The Garden of Earthly Delights 2025
The Garden of Earthly Delights 2025
2h 4m | Drama | Release date: May 29, 2025 (Netherlands)
Storyline:
In the stormy slums of Manila, eleven-year-old Ginto fights for survival, respect and freedom, determined to rise as a gangster rather than a street scavenger. He frequently escapes his harsh reality with his best friend, on whom he has a tender, unspoken crush, and who joins him on drug-induced journeys to a paradise realm bursting with blooming flowers. His protective sister Asia tries her best to keep him on the right path, but she has her own struggles to deal with, as she engages in sex work in pursuit of a better life. Meanwhile, Dutch tourist Michael enters town with plans to celebrate Christmas with his online Filipino girlfriend, only to have his world crumble when he discovers he’s been catfished. Overwhelmed by betrayal, he descends into the underbelly of the city’s red-light district, where desire meets sinister demand. As Ginto’s and Michael’s fates ultimately intertwine, Ginto is forced to make an impossible decision, drawing him into a brutal garden of earthly delights.
User review:
What a life-changing film. The story is deeply moving, and at times really hard to watch because it challenges you to feel empathy in places you didn’t expect. You sit there, trying not to see what’s coming, holding on to the hope of a happy ending, but no, reality isn’t happy. It forces you to stop looking away.
Despite the weight of the subject, the film is visually stunning. It’s full of colour, lights, rhythm, symbolism: the flowers, the gongs, and that surreal, hallucinogenic scene in the forest. Absolutely mind-blowing!
We were lucky enough to attend a Q&A with Morgan Knibbe himself, and it gave so much context to the process. You can feel the respect and care he put into this work. He absolutely deserves recognition for it. And the young “actors”-who aren’t actors at all-especially Ginto, brought so much authenticity. When he said he hoped to create respect, I think he nailed it.
The message is painfully clear, especially for a Western or European audience. It’s a direct confrontation with the legacy of colonialism, how it’s still glorified, how it’s taught with vague language, and how its consequences continue today in forms even harder to detect. Neo-colonialism isn’t just history, it’s ongoing, layered, and devastating. This film doesn’t let you walk away untouched.
I feel I could write more about it, but I’m still processing.
Director: Morgan Knibbe
Writers: Morgan Knibbe, Roelof Jan Minneboo
Stars: JP Rodriguez, Benjamin Moen, Francesca Dela Cruz
Countries of origin: Netherlands, Philippines, Belgium
Languages: English, Tagalog
Filming locations: Tanay, Rizal, Philippines(Falls)
Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 4
File size : 2.47 GiB
Duration : 1 h 58 min
Overall bit rate : 2 977 kb/s
Frame rate : 25.000 FPS
Links: iMDB | NFO | Screenshots backup
Download: Nitroflare
A fantastic movie: Dark, slightly surrealistic – almost like a feverish dream… I love it anyway!! Thank you so much for sharing!
By the way: I’ve just visited the local cinema to watch “Amrum”, a totally different type of movie created by Hark Bohm and Fatih Akin (one should know these names!). A really great boyhood movie – I’m looking forward to find it on this site some day!
This movie was such a treat. I didn’t want it to end. So many controversial issues were at play. Courageously well done. The cinematography, acting and drama had me at the edge of my seat. It’s movies like this that makes me feel fortunate to be a member of this platform. Thanks for uploading such an eye opening and stunning movie.