Sam Milby and Yassi Pressman’s iWant original series “The Tapes” has left viewers demanding a sequel, as its first season’s whodunit narrative garnered positive reviews and challenged its viewers’ own interpretations of the story.
Now streaming on iWant, the mystery thriller sees two partner cops (Sam and Yassi) digging through a series of tapes that contain snippets of disturbing events related to a cold case, taking viewers into a rabbit hole of dark clues behind the disappearance of an alluring, local lass named Judy (Barbara Ruero).
Cinema review page Today I’ve Watched was fascinated from the get-go and rated the iWant original a 9/10, calling it a “stylish… intricate puzzle.”
“The show boasts some incredible visuals, with a neo-noirish touch. [Its] impressive long, continuous shots build up the dread of the scenes. The very detailed production design… completes the show’s uncanny atmosphere. The show’s use of synth pop music perfectly matched the 90s setting and the show’s weird vibe,” it said in a review. “Even though its open-ended finale raises more questions than answers, ‘The Tapes’ is a compelling mystery that will leave you craving for a second season.”
Review Twitter page @WatchOrSkipIt also commended the Bradley Liew-helmed series saying, “#TheTapes is by far one of the best Filipino-produced shows there is. Although there’s always room for improvement (i.e. how each episode is paced), it’s groundbreaking stylistically and thematically. Love the mythos – looking forward to S2!”
Viewers also took their opinions, questions, and theories to social media.
“It’s fresh and new. The more you watch it, the more it grows on you. And the interesting part here is that it seems to hold back the details of the story that it’s trying to tell. It leaves you with hints,” posted Twitter user @KingValdez17. “They really did a great job at excellently putting together the mind blowing parts. It left me wanting to see more.”
“So natapos ko nang mapanood yung The Tapes ng @iwant! Grabe litong lito na ako! Nakakabaliw, I need answers!!!!! Ang gagaling umarte ng mga artista at ang ganda ng cinematog!!!!! As a pinoy (future) film maker, i’m proud,” gushed @ANNEgaLEngniGod on Twitter.
“I never comment on local TV but #TheTapes on @iwant is pretty good. I like the atmosphere. I hope dumating sa gantong level ang local TV cos people will be missing out,” tweeted @ohitsmerenz.
Fans also recognized the series’s potential to capture an international audience, like Sheena Elbo who posted on YouTube, “Ganda pang international! Suspense thriller, kakaiba naman ito. Congrats to you idol Yassi and Sam also.”
“Ang ganda ng series sa iWant!!! Congrats ABS-CBN!! Naiimagine ko na maging ganito rin ung mga palabas sa ABS-CBN TV, para pang international!,” also commented Chino Hernandez on YouTube.
Press play and discover the truth behind “The Tapes” on the iWant app (iOs and Android) or iwant.ph. For updates, like www.facebook.com/iWant, and follow @iwant on Twitter and @iwantofficial and @dreamscapedigital on Instagram, and subscribe to www.youtube.com/iWantPH.
