Danny Aguilar ‘s TAKE ME TO BANUE delivers a hilarious hot mess of a romance with high drama

Danny Aguilar ‘s TAKE ME TO BANUE delivers a hilarious hot mess of a romance with high drama

The streaming channel Tubi has a reputation for hosting films with high drama and hot messes. Danny Aguilar ’s Take Me to Banaue upholds this rep in a hilarious romance about a grizzly nerd, a desperate sex worker, an overly ambitious businesswoman, and a doctor who embodies the “love them and leave them” trend.

Danny Aguilar ‘s TAKE ME TO BANUE delivers a hilarious hot mess

The film follows Hank (Brandon Melo), whose awkwardness keeps him from successfully dating women in the States. After probably listening to too many “passport bros” podcasts, Hank goes to the Philippines.

He immediately finds Grace (Maureen Wroblewitz) on what Hanks calls a dating app. Grace is a sex worker and Hank hired her for a week.

At the end of that time, it was time to pay. Unlike Richard Gere in Pretty Woman, Hank could not pay what he owed.

Grace leaves with a valuable item and a deadline for Hank to pay. In the meantime, he meets Jinky (Thea Tolentino), an ambitious Filipina who wants wealth and a white child to secure her family’s legacy. She quickly finds that not only is Hank broke, he is entangled with a sex worker. Hank calls in help. His friend Jordan (Dylan Rogers) comes in to bail his bestie out.

Jinky and her pal Rocky (Boobay) have an eye-opening conversation about the importance of having white skin in their culture. It is an unexpected discourse on colorism that is not expected from Tubi films. Jinky lays bare her intentions—to secure a wealth and a designer kid. Hank is a disappointment, and his friend is worse—a dilemma for Jinky. Jordan is rich, a doctor, handsome, single, and Black. Jinky doesn’t know that Jordan is also not interested in settling down with one woman for more than one night.

There are plot twists and dramatic surprises throughout Take Me to Banuae. They collide with bits of surprising social commentary in the most entertaining fashion. It’s hard to tell who is really in love. Even Hank may be fooled by his own delusion.

Take Me to Banuae is good for laughs. Fans of the streaming channel Tubi will find it entertaining. The ending is almost a mixed statement on the hazards of love and also the power of love, depending on the perception of the viewer.

Take Me to Banuae can be found on Tubi at tubi.com.