The Four Bad Boys and Me (2025)

A Teen Flick That Trips Over Its Own Drama

The Four Bad Boys and Me – streaming on iWant and ABS-CBN Entertainment YouTube channel – is an adaptation of a popular web novel, directed by Benedict Mique Jr. The cast includes Anji Salvacion as Candice Gonzales, with BGYO’s Gelo Rivera as her love interest Jeydon Lopez. The titular “Four Bad Boys” are rounded out by River Joseph as Charles Gonzales (Candice’s chaotic brother), Dustin Mayores as campus Casanova Troy Mendoza, and Harvey Bautista as Marky Lim – the one relatively sensible member of the group. Supporting roles include Brent Manalo as Shawn Lucas (Candice’s friend from South Korea), AC Bonifacio as Tiffany Chua, plus a handful of other side characters.

I held back writing this review for days because I wanted to see if my first impressions were too harsh. I saw it first at its Gateway premiere, then again via streaming – and sadly, my opinion hasn’t softened. This isn’t just a flawed adaptation; it’s a cinematic train wreck.

From the outset, the film feels like it’s aimed squarely at a younger, undemanding audience – or perhaps purely at fans of the source material and the cast. I haven’t read the original novel, so I can’t tell if the issues stem from poor adaptation or if the book itself is equally messy. But the result here is a two-hour slog: meandering, incoherent, and stuffed with so many unnecessary subplots that character development is all but abandoned.

The story introduces far too many plot points. Instead of fleshing out its core romance or friendship arcs, the narrative sprawls into half-baked love triangles, unexplained conspiracies, and bizarre cheating storylines involving the parents – which add nothing to the main plot. Characters like Shawn (Brent Manalo) feel completely unnecessary; he’s barely on screen, yet his inclusion muddles the central dynamic between Candice, Jeydon, and Marky. Even Kim – supposedly the “third party” – never meets Jeydon, leaving her motivations a mystery.

Script inconsistencies abound. One moment Candice and Jeydon share a heartfelt “Betty” scene, the next Candice acts shocked that Jeydon likes her. It’s as if no one checked for continuity. And if you’re going to introduce new conflicts, at least give them proper build-up. Instead, we get a patchwork of half-explored ideas.

The real tragedy is the wasted potential. Marky could have been a strong second lead. The friendship between Troy, Tiffany, and Candice – established during the pageant subplot – could have added heart. Charles, the brother, could have been given more depth. Instead, the film skims past the emotional beats in favour of filler: unnecessary musical numbers, awkward dance breaks, and a pageant storyline that loses steam halfway through.

What it could have been is a charming coming-of-age story about Candice finding her confidence, with the “bad boys” revealing their own struggles beneath the bravado. Instead, it tries to do everything and succeeds at almost nothing.

To be fair, the film isn’t entirely joyless. There are moments of light-hearted banter and witty dialogue, and Harvey Bautista’s performance as Marky is the one bright spot – he’s the only actor here who seems to know exactly what he’s doing. But even he can’t salvage the clumsy editing, lack of direction, and tonal whiplash.

Verdict: The Four Bad Boys and Me wants to be a breezy, feel-good teen flick, but ends up feeling like detention – long, tedious, and something you endure rather than enjoy.

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