Ten Little Mistresses: Mistresses and Murder

 _{[*Source*](https://x.com/primevideoph/status/1620261034576707584/photo/1)} Last week was a pretty heavy week for me because, aside from school activities, I also suffered from a really grueling cold and cough. My throat hurt for almost three days, and because of that, I forced myself to distance from social media for a while. While on my supposedly rest time, I watched a movie that I’ve been meaning to watch ever since its trailer came out a couple of years ago. The concept was really intriguing because it’s all about mistresses—fashionably gorgeous mistresses. They all look stunning in their outfits, but what really got me to it is how could those ladies be part of a murder-mystery movie?  Usually, the mystery films I watched were mostly sinister, or they at least had characters are serious and detective-like. But the way they look seems so out of it, so I was definitely curious about how the story would go, that’s why last Saturday I finally decided to finish it. So before I share with you my review, join me as we first take a peek at this unusual murder-mystery movie about a man and his *Ten Little Mistresses*. --- ##### About the Movie  **Ten Little Mistresses** is a comedy-mystery movie that premiered way back in 2023. It was written and directed by *Jun Lana*, and it’s also the first Filipino Amazon original film. Upon knowing this, I kinda expected more from this movie, and when I finished it—it’s somehow…*fine*. Well, it all started with the gathering of ten gorgeous ladies in their eye-catching outfits. Each of them has a different personality, and at one glance, you could tell that they’re all bold. However, all of them are mistresses of one man—the newly-widowed billionaire Valentin Esposo, and upon hearing that his wife passed away, they all shamelessly hoped that one of them could be his new wife. But Valentin has another plan.  For the night before his 60th birthday, after showering his mistresses with lavish gifts, he made a big announcement. He announced that he would start anew. His mistresses were obviously shocked by this sudden *change of heart*, but before they could fully cope with it, another shocker happened. He suddenly choked out of nowhere and dropped dead! With him dropping dead, all of them fall into chaos. Fingers are turned among them as they accuse each other of killing him. But who could it be? Is it the first mistress, *Magenta*? The renowned plastic surgeon, *Helga*? Or was it *Diva*, the former assistant of Helga?  Also, it could be the mistress who gave him a son, *Babet*. Well, you certainly shouldn’t exclude the youngest mistress, *Moon Young*, nor the opinionated *Coco*. And it's definitely hard to miss both the mysterious mistresses, *Aura*, who always dresses as a soothsayer and *Lady G*, the famous performer. Plus, you also shouldn’t forget about his two beauty queen mistresses, *Sparkle* and *Because*. All of them have the motive, but only one succeeded in doing so. Secrets will be unveiled, grudges will surface, and wits will be tested as these ladies seek out the killer among them.  --- Like I mentioned, it was a good movie to watch; however, I expected something more from it. It wasn’t exactly bad nor great, but it’s a movie that will keep you entertained for more than a couple of hours. The concept and story were promising—I didn't even expect the twist because the mystery behind the murder was quite baffling at first. There are layers of stories included and as well as the usual lore I didn’t see they would use in this movie. Also, there are many possible suspects who equally have solid reasons to kill Valentin, so it’s quite a challenge to determine who really killed him.  Further, the first half of the movie didn’t immediately delve into the mystery behind the death; rather, it felt like it was introducing the mistresses and focusing on the comedic part. Like the typical Filipino comedy movies I’ve watched before, they also used references to iconic Filipino personalities and, of course, Filipino humor with a touch of *kanal humor*—meaning, [a type of humor that we consider crude, vulgar or low-brow](https://republicasiamedia.com/generation/understanding-pinoy-gen-z-humor/). And as usual, it made me laugh because their jokes resonate with me and I can understand them. Moreover, the actresses really did well in carrying their unique characters and outfits. It’s really one of the initial reasons why I watched this movie because their outfits were fabulous, and if you don’t finish the whole trailer you’ll definitely question how these ladies can be part of a murder story.  Setting aside the comedic part, perhaps it’s the mystery that somehow disappointed me. I know that there are a few movies that combine these genres together, so it wasn’t a big issue that they didn’t really went well with each other. I don’t know but the mystery and thrill were watered down because of the sudden comedic skits that come in. I enjoyed the comedy, but the mystery in it feels lacking because even the investigation scenes felt like comedic parts for me. There were times I get confused if the characters are just joking or really telling the truth, and maybe that’s the reason why it took me time to realize who the real culprit was, when in fact, it was quite obvious, and I commend the writer for that.  Overall, the movie was a fine one to watch if you wanted to be entertained with both comedy and mystery, and if I were to rate it, it would be an **8/10**. It wasn’t one of the best comedies nor the best mystery movie that I’ve watched, but it’s a good one if you want to try something with an unusual story. By the way, if you have beef with mistresses, then I advise you to steer clear because this movie would shamelessly flaunt those ladies. So if you’re in for the laughs and mind-bogglers, you'd better try watching *Ten Little Mistresses*, and let me know what are your thoughts are about it. And before I end this review, I'll share with you its trailer, so—

Have you watched this movie before? Or is this your first time encountering it? Well, if you have something to share then feel free to comment. And that's all for now, everyone! I hope you enjoyed reading my review.