Sampung Utos Kay Josh

Sampung Utos Kay Josh (lit. 'Ten Commandments for Josh') is a 2025 Philippine black comedy film directed by Marius Talampas from a story and screenplay written by Sherwin Buenvenida in his last writing work before his death in June 2024.^[1][2] Starring Jerald Napoles and Pepe Herrera, the film follows a good samaritan meeting Satan when he experienced countless unfortunate events and began violating the Ten Commandments.^[3]

Sampung Utos Kay Josh
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Marius Talampas
Written by	Sherwin Buenvenida
Produced by	Kren V. Yap Jan Pineda Vicent Del Rosario III Veronique Del Rosario-Corpus Valerie Salvador Del Rosario
Starring	Jerald Napoles Pepe Herrera
Cinematography	Dix Buhay
Edited by	Neil Mendoza Alvin Chan
Music by	Teresa Barrozo
Production companies	Viva Films Arcade Anima Studio Viva
Distributed by	Viva Films
Release date	January 29, 2025 (2025-01-29)
Running time	104 minutes
Country	Philippines
Language	Filipino

A co-production of Viva Films, Studio Viva, Anima, and Arcade Productions, the film was theatrically released on January 29, 2025.

Plot

Josh De Guzman is a devout Catholic and a diligent loan executive at Kalayaan Bank. Raised by his deeply religious mother, Elizabeth, Josh lives a life steeped in faith, adhering strictly to the Ten Commandments. His home is adorned with religious icons, and he often preaches the mantra that “Jesus is the Boss of our lives.” Josh's life seems blessed: he has a promising career, a loving fiancée named Ella, who is also the daughter of his boss, Mr. Montes, and a close-knit group of friends, including the kleptomaniac Bill, the womanizer Eli, and the ever-supportive Zoren.

Josh's seemingly perfect life unravels when a series of unfortunate events befall him. He is implicated in a financial scandal after approving several loan applications that default, leading to his arrest by the NBI on charges of fraud. His boss, Mr. Montes, distances himself, and Ella ends their relationship during a jail visit. While in custody, a jailbreak occurs, and Josh is mistakenly left behind, further humiliating him. Upon release, he learns that his mother has been diagnosed with stage four cancer. These cascading tragedies lead Josh to question his unwavering faith, feeling punished despite his adherence to divine laws.

In a moment of despair, Josh has a surreal encounter with a character named Santanas, a satirical embodiment of both Satan and Jesus. This hallucination—or perhaps a manifestation of his inner turmoil—encourages Josh to rebel against the very commandments he once held sacred. Determined to challenge the heavens, Josh embarks on a mission to deliberately break each of the Ten Commandments, believing that if righteousness led to suffering, perhaps sin might offer solace.

Josh's journey into sin is both comedic and tragic. He skips church to visit a beerhouse, violating the Sabbath. There, he attempts to engage with a sex worker named Genesis to commit adultery, but their interaction leads to a profound conversation about morality and judgment, leaving Josh humbled. He gambles at a wake, uses the Lord's name in vain during a heated moment, and engages in theft, all in a bid to break the commandments. Each act is portrayed with dark humor, highlighting the absurdity and futility of his rebellion.

As Josh continues his descent, the consequences of his actions accumulate, leading to a deeper understanding of his own humanity and the complexities of faith. Through this journey, Josh learns that faith is not about strict adherence to rules but about understanding, compassion, and the courage to confront one's doubts.

Cast

• Jerald Napoles as Josh / Joshua De Guzman^[4][5]
• Pepe Herrera as Santanas / Satan / Boss Jesus^[6][7][8]
• Albie Casiño as Ali^[9]
• Bobot Mortiz as Mr. Montes
• Irma Adlawan as Josh's mother
• Debbie Garcia as Ella, Mr. Montes daughter and Josh's girlfriend
• James Caraan as Bill
• GB Labrador as Zoren
• Ashley Rivera as Genesis
• Blucher Abang as Bart
• Rolando Inocencio
• Alex Medina as Holdupper
• Donna Cariaga as Holdupper's wife
• Joel Saracho
• Raffy Tejada
• Sunny Dumayas
• James Sales
• Dante Agdon
• Karl Medina
• Judah Leo Polo
• Ryan Rems
• Long Mejia as Beggar

The film features a cameo appearance by the band Tubero, who perform their song “Guard Tang Ina Mo” during one of the scenes with Satan.

Production

Albie Casiño revealed that he's doing a film with Jerald Napoles, Alex Medina and Debbie Garcia and they're started to shoot the film on April 2024.^[9]

Release

The film was released on January 29, 2025, under Viva Films.^[10]

Reception

Goldwin Reviews gave the film a rating of 3 over 5 and wrote;

The film's merit lies in its attempt to disrupt the norm in both the Philippine cinema and religious circles. From a definite black and white, it transported us into a life of gray areas. It’s good to have options and perspectives.^[11]

Lionheartv gave the film a rating of 3 over 5 and wrote;

An intriguing blended of humor and introspection that's both thought-provoking and entertaining.^[12]