She's Dating The Gangster Movie Review

She’s Dating The Gangster

She’s Dating The Gangster is a heartfelt love story by Cathy Garcia Molina. It is filled with Laughter and Joy and Tears. Another beautiful performance by love team Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla. Even for me, I’m half Filipino and Half American I can only watch the movie with subtitles but each and every time. I laugh, I cry, and I learn to understand love more. This movie never disappoints me to make me cry like all Filipino movies they are emotional and have a beautiful heartfelt message. She's Dating The Gangster is on Netflix in America it is one of the many amazing filipino movies on Netflix!

She’s Dating The Gangster starts off when Kenji Delos Reyes speaking at a wedding of his friends Kirby and Grace. He specifically mentions “Timing is such a bitch.” As he finishes his speech Kenneth Delos Reyes (Daniel Padilla) his son causes mayhem they walk out having a fight. Leading Kenneth to ask his father Kenji, “Who is Athena?” Kenji says “Your mother?” And Kenneth says very harshly. “The other Athena.” It leaves a shocking expression on Kenji’s face when Kenneth says he wishes his father is dead than walks away. The next morning Kenneth wakes up to the shocking news that his father’s plane heading to Bicol has gone missing. Which is a shock because Kenji was supposed to go on a business trip somewhere else. Kenneth rushes to the airport for updates on his father. Kelay appears attempting to get into the line to see who the list of survivors with but Kenji tells her to wait her turn. Instead, she makes a scene claiming that her father could be dead. Leading the press to her and she claims that her father is Kenji Delos Reyes.

Kenneth Immediately works so hard to prove that he is Kenji’s only son. Which is proven but Kelay has a picture of his dad with another woman. Which shocks Kenneth but Kenneth shakes it off and still gets go give his contact information to the manager of Fly Philippines. Kelay begs Kenneth to allow her to be contacted as well. She claims that her Aunt Athena is Kenji’s great love and Kelay has to reunite them while her aunt is still alive. Kenneth doesn’t believe it but he eats lunch with her as she attempts to explain the Love Story she claims happened between Athena Dizon and Kenji Delos Reyes in the 1990s in Legazpi at their College. Kenneth is called by the manager reporting there was an emergency landing in Legazpi. All the flights are booked so Kenneth instead gets a chance passenger ticket for a bus since it’s Holy Week and it’s all booked.

He sleeps at the station and is given a ticket but since he overslept it is given to Kelay. Leading Kenneth and Kelay both to travel to Legazpi together. On the way to Legazpi that is when Kelay begins to explain why Athena her aunt was his father’s, Great Love. The movie then flashes back to the 1990s where Athena (Kathryn Bernardo) arrives at the college and is almost run over by skateboarders. She throws a book at one of them hitting him in the back of the head and calls him a Gangster. He turns around and glares at her that is Kenji Delos Reyes (Daniel Padilla). That is the start of their romance Athena who is very annoyed at Kenji doesn’t want to see him again.

Kenji however is heartbroken over Athena Abigail Tizon (Sofia Andres) who he has broken up with. He becomes desperate and sends a message to her beeper to attempt to ask her back. Instead, Athena Dizon gets the messages instead because Abigail changed beeper numbers. She agrees to the sender to make it stop after it disturbs her in class and even at lunch. She goes to the pool hall with her friend Sarah and they see Kenji who demands they go to the other table before taking a seat. Athena wants to get him to move but Sarah manages to keep her back with her boyfriend explaining that Kenji had a beautiful girlfriend but they broke up. Another group of bullies arrive at the pool hall and beat him up if he doesn’t move but he takes the beating willingly while Athena watches realizing that he is the one sending the messages to her beeper.

The next day Kenneth hears Athena say Bee in their classroom during role call and realizes she’s the one that got his messages. He confronts her at lunch but instead of yelling at her, he kisses her forcefully and then says she has to be his girlfriend. Instead of accepting the proposal, Athena is bullied by Kenji and his friends up until he attempts to commit suicide by jumping from the roof if she doesn’t accept it. Athena finally agrees to be his girlfriend and the next day instead of being treated harshly by Kenji she’s treated like a princess. Even if this is all an act to get Abigail jealous. During the time of their fake relationship, it’s revealed that Athena suffers from a heart condition and she may not live a long life if she is not careful. Their romance becomes more genuine as they confess their love they visit Mayon Volcano and promises her that one day they will marry there and the volcano will be their witness.

The film flashes back to twenty years later when Kenneth and Kelay are still traveling to Legazpi after getting off of the bus Kenneth confesses his anger that he last told his father he wished him dead. After hearing the story that makes it worse for him because he’s scared that he’s actually lost his father and they left each other on bad terms. The guilt begins to hurt Kenneth. They catch a ride on a truck with a couple heading to Legazpi. They stop at a church where Kelay prays for help from god for Kenji to survive so he can Meet Athena again. Kenji and Kelay are then picked up by Lucas who drives them to Legazpi. Lucas explains why Kenji and Athena never ended up together. Flashback to the 1990’s Kenji becomes absent and Lucas the boyfriend of Abigail takes Athena to the hospital. Where it is revealed that Abigail is actually sick and that is why she broke up with Kenji to keep him from being hurt. Athena wants Abi to live a happy life even if it breaks her heart.

Abigail’s mother begs Kenji to go back to Abigail and give her a chance to live longer with the love of him. Athena and Kenji speak she breaks up with him and leaves Manilla without another word. Kenji marries Abigail and they have Kenneth. Lucas explains that no one knew that Athena was sick until years after she was gone. Kelay receives a phone call that her aunt has a heart attack and is dying. Kenneth asks his uncle Lucas to take Kelay back to Manilla and he will continue to find his father and he promises that they will meet up. Kenneth finds Kenji unconscious in a hospital and reads a letter that Kenji wrote apologizing to Kenneth and Abigail if he hurt them in any way because of his love for Athena. He never meant to make them feel unloved or unwanted. He was going to Legazpi to burry his past with Athena so he can be a better father.

Kenji wakes up and Kenneth apologizes to him and the two reconcile. Kenneth brings Kenji to Athena’s house reuniting the couple for the first time. Kenji looks at her amazed to see how beautiful she is and still alive. Kenji says an emotional “Hi,” And Athena who is sitting in a wheelchair smiles and says “Gangster” In a weak voice though she is very happy. Kenji pushes her wheelchair outside and helps her sit on a bench as he sits with her. Athena explains to him about her disease and tells him his love is what kept her alive after all those years.

Athena says that she is happy to see Kenji has grown from a gangster, to a man, and to a Father. She remembered seeing him take care of Kenneth. Athena says to him she is so happy and then expresses she is tired. She dies in his arms but Kenneth never leaves her side and stays with her. Sometime later Kelay wakes up to a phone call telling her that Kenneth and Kenji’s flight has gone missing. She goes to look for him and does another scene claiming her boyfriend is missing. Kenneth witnesses this and approach it. It was Kenji who called Kelay, Kenneth then asks Kelay if they can have their own great love stories like his dad and her aunt. That is the end of the film.