Change Your Image
carlstrife
Reviews
A Hard Day (2021)
Wasted Arcilla and Dantes a lot, just so they can add something to the MMFF.
While it followed most of the plot from the original 2015 Korean original, the execution of it all was abysmal. The action scenes had the typical, nonsensical Filipino ingredient in it. The slowmo, the unnecessary zoom-in. It felt like I was watching ABS-CBN's "Ang Probinsyano".
They kept on adding the unnecessary comedic antics to the film when the plot itself wasn't funny. The plot (original) was amazing and it fits well in the Filipino narrative of drugs and corrupt police officers. However, to add some scenes just to make it funny RUINS it. The ferocity of Arcilla and Dantes' acting was spoiled because of this. The climax was written poorly, and especially the ending. They should've stuck with the ending just like the original Korean film, but they just had to make it into a 'good' ending because Filipinos can't handle a 'bad' ending plot-wise.
Poorly executed film. The actors and actresses did a good job, but their efforts were wasted on a poorly written film--an adapted film at that.
Eerie (2018)
It's not just the story--it's the cinematography.
In terms of local Pinoy horror films, there aren't that much horror films that focuses on a Catholic school with evil ghosts. It's pretty cool considering that a ghost or evil entity is bold enough to reside on a school supposedly under the eyes of God. The main character is amazing, Bea Alonzo really went wonders with her role. Charo Santos portrayed the strict nun superbly well. Ericka, the ghost, did amazing too, and Jake Cuenca as a Detective.
The way it developed was effective--how the evil entity was created, and how the characters had to deal with it up until its defeat. The ending is especially unexpected, jaw-dropping, and one of the best Pinoy horror endings I've seen so far. Bea Alonzo's expression on it was SPOT ON. The ending also left an open-ended kind-off scenario, but it was satisfying.
But the best thing about this film is the cinematography, the camera-work, the way it pans from slow, the silence, the buildups, THE SPOOKING FACTOR. The film was so suspenseful and had a LOT of jump-scares that was actually effective and well placed, unlike some Pinoy horror films today where they scare just for the heck of it.
The only thing I find distasteful is how the ghost, Ericka, looked when she's on her ghost-mode. She wasn't that really scary. Though her intentions and backstory is impressive. The first victim, Clara, was scarier when they found her during the first few minutes of the film. Her defeat was also...lacking. While she was able to do what she wanted to do, how she was defeated could've been represented in another, much better way, than what was given.