Vince & Kath & James

Theodore Boborol's 2016 Filipino film follows Vince, who writes messages on behalf of his cousin. He is secretly in love with Kath but texts her as James, and when she forms a bond with the person in those messages the situation tangles. The film takes its source from a messaging story that circulated on social media and uses that form on screen; the messages appear in frame as text and a large part of the narrative proceeds by phone. Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto lead, and the film brought them to notice. The tone is light; the narrative does not delay the exposure of the lie and shows its consequences. Who it's for: those who like Filipino teen romance. Who it's not for: viewers put off by romance built on deception; the film places it at the centre.