From Cathy Garcia-Molina’s One More Chance to Antoinette Jadaone’s That Thing Called Tadhana, it’s clear that we still can’t get enough hugot films. But what is that about these gut-wrenching movies that makes us want to watch them over and over again? Here, we list down nine reasons.

1. They’re kengkoy.
We love to laugh just as much as we love to cry, and many of these films have just the right amount of physical comedy or cringe comedy to break the ice. Think Kim Chiu in Bakit Di Ka Crush ng Crush Mo or Jennylyn Mercado in English Only, Please.

2. But still show a very real side to love.
Unlike teleseryes which tend to hinge on do-or-die scenarios, these hugot films feature situations which are more likely to happen IRL. “I think I’m falling for my best friend.” “I like him but he likes another.” “What does it mean when he says he loves me pero slight lang?”

3. We can relate to their leading ladies.
Whether she’s an architect, an ad executive, or an English translator, we get her and we root for her. We know the thoughts that are running through her head and the emotions that are threatening to spill over, because, hello, we’ve been her!

4. And fall in love with their leading men.
Aside from the fact that they’re played by the likes of Piolo Pascual and Derek Ramsay, we love these men because they, like so many of the guys who have become a part of our lives, have won us over with their boy-next-door smiles, Pinoy chivalry, and genuine love and devotion.

5. And yet they make us forget about our own problems.
Sure, we’re stuck in a relationship that’s going nowhere and our boyfriend is the biggest douchebag this side of Manila, but for two hours, we can put our personal issues aside and worry about someone else’s relationship troubles for a change.

6. Three words: John Lloyd Cruz
Whether he’s playing Popoy in One More Chance, Apollo in My Amnesia Girl, or himself in That Thing Called Tadhana, the Kapamilya actor is arguably a veteran of hugot films. Angelica Panganiban said it best in the movie That Thing Called Tadhana. “Si John Lloyd kasi, para siyang hindi artista. Di ka niya paiiyakin. Siya ‘yung iiyak para sa iyo.”

7. Their hugot lines are spot on.
When our own words fail us, we look to hugot movies for inspiration. “She had me at my worst. You had me at my best. Pero binaliwala mo ang lahat... and you chose to break my heart.” We bring them up during conversations with friends, and hear them echo in our head when we find ourselves standing face-to-face with our ex.

8. They put the spotlight on love.
Matters of the heart are rarely as complicated as, say, a nefarious plot to steal someone’s baby, but they do still matter. And movies, in featuring the good along with the bad, help us navigate our own relationships and see ourselves and our partner for what we truly are: two people who fall in love and make mistakes.

9. They give us hope.
Not all of these films have happy endings, but even those that don’t still leave us feeling a little more optimistic about our future. A breakup with a boyfriend, for example, could lead to a more fulfilling relationship years down the road, while a wrong decision could help us become a better person.

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