tishvalenzuela

Finally, a slice of horror's best.

While a slow burn at first, true crime peppers the start of this riveting story, which simmers into a deliciously grotesque Lovecraftian buffet of blood, bones, and body parts.

I recall squirming, yet my eyes were fully open- unable to look away, feeling grossly overtaken yet increasingly intrigued by the masterful visuals and special effects that make up a good chunk of the film's story. (No pun intended)

The paradoxical line between the philosophical and the physical blur as two powerful characters wage a weird yet wildly well-written war on survival and strength.

It is fair to say, that this piece shook me to my very core- no jump scares, witchcraft or ghosts necessary.

I really wanted to like this film and had high hopes as it was recommended by a friend.

Production, acting and cinematography was "Class A" but the writing, script and overall plot could have been more polished. I love how ambitious and different the premise was from the usual fare of Filipino cinema, but the film in many ways still fell into a cadence of plot devices typical of mainstream Filipino telenovelas and dramas- which disappointed me and had me itching to leave the theater towards the end.

Overall, while I appreciate how timely, witty and fun the overall experience was, I do not appreciate adding story elements for sheer shock value. It just felt like lazy writing to me. I have much hope though, for these two veteran actresses and the Filipino audience as a whole- if more stories that defied expectations were made, I would be a very happy critic.