Carlo Aquino
Overview
While recovering from heartbreak, a screenwriter finds new inspiration when she makes an unexpected connection with a man via an old walkie-talkie.
Cast
7 people
Reviews
5 min readThe Radio That Never Stops Talking
I’ve always been a sucker for stories about people who can’t quite reach each other—lovers separated by time, strangers shouting into the void, voices that arrive just a little too late. Love You Long Time knows this ache intimately. It’s a film that treats distance not as a barrier to be overcome, but as the very space where love takes shape. And yet, for all its cleverness, it stumbles when it tries to make that distance feel like something more than a gimmick.
JP Habac’s film follows Ikay (Eisel Serrano), a screenwriter nursing a fresh heartbreak, who picks up an old walkie-talkie and finds herself talking to Uly (Carlo Aquino), a man who seems to exist in another time. Their conversations unfold in real-time, but their worlds don’t quite sync—she’s in the present, he’s in the past, and the static between them is both literal and metaphorical.
It’s a premise that invites comparisons to The Lake House or Your Name, but Habac isn’t interested in grand gestures or cosmic stakes. His film is smaller, quieter, more concerned with the way two people can build something fragile and real out of nothing but words.
The film’s most striking moments come from its visual language. Habac and his cinematographer use split screens to emphasize the divide between Ikay and Uly, their faces framed side by side but never quite touching. The effect is simple, almost obvious, but it works—you feel the tension of their connection, the way every word they exchange is both a lifeline and a reminder of what they can’t have.
In one scene, Ikay sits in a café, Uly in the same spot but years earlier, the camera holding both timelines in the same frame. It’s a trick, sure, but it’s an effective one, a way of making the audience feel the weight of time pressing down on them.
Audience Opinions
Limited evidence
"A quiet love story led by Carlo Aquino and Eisel Serrano that viewers work through via reviews and reactions."
Love You Long Time plays as an intimate, performance-led watch built around Carlo Aquino and Eisel Serrano. latestnetflix.com's view is that Audience attention leans toward discussion and review-style reactions, with people comparing notes on how the romance and emotional beats landed for them rather than treating it as light background viewing.
What viewers praise
- Central pairing Audience interest centers on Carlo Aquino and Eisel Serrano together, giving romance viewers a clear reason to press play.
- Discussion-worthy romance The film invites post-watch conversation about the relationship at its center, which keeps review interest active.
Common complaints
- Leaves viewers split Reaction around the film suggests not everyone lands in the same place on it, so going in with measured expectations helps.
Recommended for
Viewers who enjoy Filipino romantic dramas Fans of Carlo Aquino and Eisel Serrano watching for their pairing
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBehind the Scenes of Love You Long Time (2023): A Walkie-Talkie Romance with Heart
JP Habac’s Love You Long Time (2023) arrived as a quiet charmer in the Philippine indie scene, blending nostalgia with modern heartbreak. The film, starring Carlo Aquino and Eisel Serrano, follows a screenwriter nursing a broken heart who stumbles into an unexpected connection via an old walkie-talkie. latestnetflix.com's view is that while the premise sounds simple, the production’s low-key approach and thematic focus on communication—both literal and emotional—hint at a project built on collaboration and restraint.
A Script Born from Radio Waves
The film’s central gimmick—a romance unfolding through two-way radios—wasn’t just a narrative device but a creative challenge. According to snippets from the production’s background, screenwriter Gena Tenaja crafted the story around the limitations and intimacy of walkie-talkie conversations 
. The device forces characters to listen closely, a metaphor for the film’s exploration of healing after heartbreak. While details about the writing process are scarce, the script’s focus on dialogue-driven tension suggests a deliberate choice to prioritize character over spectacle .
Habac, known for his understated direction in films like I’m Drunk, I Love You, reportedly leaned into the film’s dual-timeline structure to mirror the disorientation of grief and new love. The Wikipedia snippet notes the interaction between characters in "two different timelines," implying a nonlinear approach that may have required careful editing to maintain emotional clarity .
Casting Carlo and Eisel: A Chemistry Experiment
Carlo Aquino and Eisel Serrano headlined the project, bringing their own real-life dynamics to the screen. Aquino, a veteran of Philippine indie cinema, has a reputation for understated performances, while Serrano, a relative newcomer, was praised for her fresh energy in the role of the heartbroken screenwriter 
. MyDramaList’s cast breakdown confirms their central roles, though it’s unclear if the two had worked together before Love You Long Time .
The supporting cast—Ana Abad Santos, Arlene Muhlach, Juan Miguel Severo, Meanne Espinosa, and Patrick Quiroz—rounded out the ensemble, though their behind-the-scenes contributions remain largely undocumented in available snippets. Severo, a poet and actor, may have brought a lyrical edge to his role, but specifics about his character or input are unverified .
Production: Low-Budget, High-Concept
Studio Three Sixty, the production company behind the film, is known for backing mid-budget Filipino indies, and Love You Long Time appears to fit that mold. The film’s runtime—1 hour and 44 minutes—suggests a tight, economical shoot, likely constrained by budget but ambitious in its storytelling . The use of walkie-talkies as a narrative device may have also simplified production logistics, allowing for creative framing and sound design to carry the emotional weight.
The film’s release date, April 8, 2023, placed it in a competitive window for local romances, but its unique premise helped it stand out. IMDb’s snippet highlights the "unexpected connection" at the heart of the story, a hook that resonated with audiences seeking escapism with a touch of nostalgia .
Reception and Rumors
Critically, Love You Long Time flew under the radar compared to bigger studio releases, but its premise earned it a cult following among fans of Filipino indie cinema. The film’s "13+" rating suggests a focus on mature themes without explicit content, aligning with Habac’s reputation for character-driven storytelling . Rumors about potential awards buzz or festival screenings are unconfirmed, as the available evidence doesn’t mention accolades or extended runs.
One unverified detail from Grokipedia hints at a possible alternate ending or deleted scenes, but without further sourcing, this remains speculative . The film’s Wikipedia page doesn’t mention any post-release edits or director’s cuts, leaving its final form as the version that hit theaters in April 2023 .
The Takeaway
Love You Long Time may not have been a blockbuster, but its blend of romance, technology, and emotional vulnerability offers a snapshot of contemporary Filipino indie filmmaking. With a director known for intimate character studies and a cast that balanced experience with fresh talent, the project feels like a labor of love—one where the constraints of budget and premise ultimately served the story.
For fans of Habac’s work or Filipino cinema at large, the film’s legacy lies in its ability to turn a simple walkie-talkie into a metaphor for connection. And in an era of endless digital noise, that’s a premise worth tuning into.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.