Lolo and the Kid Review: Emotional Film Made Great by Its Performances

The drama film Lolo and the Kid is Netflix’s latest release on the platform. The film follows an old con man, Lolo, and the young boy he took in, Kid, as they routinely con wealthy people to make a living. However, when a life-changing opportunity presents itself, Lolo must make the choice to keep taking care of Kid or to give him the opportunity to grow up in a stable home, away from the streets.

Lolo and the Kid Review

Netflix’s Lolo and the Kid is the journey of two people through life’s ups and downs – Lolo and his relationship with Kid are shown to be precious and unique, with Lolo saving Kid as an infant and taking care of him and Kid saving him right back, giving him a reason to live. Their relationship is showcased to be pure and full of love and even though they don’t have much money, their lives are happy and fulfilled. Actors Euwenn Mikael Aleta and Joel Torre do a fantastic job of bringing this relationship to life. Aleta especially, as a young Kid, is absolutely adorable and nails his role in every scene. You care and root for Kid to find happiness and fulfilment in every way possible. Torre, too, leaves an impact on you and the pivotal moment between the two characters will break your heart thoroughly.

However, the movie lacks much depth or arc. You know exactly what is about to happen in the 97 minutes of its runtime because Lolo’s actions are hinted at extensively within the first few minutes. The expected outcome puts a damper on the movie and you wait for something more to happen throughout. That being said, the film gets its emotions right, with the interactions between the two characters becoming a pivotal point of the story. Although there isn’t much happening, the characters and the performances shine.

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The profound relationship between the two characters and the depth of their performances will leave anyone feeling emotional. The movie nails these moments right and whether it be the happy ones or the sad ones, it really resonates with you. Torre and Aleta are fantastic and share some great chemistry and the short runtime helps the movie be a breezy, albeit a little sad, watch. You relate to both the grandfather and grandson and, despite both being con artists, there’s something very sweet about them that makes you root for them. Thus, when the other shoe finally drops and Lolo is made to make a tough choice, you understand how hard it must be for them both.

Final Thoughts

Lolo and the Kid feels a tad bit rushed sometimes but there’s enough emotion and genuineness here for the movie to be memorable. Thanks to fantastic performances, the movie leaves you emotional and you can feel Lolo’s mindset shift about Kid’s future the more time we spend with them. It’s Euwenn Mikael Aleta and Joel Torre’s film through and through and that’s evident in every frame.

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