what if movie review jm de guzman

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Common sense media reviewers.

Dull romance between unsuited people; violence, language.

What If movie poster: A man kisses a woman who is making a face on the cheek

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

A person damaged in childhood by a destructive par

Billie is defensive and stubborn. Jecs is clueless

The action takes place in the Philippines with Fil

Someone dies off-screen, reportedly of eating the

Sex is discussed but none is shown, nor is there a

Infrequent use of "f--k," "s--t," "boobs," "t-t,"

Adults drink alcohol to drunkenness and smoke ciga

Positive Messages

A person damaged in childhood by a destructive parent may never recover and may not make a great marital partner.

Positive Role Models

Billie is defensive and stubborn. Jecs is clueless and insensitive.

Diverse Representations

The action takes place in the Philippines with Filipino actors. Men make startlingly misogynistic statements about women. One refers to his wife as "the ball and chain." He finds her annoying, "like a radio whose battery never dies." He adds, "Destiny sends us some women, very difficult ones, simply to test our nerves and patience."

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Someone dies off-screen, reportedly of eating the wrong things. An angry father is said to have been physically abusive when his adult daughter was a child and he continues to be verbally abusive to her now.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Sex is discussed but none is shown, nor is there any nudity. A "blow job" is mentioned. A woman calls her husband a "sharpshooter," referring to how "he went right in, and bam," she was pregnant.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adults drink alcohol to drunkenness and smoke cigarettes.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that What If ? is a romance set in the Philippines about two musicians who fall in love and go on their honeymoon on a remote island. Through flashbacks, their story is told -- of meeting cute, collaborating musically, and allowing petty differences to tear them apart. Someone dies off-screen, reportedly of eating the wrong things. An angry father is said to have been physically abusive when his adult daughter was a child, and he continues to be verbally abusive to her now. Sex is discussed but none is shown, nor is there any nudity. A "blow job" is mentioned. A woman calls her husband a "sharpshooter," referring to how "he went right in, and bam," she was pregnant. Adults drink to drunkenness and smoke cigarettes. Language includes infrequent use of "f--k," "s--t," "boobs," "t-t," "butt," "damn," "suck," and "ass." In Filipino with English subtitles. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

What If: man and woman lean against each other

Community Reviews

Parents say

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What's the Story?

Is it any good, talk to your kids about ....

Families can talk about how a person damaged in childhood by a destructive parent may never recover and may not make a great marital partner. How does Billie hold what her father did to her against Jecs?

Do you think Billie didn't want to have children because of how she was treated by her father when she was a child? Why didn't that occur to Jecs?

Why does Jecs fail to tell his meddling mother to back off when it comes to overstepping boundaries with his new wife? What should he have said to his mother?

Movie Details

On DVD or streaming : September 7, 2023
Cast : Alessandra de Rossi , JM De Guzman
Director : Manny Palo
Inclusion Information : Female actors, Asian actors
Studio : Netflix
Genre : Romance
Run time : 112 minutes
MPAA rating : NR
Last updated : September 11, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Cast & crew

Alessandra De Rossi and JM De Guzman in What If (2023)

When a pair of newlywed musicians get trapped in a storm on their island honeymoon, they must face difficult truths that could tear their marriage apart. When a pair of newlywed musicians get trapped in a storm on their island honeymoon, they must face difficult truths that could tear their marriage apart. When a pair of newlywed musicians get trapped in a storm on their island honeymoon, they must face difficult truths that could tear their marriage apart.