Joshua (Rogelio Balagtas) is a mama’s boy, an Ontario immigrant pushing 50 and still living under his parents’ roof. There’s no better time than now for him to start looking for a woman to replace his folks in the event of their death. His fragile mother Alma (Vangie Alcasid) gently ribs Joshua in front of his brother: what chance does she have of becoming a grandmother with a son who has never had a girlfriend? (Her baby has been in love many times, but no one has yet returned the favor.) Like many Filipinos, family is his life. When he’s not working as a school janitor, he devotes every waking hour to his parents, praying for their health and taking them to dance class. Other than the taste of candy corn and circus peanuts, nothing causes the gag reflex to kick in quicker than the sight of a senior showing up for Christmas dinner clad in an Elvis suit. (A musical tribute would have given just cause for an early exit.) There’s also the looming question of “Who’s gonna kick off first?” to add a slap of morbidity. I’m happy to have persevered. Mom is the first to check out; a tumble down the basement steps leaves Joshua to act as his father Reynaldo’s (Esteban Comilang) caregiver. It’s when dad starts questioning the whereabouts of his late wife that his son begins to doubt his ability to look after the rapidly deteriorating man. Joshua is terrified of women, as evidenced by his encounter with cousin Marisol (Sheila Lotuaco) at Alma’s funeral. Joshua and his brother greet her, but it’s the younger sibling who does all the talking. Having quit his day job to look after Reynaldo — and seeing how Marisol just happens to be a caregiver by profession — Joshua offers her work for however long she decides to stay in Canada. So far, it sounds like a Hallmark Channel original. It isn’t until first time writer-director Martin Edralin begins to explore the depths of Joshua’s mundane singularity that a person of interest begins to surface. He places a cloth over the statue of Joseph and Mary before going to bed, much the same way one would cover a parakeet cage. (I’m guessing he does it thinking it will prevent the icons from looking on as he pleasures himself, a habit so blindingly chronic that on the occasion of his 50th birthday, Joshua’s brother gifts him with a masturbatory aid.) With Marisol living under his roof, the depths of Joshua’s love brings him to stop eating out of a takeout bag, toss his cigarettes, and for a moment reconsider a career in dental hygiene. What he can’t wrap his mind around is the concept of incest. Many will no doubt interpret the curtain shot as a parting dose of upbeat reassurance. My half-empty-glass perspective reveals a portrait of a man drowning in a solitary hell and loving it. Screens in conjunction with the San Diego Asian Film Festival: November 4 at 7:40 pm @ UltraStar Mission Valley. (2021) — Scott Marks