Initially, I am not expecting that much in this independent film but I could easily say that it slightly exceeds my expectation. The crown-jewel in this film, in my opinion is its cinematography, in which my favorite shots are the first bed scene and the wild transformation scene. The acting of Cenon and del Rosario is also good, considering that their characters are very introverted, resulting into some intentionally awkward, yet splendid scenes. But the.artist that truly shine acting-wise is Vangie Lablaban, which despite limited air-time, managed to greatly portray her character's personality and attitude.
Yet, there are aspects of the film that left something to be desired. The most spotable concern is the lack of detail regarding Jewel's background story, we all know that she's somewhat anti-social but there is no indication how and why she became a manananggal. Another inconsistency is the ending scene wherein, Nico goes with Jewel to leave the city, forgetting that her mother has recently died so who the heck will manage her funeral? Not to mention, how did these two easily escaped the apartment without does nosy people ever noticing them?
So to sum up, Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B is a passable film with some good acting but with flawed and shaky background storytelling to boost up its main character. It is far from the best independent film out there, but given its low budget, it certainly serves its purpose.
Yet, there are aspects of the film that left something to be desired. The most spotable concern is the lack of detail regarding Jewel's background story, we all know that she's somewhat anti-social but there is no indication how and why she became a manananggal. Another inconsistency is the ending scene wherein, Nico goes with Jewel to leave the city, forgetting that her mother has recently died so who the heck will manage her funeral? Not to mention, how did these two easily escaped the apartment without does nosy people ever noticing them?
So to sum up, Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B is a passable film with some good acting but with flawed and shaky background storytelling to boost up its main character. It is far from the best independent film out there, but given its low budget, it certainly serves its purpose.