows the new cast members to shine through solid performances.
Sassa is easily the standout.
For audiences accustomed to her loud, brash Internet personality, watching her shed that persona here is a genuine delight.
Therese Malvar remains as reliable as ever, while Will Ashley delivers a breakdown scene that is heartbreaking to witness.
The supporting cast also leaves a strong mark.
Klarisse de Guzman lights up the screen as Trisha’s jovial, caring sister, and Emilio Daez plays Ziggy Nicardo, Arvin’s boss, with a balance of willfulness and support.
Finally, Sheila Francisco is compellingly terrifying in her take on the antagonist, Atty. Rhodina Banal.
THE VERDICT
In the end, Bar Boys: After School is still a worthy watch because it feels good to be back in this world.
Between the nostalgia of the original crew and the breakout acting from the new students, the movie has more than enough heart to make up for its flaws.
It’s a reunion worth attending.
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