‘Alter Me’ review: Empty, lethargic

The biggest and most glaring problem of RC Delos Reyes’ Alter Me is that it is reliant on an intriguing conceit that it then ironically squanders for formula.

As a result, the film is just bland and bereft of the usual comforts of a romance that’s not built on pretenses of currency or relevance.

Alternate identities

Alter Me imagines its central love story to be intertwined with the burgeoning subculture of alternate identities – alters – that populate social media.

Aimee (Jasmin Curtis Smith), a human resources manager with trust issues, gets a tip from her newfound friend to graduate from simply lurking around the alter world to enjoying its very discreet pleasures. She books one of the more popular men of the alter world for a night of fun, only to discover that the man she hopes would ease her tensions is actually Uno (Enchong Dee), her college batchmate who happens to have a crush on her. 

The meet-cute’s derivative humor, centered on supposedly secret identities being revealed at the most private of moments, seems to be the only reason why the movie chose to touch on the alter subculture. In fact, the alter world aspect of the movie is less than a backdrop. It feels more like an opportunistic gimmick, a marketing ploy, and an excuse to infuse the humdrum romance with a splattering of exposed skin and lackluster innuendos. 

Refuses to dig deeper

Alter Me doesn’t just refuse to dig deeper into the subculture, it absolutely abandons the flavor of escapism the subculture provides, treating it as a fad of the moment rather than a symptom of society’s repression of authentic identities and endeavors.

While the astounding lack of ambition of Alter Me is gross, it is its utter lack of imagination that makes it totally unforgivable.

The movie is drab and dreary.

It thirsts for memorable moments, relying heavily lousy and highfalutin generalizations about love and relationships that are mouthed by the characters in the movie’s many unbearably dull conversations. While the performances are mostly fine, there are times when the falseness of the movie’s corny confections can’t just be shrouded by the charm and intuition of either Smith or Dee. 

Lacking real convictions

Simply put, Alter Me is starving of any real convictions. 

It is as empty as it is lethargic. It is a skin-deep skin flick and an unlovable love story.  – Rappler.com