A kid had to face the world in his own animated version and conquer life's biggest monster. ANI (The Harvest) It's as if a child's imagination is a safe haven, a place where the world is a playground for all the possibilities the mind could think of. And even the tight and humble space called home, situated on a busy Metro could not hinder the inquisitive headspace of a young Mithi (played by Zyren Dela Cruz), a boy who accomplishes the day by playing with his colorful toy robots that perform a vital role in his imaginary narrative. With a loving father and a mother that sings him a self-assuring lullaby, Mithi is blissfully unaware of the harsh reality. But life decided to toy with his fate, and Mithi's perfect little world is now showing its cracks, putting his vulnerability to the test and slowly depriving him of his happiness he thought would last forever. And through his eyes, the world suddenly transforms itself into a menacing monster. Set in a lush
"Kuwaresma" Movie Review - More than Cheap Thrills
An untimely death of a family member forces Luis to take a week off from his academe and return to his hometown. Unaware of the cause, Luis is adamant to know the truth, discovering a conniving evil that's slowly eating away their sanity.
When it comes to Filipino horror genre, there's not one particular local filmmaker that comes to mind that really captured the essence of what was truly scary.
In recent years however, Erik Matti, aside from his high-stakes action films such as On The Job and Buy Bust, has also tread the waters of horror territory, thus furthering his already impressive body of work.
With his 2016's Seklusyon, Matti was able to present visually haunting horror flicks in such a fashion that doesn't rely on the typical multos and mambabarangs but rather on a more grounded and character-driven psychological thriller.
Despite of all of these, the Matti factor has never really moved me to watch any of his next horror offerings. In fact, I went in completely blind in watching this film, Kuwaresma, not knowing anything and what was it about besides it being a horror film and stars Sharon Cuneta at the forefront.
But boy, this film blew my mind.
Kent Gonzales, John Arcilla and Sharon Cuneta - Kuwaresma - Photo from Startattle
For one, the acting performances were so great and really elevated the rather mainstream demonic possession plot. Some acts might be too over-the-top and some scenes might be too explicitly graphic but for me it works within the context of the scene.
Sharon Cuneta proves why she is hailed as a megastar, able to showcase a subtle but powerful performance without overpowering her co-stars.
Kent Gonzales is a promising actor. This young newcomer did not disappoint and was able to effectively shine on his own, becoming as equally as remarkable as Cuneta and John Arcilla.
Speaking of John Arcilla, wow, so much respect for this guy. Arcilla is the definition of a character actor. His intimidating presence and unique way of delivering his lines is as impactful to the story as his Heneral Luna portrayal.
As for the story, Kuwaresma has a mix of Hereditary and Haunting of the Hill House vibe to it. It's not the most original bedtime spooky tale out there and to be honest, it has its problems too. It also has that the "me-too" heel turn at the end that seems a bit forced for my personal taste.
However, the good stuff in this film and the overall cinematography and Matti-fied craftsmanship is so good that finding fault for it is as crazy as finding a needle on a haystack.
Completely amazed.
Let's Be Reel
Kuwaresma is an actors movie. From start to finish, this film is never dull, able to take the audience into a psychological roller coaster that doesn't feel cheap and lazy.
With Matti's stylized visual hors d'oeuvre and striking directorial pizzazz, he was able to prove that this film is not just another mid-year boring nonsense to fill the occassional good movie drought.
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