Filipino cinema has a distinctive style of presenting the horror genre, with both hits and flops. Though not all films under this category successfully delivered the “thrill” and “terror” to moviegoers, there are still some notable writing and directing that kept Filipinos convinced to walk down the red-carpeted aisle of movie theaters.
If you classify all Filipino horror films, Pagpag will undoubtedly make it to the top 50 list; it was not great, but not a waste of talent either. Pagpag circulates the story of a familiar Filipino theme – pamahiin or superstition beliefs – in this case, the notion that guests of the bereaved should shake off the spirit of the deceased by heading somewhere other than home. These beliefs have been an argument long before most of us were born and still reel to the present-day revolutionized society.
As the years passed and with the continual production of new breeds of horror movies, Pagpag holds the title as one of the few films of the early 10s that truly depicted the genre. It's one of the rare Filipino horror flicks that both enthralls and disturbs audiences. It also has a substance of teenage revelry and young romance between two newly met individuals, and their compelling charismatic presence also complimented the aggregate of the movie and balanced the thriller-slash-mystery emotions. Pagpag was an official entry into the Metro Manila Film Festival in 2014 and was directed by the genius filmmaker Frasco Mortiz. It received both positive acclaims from both critics and audiences and was a major triumph, both commercial and critical. Eight (8) years after its release, the weight of Filipino superstition remains and passes on.
Pagpag starred the Ultimate Loveteam of this generation, Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, and along with the other actors, they explored the complexity and “realness” of Filipino superstition in the traditional wake. Pagpag has victoriously delivered an eerie consequence to those who were not a fanatic about conforming to superstitions, and maybe even convinced the viewers that such aftermath was real in actuality.
The film also included an excellent conveyance of each character's sinister execution and how their deaths are linked to the superstitions that each ignored. Does this sound familiar? Indeed, it does! They employed the same technique in withdrawing the actors from Chito S. Rono's 2004 film Feng Shui. The idea was accidentally, or maybe intentionally, unoriginal and was a bit cliché since the diegesis of most horror movies of the past decade revolves around how the supporting casts are being chased by some randomness, depending on the film’s conflict, and it is down to the protagonists to defy this hunting curse. In spite that this was too complex and maybe even impossible to achieve, Pagpag exceedingly perpetrated such and managed to add an uncanny mood in some parts of the movie and they effectively set the road for pertinent details to be divulged in a single scene. There was also no superfluous editing of sequences which left me perplexed as to who the real enemy was, resulting in an interesting and engaging flick.
The artistic blend and usage of various elements distinguish Pagpag from the typical new horror stories. It was also noticeable the film’s appropriately brightly yellowish-toned colors that add fear and menacing vibes to its totality. My concern about the colors used is its tone because of the bland and pale cinematography that almost gave a dull aura. Moreover, special effects were flawlessly executed, as if they used little to no Camera Generated Imagery (CGI). The film’s complexity in terms of mysteries bestowed scream-inducing scenes which were perfectly placed in most unexpected moments along with the ideally harmonized performances of young actors.
The overall idea of the movie almost follows a mathematical formula, and you can almost predict the succeeding events. Nonetheless, the unexpected scares and on-screen portrayal of violence leave a satisfying mark, making Pagpag more disturbing and stimulating. They also managed to insert straight-out comedy lines that paved way for the light humorous scenes to ease the tension and relax watchers into a calm state before the subsequent graphic stunner.
The uniqueness of the film opened the discussion on how important it is to value and respect Filipino culture and superstition. Even so, Pagpag missed some notable details that could add value to its entirety, such as expanding the myths and disclosing the origin of these beliefs, they nevertheless yielded a movie worthy of its genre. It really exceeded my expectations and gave me a favorable view of Filipino horror movies. Philippine cinema has something to offer overseas, the foremost uncertainty is how willing are Filipino filmmakers to take this risk.
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