Could Xyriel Manabat and River Joseph be the next onscreen pair movie fans will be talking about?
It is certainly a match few saw coming—and that may be exactly what makes “Stuck On You” quite intriguing.
For the first time, Manabat and Joseph are teaming up as romantic leads in “Stuck On You,” a sexy romantic comedy directed by Mikko Baldoza and one of the seven full-length films competing at the 2026 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival.
On one side is Manabat, an actress audiences have watched grow up onscreen and take on increasingly demanding dramatic roles. On the other is Joseph, a rising young actor striding into leading-man territory.
Now put them together in a movie filled with attraction, comedy, and danger—and a woman who has apparently been tasked with killing the man she may just fall for.
A PAIRING WITH ‘KILLER’ KILIG POTENTIAL
Manabat plays Sheryl Bunga, a cheerful manicurista whose life is all about working hard and providing for the family she loves.
Joseph is Max De Dios, an outrageously charming guy described as the “most handsome man in the Philippines.”
It sounds like the perfect setup for a garden-variety rom-com: average girl meets impossibly handsome guy, sparks fly, complications follow.
Except for one tiny problem: Sheryl is supposed to kill Max.
The film’s trailer drops that deliciously bizarre twist without revealing exactly how Sheryl got herself into such a mess. How does she end up with a contract on the gorgeous
Max? More importantly, what happens when she starts falling for someone she’s supposed to take out?
The combination of kilig and danger gives “Stuck On You” a hook that is disparate from the conventional boy-meets-girl formula.
XYRIEL GETS HER ROM-COM MOMENT
In “Stuck On You,” longtime Xyriel Manabat fans get to see another side of an actress better known in recent years for emotionally demanding performances.
Interestingly, Manabat can easily relate to her character Sheryl. They are both breadwinners that are fiercely devoted to their families and grounded in the realities of ordinary Filipinos trying to get by.
RIVER JOSEPH ENTERS HIS LEADING-MAN ERA
That leading man is River Joseph. As Max De Dios, Joseph’s character is practically engineered to make
audiences swoon: he’s charming, handsome, and mysterious enough to upend Sheryl’s newly complicated life.
It is one of Joseph’s biggest feature-film roles yet, and casting him opposite an experienced performer like Manabat makes the pairing even more interesting.
“Stuck On You” is an official entry to the 2026 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival, running from September 23 to October 4 at Gateway Cineplex 18, TriNoma, Fairview Terraces, Ayala Malls Feliz, Ayala Malls Circuit, Ayala Malls Manila Bay and Market! Market!
Regular tickets are ₱250, while discounted tickets are ₱200 for PWDs, senior citizens, students, national athletes, and Aling Puring and Perks cardholders.
A ₱2,000 festival pass provides access to all seven full-length films and 19 student shorts. Festival passes will be available starting September 22 at Gateway Cineplex 18, and from September 23 onwards at Gateway Cineplex 18 and TriNoma.
