What compelled me to check out this film was the 2008 Indian film Aamir, which was claimed to be a "remake" of this film even though the director of Aamir denied it. It was really hard to find this film online, but having found and watched it, I can say that Cavite and Aamir are two entirely different movies with only a few similarities. That being said, Aamir is technically and overall a far superior film, but Cavite has merits of its own. It succeeds in immersing the viewer into the lifelike experience that unfolds on the screen.
The depiction of the world around the protagonist is the best thing about Cavite; you get to know a lot about the lives there. The usage of subtitles in one sequence was really artistic and something I haven't seen done before in any film. With only one main character, I was relieved to see filmmakers have actually tried single character stories long before today's times. Performance wise, it's pretty decent as anyone would react the way Adam does, for most of the part. The desperation to save one's family while also not letting go of basic humanity is a challenge depicted realistically in Cavite.
On the downside, the film feels less engaging and "thrilling", until the final act. Although I can readily agree that making a film as "digital" as this on a shoestring budget, that too in times like 2005, is a huge thing, I can't say I was totally into it. For an 80 minute film, it felt too long at times. As a simple story, it could've been even shorter, sadly. It doesn't have anything spectacular on the visual front, but that seems to be the makers' intention to highlight the harsh reality of the real world, and hence not a major issue.
While it might not offer never-ending tension: the one thing that made thrillers like Phone Booth enthrall viewers and further stand the test of time, Cavite is a fairly watchable thriller with a few surprises and lots of realistic moments. The climax surely is something that might stick with me for quite a time. Good luck finding a copy of the film, if you really want to see it.