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Mae Cruz-Alviar

Mae Cruz-Alviar

Director, also writer · Born April 30, 1974 (52) · Manila, Philippines

Mae Czarina Cruz-Alviar (born 30 April 1974) is a Filipino director. She is best known for directing the films Bride for Rent (2014), Crazy Beautiful You (2015), Can't Help Falling in Love (2017), Four Sisters Before the Wedding (2020), and Rewind (2023)

Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 30, 1974 (52)
From
Manila, Philippines
Works as
Director, also writer
Titles
11 on MovieCove · 38 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 14% in 30 days

What are Mae Cruz-Alviar's films like?

Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
58%
Self
24%
Morality
8%
Survival
7%
Power
3%
Romantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 8 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 5 · Serious 2 · Dark 1

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 8 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 4 · Charged 3 · Intense 1

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 4 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 5 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 4 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 3

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 7 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Romantic
4
Joyful
5
Melancholic
3
Bittersweet
4
Hopeful
3
Other
4

How their films linger

Feel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet6

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Mae Cruz-Alviar's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 2 of their 11 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, on Netflix (2).

Subscription and free streaming for Mae Cruz-Alviar's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

38 credits, 11 with a MovieCove page.

  • Love You So Bad(2025)

    Director · Story

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • It's Okay to Not Be Okay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Show 80 episodes · Director

  • Rewind(2023)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Can't Buy Me Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Show 70 episodes · Director · Creator

  • 2 Good 2 Be True (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 130 episodes · Director

  • Love or Money (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Director

  • Four Sisters Before the Wedding (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Director

  • Make It with You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 45 episodes · Director

  • Unbreakable(2019)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Two Hearts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 163 episodes · Director

  • La Luna Sangre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Show 185 episodes · Director

  • Can't Help Falling in Love(2017)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Dolce Amore (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Show 137 episodes · Director

  • Everyday I Love You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Director

  • Must Date the Playboy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Director

  • Crazy Beautiful You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Director

  • Past Tense(2014)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Hawak Kamay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Show 90 episodes · Director

  • Bride for Rent(2014)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • She's the One(2013)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • 24/7 in Love(2012)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Every Breath U Take (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director

  • Catch Me... I'm in Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director

  • Magkaribal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Show 94 episodes · Director

  • Rosalka (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Show 115 episodes · Director

  • Babe, I Love You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director

  • In My Life(2009)

    Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Wedding (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Show 49 episodes · Director

  • Maging Sino Ka Man: Ang Pagbabalik (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 78 episodes · Director

  • Maging Sino Ka Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 164 episodes · Director

  • Angels Without a Heaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 210 episodes · Director

  • Bcuz Of U (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director

  • Anak(2000)

    Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Assistant Director

  • Ipaglaban Mo: The Movie II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Dolor's friend (episode 1)

  • Madrasta(1996)

    as Rachels' friend

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Maalaala Mo Kaya (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Remember (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 38 titles, 37 of them dated from 1991 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Bride for Rent (2014)

$7.3M worldwide

Highest rated

Can't Help Falling in Love (2017)

Midcredits 76th

Most popular right now

Bride for Rent (2014)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 38: 2 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting33 of 38: 30 only directing, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score61stWriting2 of 38: 0 only writing, 2 with another roleOther crew4 of 38: 3 only other crew, 1 with another role

38 titles, 3 with more than one role — directing and other crew overlap on 1 of them.

By decade

1990s4 · 2 acting · 2 crew2000s7 · crew2010s18 · crew2020s8 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Mae Cruz-Alviar's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of all 11; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 56th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Approval · how many liked their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Reach · how many have seen their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Midcredits score across 11 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th8

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 11 titles are Divisive.

  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Divisive4
  • Cult Classic3
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · director

Past Tense (2014)

94th percentile spread · 35% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Madrasta (1996)

Midcredits 81st · 69% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 58/100 and the pacing 54/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Mae Cruz-Alviar work with?

People who share at least 2 of Mae Cruz-Alviar's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Cesar Francis Concio shares the most, 6.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers