Creator: Liklik Media

Duration: 4mins 24secs

Release Date: Friday October 9th, 2026

Cast: Hane Kokoha, Rima Ravusiro, Eldan Toti, William Bereung

Ben’s (Rima Ravusiro) abuse escalates to a physical confrontation after Miri’s (Hane Kokoha) conversation with Kori at the market. Meanwhile, in desperation Noah (Eldan Toti) takes up Joe’s (William Bereung) offer to go gambling illegally.

One of the key themes explored in this episode is the influence of bad company and how constant pressure from the wrong people can lead someone down a destructive path. This is demonstrated when Noah finally succumbs to Joe’s relentless text messages, promising easy money. Despite the negative setbacks that may result due to Noah’s compliance, Joe’s persistent offers wear down Noah’s resistance. This moment highlights the complexity of Noah’s character and how hopelessness can override morals. Rather than portraying bad company as an immediate force of corruption, the episode suggests that its influence can be gradual, with repeated temptations slowly chipping away at a person’s better judgement.

William Bereung delivers an applause-worthy performance as the shady Joe. He primarily comes across as a common drunken friend, making his eventual role in Noah’s downward spiral all the more convincing. Through his persistent communication and street-cunning charisma, Joe gradually draws Noah into gambling. Bereung successfully portrays the character’s corrupting nature, presenting him as an obvious villain to the audience but not to a socially unequipped person such as Noah.

The vertical cinematography in this series frequently struggles with composition, lighting, and framing customized to the 9:16 aspect ratio. Across multiple scenes, poor spatial framing leads to clipped actor heads and excessive dead space that distracts from the main subject – usually the actor. Wide group shots attempting to capture horizontal layouts result in cluttered compositions where foreground actors awkwardly block lines of sight and obscure central interactions. Furthermore, inconsistent lighting plagues indoor setups – dim; flat indoor lighting fails to separate characters from their surroundings. These technical shortcomings hinder visual storytelling and pull the viewer out of the narrative.

Final Verdict:

Despite compelling performances and a relevant exploration of abuse, desperation, and the influence of bad company, the episode’s cinematography flaws undermine its storytelling potential.

★★☆☆☆ (2/5)