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Eugene Domingo in 'Kontrabida Academy.' Netflix

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Fred Hawson

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1757915650684AAAABXXtC2hkf4b4DkzFUVA_9Ry0-7nI2aYAlyEPj-rxERFERv-iadwhaBb32bMDvF4HpJ8lm15hGBC7j904sJfgoepRRNhQDdfP_JZd.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Eugene Domingo in &#x27;Kontrabida Academy.&#x27; NetflixGigi (Barbie Forteza) was having a miserable life. She worked as an assistant manager in a Korean barbecue place under a slave driver of a manager Jingo (Jonathan Tadioan).  She was forced to help settle big debts that her irresponsible mother Betty (Carmina Villaroel) incurred from loan sharks. Her relationship with her boyfriend of seven years Abet (Yasser Marta) was going nowhere, until she saw another girl riding his motorcycle with him. </div>Gigi won a big screen television set in a raffle at work. When she turned it on, it was only showing one floridly melodramatic telenovela entitled &quot;Batas ng Api&quot; (&quot;Law of the Oppressed&quot;). The lead character was a girl named Mirinisa (Ysabel Ortega) who was relentlessly abused by her wicked stepmother Mauricia (Eugene Domingo) and seductive stepsister Mimi (Xyriel Manabat). One day, Mauricia addressed Gigi by name, inviting her to enter the TV world. That this comedy-fantasy film was written and directed by Chris Martinez (based on an original concept of Alpha Habon and Randolph Longjas) automatically made it a film to check out. Martinez also wrote the screenplays for &quot;Kimmy Dora: Kambal sa Kiyeme&quot; (2009) and its sequels, and &quot;Ang Babae sa Septic Tank&quot; (2011), all of which starred Eugene Domingo. With Mauricia, Martinez had created another memorable role for Domingo and her signature unbridled over-the-top style of comedy acting. Domingo took her assignment to heart and went to town with it. She embraced the villainy of her role fully -- her eyes wide with cruelty, her insults brutally sharp, her slaps painfully crisp. On the other end, Barbie Forteza&#x27;s Gigi was the perfect martyr. After Mauricia got her to turn on her dark side, Forteza showed off her acting range by convincingly transforming into sexy, confident and assertive Gia -- ready to exact revenge on her tormentors.The best parts were those lessons by real-life villain actors, like Rez Cortez (Facial Expression), Dimples Romana (Insults), Odette Khan (Principal), Celia Rodriguez (History), Jean Garcia (Art), Pinky Amador (Languages), Gladys Reyes (Math), Baron Geisler (P.E.), Mylene Dizon (Science). Portraits of those who had departed, like Joaquin Fajardo, Bella Flores, Zeny Zabala and Cherie Gil, were a nice touch. They should&#x27;ve added more.With leading man Arnaldo (Jameson Blake), Gia visited a school for heroes, called San Bida University. All it succeeded to show was how learning to be a hero was dry and boring, in contrast to how fun it was learning be a villain. Everything felt very cliché, from the fashion (long sleeves, long skirts) to the subjects (Hope, Modesty, Patience). That cameo by Susan Africa was inspired, but her lesson could have been better written. Halfway through, a problematic message seemed to be coming across. Does one really need to be &quot;villainous&quot; in order to stand up against his bullies? Did timid Gigi really need to turn into a feisty Gia in order to confront her enemies and fight for her rights?  Why become a villain to fight your villains? Martinez did try to smooth this issue out towards the end by rationalizing how someone&#x27;s &quot;villainy&quot; can actually prove to be something good to the other person. <div> </div>This review was originally published in the author&#x27;s blog, “<a href="https://said-fred.blogspot.com/2025/09/netflix-review-of-kontrabida-academy.html">Fred Said.</a>”

Barbie Forteza and Eugene Domingo lead Chris Martinez’s comedy-fantasy romp that turns the spotlight on shiowbiz’s most colorful kontrabidas, proving that sometimes it’s more fun — and more powerful — to be bad.

Barbie Forteza and Eugene Domingo lead Chris Martinez’s comedy-fantasy romp that turns the spotlight on shiowbiz’s most colorful kontrabidas, proving that sometimes it’s more fun — and more powerful — to be bad.

Netflix review: 'Kontrabida Academy' puts the fun in being bad

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Netflix review: 'Kontrabida Academy' puts the fun in being bad

Fred Hawson

Published September 15, 2025 02:10 PM PHT

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movie review

Netflix

Kontrabida Academy

Eugene Domingo

Chris Martinez

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