AS SOMEONE WHO loves horror films and video games, Mikhail Red has once again opened his curiosity and explored another realm in the horror genre, going darker with his upcoming film 'Lilim.'
Just basing on the trailer and the overall premise of the film, it seems Red has drawn inspiration from one of his favorite video games, the 'Diablo' franchise. The title alone should be enough to leave an impression.
Upon watching the previews, Lilim may have a different touch compared to Red's previous horror iterations so how does his latest entry fare among his horror pieces?
Is Lilim scary?
In typical Mikhail Red fashion, Lilim relies heavily on the buildup and its overall environment to produce the scares.
The portraits and statues were enough to leave an impression, and combined that with Red's signature cinematography and viewers were left with a creepy atmosphere that would keep them on the edge. Like in his previous film Eerie, the tension was consistent.
And to further enhance the overall tone of the film are the jumpscares, and how do they fare?
Personally, I really loved Red's direction when it came to the jumpscares as he clearly knew how to tease his viewers. There were moments when I thought a scare would arrive, only for things to calm down or for a sudden twist to occur.
And while I do appreciate the creativity and the build-up involved in those scares, it can be argued that their timing was predictable, as there were jumpscares that had it coming.
But did it take away from the film's horror? All thanks to the cinematography and the atmosphere, Lilim's charm remains, and this was further supplemented by the film's narrative.
'Show don't tell'
The beauty of Red's film stem from his decision to add a sense of mystery by keeping the details subtle and this was evident with how the film's events went by.
From the beginning all the way to the end, I was intrigued to learn more about the motivations of Issa (portrayed by Heaven Peralejo). We get a glimpse of the sins she has committed, then the puzzle slowly unravels as the narrative goes by.
And this was further explored as the film reaches its climax, all the way to the end. At first I thought the ending was a bit disappointing, only for Red to deliver a surprise masterstroke that blew me away.
"Finally it made a lot of sense to me," I said to myself.
By the end of the film, I was deeply satisfied with the sequence of events as everything was polished and fell into place. There was a sense of profoundness in the film's conclusion highlighting Red's masterful storytelling and vision.
'Heaven' in Hell
Then when looking at the film's cast, everyone of them elevated the film with the spotlight centered on Heaven Peralejo. Her facial expressions left me astonished, as she portrayed her character to perfection, to the point where I'm completely drawn towards her. Clearly a 'heaven'-sent to the film.
In her moments of sadness and desperation, Peralejo gave an aura of sympathy that placed a huge burden on my shoulders.
But it wasn't just Heaven who blew me away with her performance as there were other notable actors who stood out, especially the nuns. Whether you look into Eula Valdez, Ryza Cenon, Nicole Omillio, and Phoebe Walker, all of them gave a performance that really sent chills to my spine, and each of them had distinct fanatical characteristics that really made each of them stand out.
Eula Valdez was indeed the disciplinarian among the bunch, and her intimidating presence added to the film's prestige.
Then there's Omillio who had her highs which was evident when she started performing her repentance. There was so much pain and agony from those scenes that left me squirming for my life.
And my goodness let's not get ahead with ourselves from that creepy looking smile displayed by Ryza Cenon. Her overwhelming beauty is enough to leave an impression, but what more once you add those facial expressions.
And even if Phoebe Walker feels like a nerfed version compared to her character in Erik Matti's Seklusyon, her ability to highlight her presence despite lurking from behind the shadows, made her into one of the most intriguing characters in the film.
Combined all of that with Skywalker David's portrayal and what you have is an ensemble that perfectly blends.
CONCLUSION
Upon watching the credits, Mikhail Red's Lilim does have some resemblances with Erik Matti's Seklusyon, but they both have their own unique charm that made them a pleasure to watch.
It reminded me of those times when I had the same feeling after watching M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense and comparing it to Alejandro Amenábar's The Others.
Like Seklusyon, Lilim relied on its mystery as viewers were left to slowly uncover its secrets, adding to the film's tension. Both even explored on themes centered on isolation, faith, the supernatural, and the most importantly an individual's psychological battle against their past. They even had a twist that revolved around family members.
Whereas Seklusyon felt like a commentary on religion, Lilim delves deep into folklore as it puts a lot of emphasis on the character of Lilith, who is prominent in Jewish mythology.
In addition Seklusyon tackles on humanity's struggle against temptations, while Lilim highlights one's conflict against fate.
But at the end of the day, both have truly captured the essense of Filipino horror and Red's latest film has truly shown how much he has evolved his craft.
Now is his latest film better than the likes of Eerie and Deleter? It's hard to tell, however it can be argued that Red has been very consistent in producing really good plot twists, while also showcasing his willingness to experiment on different horror tropes.
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