Jay on AllMovie

Reality television hits a new low of tastelessness and insensitivity in this satiric comedy from the Philippines. Jay is a schoolteacher who has been killed in a gay-bashing incident, but before his family can be informed of the crime, Jay Santiago (Baron Geisler), the producer of the television series "Dearly Departed Ones," gets word of the murder and dashes to the home of Jay's mother, Nanay Luz Mercado (Flor Salanga), and breaks the bad news with a camera crew on hand to capture her reaction. Santiago tells Nanay that in exchange for her cooperation, he'll tell the world about what happened to her son and the publicity will help bring the killers to justice. Nanay warily agrees, but it soon becomes clear Santiago is more interested in big emotions that will bring in big ratings than in getting justice for Jay. However, even the worst kind of fame can be addictive, and Nanay and Jay's former lover Edward (Coco Martin) find themselves eagerly pouring out their agony for the benefit of Santiago's cameras. Jay was the first directorial assignment for screenwriter Francis X. Pasion.