ZsaZsa Zaturnnah vs. The Amazonistas of Planet X
A flamboyant superhero. Zombie hordes. Invading alien queens. A Filipino animated film that shouldn't work — but absolutely does.
The plot: Why Ada swallows a magic rock and becomes a goddess
Ada is a heartbroken hairdresser in a small Philippine town who's decided love isn't worth the pain anymore. Then a meteorite crashes nearby. He swallows the glowing stone inside it (the film knows this is ridiculous — it leans into it), and transforms into ZsaZsa Zaturnnah: a towering, glamorous superhero with the power to punch through walls and sass her way through impossible situations.
What follows is 80 minutes of genuinely strange cinema. Ada fights zombies, battles the Amazonistas — a militaristic alien sisterhood from Planet X — and, scariest of all, opens himself back up to love. The thing nobody mentions about this film is how quietly it earns its emotional beats. The flamboyance isn't escape. It's expression. The version of himself Ada's never let the world see.
How this film got made: From cult komik to international co-production
ZsaZsa Zaturnnah has a long history in Philippine pop culture. The original character was created by Carlo Vergara in a beloved cult komik (Filipino comic), spawned a stage musical, and got adapted into a live-action film in 2006. This animated version is something different — a full international collaboration between RocketSheep Studio (Philippines) and Ghosts City Films (France).
Director Avid Liongoren helmed the project on a reported budget of $1.05 million, much of it crowdfunded by the character's passionate fanbase. That grassroots history matters. You can feel it in the film — it's made by people who actually care about Ada's story, not a studio algorithm deciding what sells. The voice cast brings real weight to the material. Phi Palmos voices Ada with restraint that makes his eventual vulnerability land hard. Adrienne Vergara voices ZsaZsa herself with a booming confidence that's genuinely funny. Sig Pecho, as the love interest Dodong, has a quiet scene late in the film — just Ada and Dodong in a room together, no superhero bravado — that sticks with you after the credits roll.
The film premiered as a Work in Progress at the prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival in 2025, then returned to Annecy's Midnight section in 2026 for its full festival premiere. That's the slot reserved for genre films with an edge. The festival programmers knew what they were programming.
Why it stands out: Queerness, spectacle, and emotional honesty
Here's what makes this different from the superhero glut: the film doesn't let the spectacle crowd out Ada's interior life. It's adult animation done right — not softened for general audiences. The action sequences have a kinetic, scrappy quality that suits the budget without feeling cheap. The Amazonistas themselves are the kind of villain design (campy, menacing, visually inventive) that makes you wish the film were longer.
What's striking is how the transformation functions as something more than a superhero origin gag. When Ada becomes ZsaZsa, there's a reading where the glamour is self-discovery — not escapism. The film's aware of that reading, handles it with warmth, never turns it into a lecture.
The comedy is broad. Zombie fights. Alien drag queens. A hairdresser who can punch through walls. But it never sacrifices character for the joke. I keep coming back to that final scene with Dodong — the superhero bravado completely gone, just Ada being awkward and real and open to trying again. That's not a subtle moment, but it lands because Palmos has earned it.
Where to watch (and what streaming sites say about availability)
ZsaZsa Zaturnnah vs. The Amazonistas of Planet X is currently available on major OTT services. Your best bet? Check the where-to-watch widget at the top of this page — it pulls live availability data so you're not chasing dead links. Movie OTT aggregates current streaming availability across platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and regional services, updating as licensing windows shift. Distribution rights vary by territory, so the aggregator view saves you guesswork.
Hard to say if all platforms carry it simultaneously. The film's international co-production status means different regions get different windows. But Movie OTT's got you covered if you're hunting for it in your country.
Who should watch this
If you want a superhero movie that's genuinely funny, emotionally honest, and built around a queer Filipino protagonist who transforms into a goddess to fight alien invaders — this is it. Eighty minutes. Not a frame wasted.
You'll connect with it if you love adult animation, LGBT genre storytelling, or Philippine pop culture. If you've never seen the original komik or the 2006 live-action film, don't worry — this film works on its own. The Amazonistas don't require footnotes.
FAQ
Q: Is ZsaZsa Zaturnnah suitable for kids?
No. It's adult animation with LGBT themes, action violence, and mature comedy. Aimed squarely at adults.
Q: Was this crowdfunded?
Partly. The production drew on crowdfunding from its fanbase alongside institutional co-production funding from Philippine and French partners.
Q: Is it based on existing material?
Yes — adapted from Carlo Vergara's cult Filipino komik Zsazsa Zaturnnah, which also inspired a 2006 live-action film.
Q: Who voices Ada?
Phi Palmos gives Ada a quiet restraint that makes the character's vulnerability work.
Q: How long is it?
Eighty minutes. Tight. Efficient.
The bottom line: Watch this if you've ever wanted queerness and spectacle and genuine emotion in the same film, all in one place. It exists. It's waiting for you. Check Movie OTT for current availability in your region.
