General · EdgepediaOctober 3, 20265 min read

Linlang

Linlang is a Philippine mystery-thriller television series produced by Dreamscape Entertainment and ABS-CBN, starring Kim Chiu, Paulo Avelino, and JM de Guzman, that premiered on Amazon Prime Video on October 5, 2023.¹^•² It was released in over 240 countries and territories and was consistently the number one show on Prime Video Philippines during its streaming run.¹ The title has also been used for a 1999 Viva Films feature and a 2006 GMA Network series, both separate works.³

Key fact	Detail
Format	Philippine mystery-thriller drama in Tagalog, produced by Dreamscape Entertainment; production company ABS-CBN²^•⁴
Prime Video run	14 episodes of about one hour, streamed October 5 to November 16, 2023, in over 240 countries and territories⁵^•⁴^•¹
Lead cast	Kim Chiu as Juliana Lualhati, Paulo Avelino as Victor "Bangis" Lualhati, JM de Guzman as Alexander Lualhati⁴
Directors	FM Reyes and Jojo Saguin¹
Teleserye version	Aired from January 22, 2024, weeknights at 8:45 PM after "FPJ's Batang Quiapo" on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, TV5, iWantTFC, and TFC¹
Netflix release	A special 20-episode edit under the international title "Deceit" began streaming July 4, 2025, reaching number 3 on Netflix Philippines' top 10⁶

Spoilers

Premise and characters

The story centers on Juliana (Kim Chiu), her illicit affair with Alex (JM de Guzman), a successful lawyer who is the brother of Juliana's husband Victor (Paulo Avelino), a washed-up boxer.¹ When Victor, a former boxer turned seaman, returns from working abroad and finds a suspicious message on his wife's phone, he makes it his mission to uncover her secrets and vows revenge on those who betrayed him; the deeper he digs, the more he discovers there is more at play than a cheating spouse.¹^•⁷

The main cast includes Maricel Soriano as Amelia Lualhati, Ruby Ruiz as Pilar Alcantara, and Kaila Estrada as Sylvia Lualhati, the wife of JM de Guzman's character.⁴^•⁸ Supporting cast members include Jaime Fabregas, Raymond Bagatsing, Heaven Peralejo, Jake Ejercito, Anji Salvacion, and Kice.¹

Production and release history

ABS-CBN announced the series in October 2022 as a teleserye under Dreamscape Entertainment, with a teaser describing a story of dirty lies, secrets, jealousy, and betrayal in relationships.⁹ It was originally set to be directed by Jojo Saguin and Manny Palo and to air in 2023; the completed series was directed by FM Reyes and Jojo Saguin.⁹^•¹ For Maricel Soriano, the role marked her return to television.⁹

The Prime Video cut. The creative team had written the series as a weekly show, but Amazon asked for one-hour episodes across 14 episodes. Director FM Reyes said at a 2024 media conference that roughly 50 percent of the original script was cut to fit Prime Video's requirements for a plot-driven, fast-paced series.⁵ A review in PEP.ph noted the fast-paced storytelling and time skips across the first two episodes, released October 5, 2023, with new episodes every Thursday.⁸ ABS-CBN reported that the series emerged as the most watched TV show on Prime Video Philippines on its first streaming day.¹⁰

The teleserye version. Beginning January 22, 2024, ABS-CBN aired "Linlang: The Teleserye Version" with never-before-seen scenes that delve deeper into the characters and tell the full story behind the relationships among Juliana, Victor, and Alex.¹ TheTVDB lists the teleserye run as 48 episodes from January to March 2024 in its alternate order, while the ABS-CBN fan wiki gives its broadcast run as January 22 to June 14, 2024.⁴^•² In Kantar Media ratings for January 22, 2024, the show scored 13 percent in its timeslot, ahead of GMA Network's "Love.Die.Repeat" at 11.3 percent.¹¹

Later streaming releases. The series reached a top seven spot on iWant's 2024 most-watched shows, and a newly edited 20-episode version under the international title "Deceit" began streaming on Netflix on July 4, 2025, reaching number 3 on Netflix Philippines' top 10 most-watched shows.⁶ Netflix lists the show's genres as TV dramas and TV thrillers from the Philippines, with audio in Filipino and subtitles in English and Filipino.¹²

Reception

The series drew attention for its heated confrontation scenes and twisted storyline involving revenge and infidelity, spawning multiple viral posts on social media.¹ PEP.ph highlighted the performances of Kim Chiu in a mature role distinct from her usual image, and of Kaila Estrada as the most prominent of the newer cast members.⁸ A review on A Good Movie to Watch was critical, describing the drama as relying on characters who leap to conclusions and on an intrusive score.⁷ ABS-CBN reports that the series and its lead actors received awards from various award-giving bodies.⁶

Other works titled Linlang

Linlang (1999 film). A Philippine drama-thriller produced by Viva Films, directed by Maryo J. de los Reyes and written by Roy Iglesias, released in the Philippines on November 24, 1999, with a runtime of 110 minutes. It stars Richard Gomez as Lance, Pops Fernandez as his wife Myra (called Lyra in some synopses), and Joyce Jimenez as Jill, the woman who enters their marriage; the story of an affair ends in a tragic death. On IMDb it holds a 4.2/10 rating from 32 votes.³^•¹³

References

Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › South and Southeast Asian serials › Philippine serials and teleseryes

Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026

Notice something wrong?