Making its Philippine premiere this Pride Month, Some Nights I Feel Like Walking centers on the freedom and struggles of a group of young men hustling in Manila’s streets.

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There’s nothing like watching a good barkada movie. They’ll always hit regardless of genre. They marry all the craziness of youth with the melancholy of growing up and being forced into situations that require the characters to mature in some form. Movies in the genre make us laugh, cry, hurt, and realize a few things about life and ourselves. 

But this upcoming film from Petersen Vargas promises to showcase a slice of youth and male friendship that rarely gets put to film with its story of male sex workers whose unique set of circumstances put their bond to the test. All this to say, we’re seated for this movie that so happens to be making its Philippine premiere this month. Here’s the lowdown on the queer Filipino drama Some Nights I Feel Like Walking and why it should be on your radar.

BROS AFTER DARK

Some Nights I Feel Like Walking is written and directed by Petersen Vargas, who you may know for his mainstream movies like A Very Good Girl and Un/Happy For You. But this go around, he returns to his queer indie roots ala 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten. 

The story centers on young male sex workers Uno (Jomari Angeles) and Zion (Miguel Odron). One night, Uno’s friend, Miguelito (Gold Aceron), is found overdosed by his client. Making the situation more complicated is that his dying wish was for him to be taken home. So, Zion, Uno, and two of Uno’s friends, Bayani (Argel Saycon) and Rush (Tommy Alejandrino) carry Miguelito’s body across Manila to take him back to the province. Along the way, they face challenge after challenge, but the night only proves to strengthen their resolve and brotherhood. 

The movie’s focal point are the barkada of young male sex workers, but while it does follow them as they hustle along Manila’s dark streets, the film is ultimately focused on friendships and the plight and neglect the youth face in Manila that many don’t or refuse to see. This story of a teenage runaway and a group of street hustlers is also somewhat personal for Petersen Vargas as it takes inspiration from his own experiences when he used to walk Manila at night as a youth and how those moments helped him realize his queer identity. 

From queer desires to found families, Some Nights I Feel Like Walking is a tale of a group of young men dealt a bad hand finding themselves and trying to make it in a setting where danger and opportunity collide. 

ROAD TO RELEASE

While the film is making its Philippine premiere this month, the movie’s own story is one that dates back eight years ago. The project has been in development since 2017 and its footprint is felt globally with an international co-production between the Philippines, Singapore, and Italy. Along the way, the movie also received support from the Singapore Film Commission and the Film Development Council of the Philippines. By 2022, it finally went into production, and in 2024, the movie was ready to be screened. 

For its world premiere, Some Nights I Feel Like Walking made a splash at the 28th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. The following year saw the movie go on a bit of a world tour with premieres and screenings in a handful of international film festivals such as the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, Singapore International Film Festival, and BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival. This June, the movie heads back home as it’s finally premiering in the Philippines and quite fittingly is doing so on Pride Month as it was included as part of the lineup of the first-ever RainbowQC Pride Film Festival. 

Happening from June 25-27 at Gateway Cineplex 18, Gateway Mall 2, the festival will not only be the first time Filipino audiences can watch Some Nights I Feel Like Walking in local cinemas, but it will also serve as the Southeast Asian premiere of The Wedding Banquet, Andrew Ahn’s modern remake of Ang Lee’s 1993 classic film. It’s a must-visit movie festival for local cinephiles if we do say so ourselves. 

With its proven director, talented cast of young and up-and-coming actors, and intriguing plot, Some Nights I Feel Like Walking has us wanting to walk to the cinema. While we hope the movie gets a wide release down the line, we’ll take the next best thing. For more details on Some Nights I Feel Like Walking’s screenings, check here.

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