The new Khalil Ramos and Gabbi Garcia-starrer establish satisfying hooks to keep viewers glued to the story, which feels strangely satisfying despite its simplicity
GMA Public Affairs
Actors: Gabbi Garcia, Khalil Ramos, Gil Cuerva, Andfrea del Rosario, Tonton Gutierrez, Carmi Martin, Maey Bautista, Kim de Leon, Lexi Gonzaes, Dindo Arroryo, Bodjie Pascual, Alex Medina, Ces Quesada, Nor Domingo, Lui Manansala, Soliman Cruz, Neil Ryan Sese, Dennis Padilla
Genre/Format: Romance, mystery/mini-series
Premise: A struggling film production designer lands a job in a movie based on the folklore for which her reclusive mom has an extreme fear.
Running Time: 25-30 minutes
Director: King Mark Baco
Why You Should See It:
The mysteries of folklore and romance magically merge in GMA Public Affairs’ latest production, which also sees the first-time real-life Kapuso couple, Gabbi Garcia and Khalil Ramos, starring in a primetime TV series.
Love You Stranger follows film production designer, LJ (Garcia), who has dedicated her life to caring for her mom, Lorraine (Andrea del Rosario), who developed an extreme sciophobia or fear of shadows. Her mother believes the folklore, Lilom, a shadow figure believed to take souls during full moons. Because of her belief that Lilom will soon take her, Lorraine became reclusive and unable to be talked to. When she gets a panic attack, only LJ can calm her down and bring her back to her sense.
Fate becomes taunting when LJ lands a major break, in a film that tackles the Lilom folklore. To make things more complicated, she will be working with the charming young director, Ben (Ramos), whom she initially believed to be a womanizer. Their first encounter somewhat gave their working relationship a rocky start. But as they start filming at the very place both LJ’s mom and the folklore originated from, the mystery unravels, and a love story between LJ and Ben, blooms.
Love You Stranger marks the second time Ramos and Garcia star in a TV series. The real-life couple notably led ‘Love on Air,’ the third installment of the Kapuso anthology series, Stories From the Heart, in 2021. This new mini-series will further explore the couple’s chemistry, which is undoubtedly one of Love You Stranger’s irresistible assets.
The series tries to combine elements of mystery and romance, and while it is still early to say they have succeeded in that goal, it feels strangely easy to see that it is headed in a satisfying direction. Pace and storytelling are both great at this point, and Garcia and Ramos show palpable rapport that entices audiences to fully invest in the Lilom folklore and the romance between the leads.
Love You Stranger airs on GMA Network’s Telebabad block from Mondays to Thrusdays. On Facebook and Youtube, the series streams live via GMA Public Affairs’ official accounts. Watch the official full trailer below:
