Popular reviews

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  Review by Stephanie Jaurigue ★★★

  the true horror in this film is the lack of universal healthcare and sexually-abusive bosses

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  Review by Moresbi ★★★

  "Sunod" was interesting, quite promissing and, by the end, severely unfulfilled.

  The plot is, for long, quite straightforward, before shifting gears in the 2nd half and feeling quite shallow, in what I felt was it's "core" but still a very decent production.

  I enjoyed the two leading "ladies", Carmina Villarroel and Krystal Brimner, plus the nifty "assists" from Kate Alejandrino and Susan Africa.

  A slow-burner with a few surprises and twists along the way.
  I'm guessing the movie was "limited" by its budget... I got the feeling the movie went for a more "ordinary" (if neat in setting) "real world" and being quite more ambitious towards the dreams/"highlight" stuff, which felt pretty well produced.
  Also enjoyed the soundtrack, which was…

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  Review by Jed Shepherd ★★★★ 3

  Holy shit. Legit the best Filipino Horror movie I've ever seen. This needs to be watched by more people.

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  Review by Wilfred Lucas ★★★½

  "Sunod" (Next) is a pretty well-made Filipino horror film elevated by the surprising dedication of the filmmakers for the cinematography. In fact, I think it's probably the most well-shot and assembled mainstream horror film from the Philippines in years. The film also feels Hollywood-ized, from the themes to the narrative structure. While it's a pleasant direction, this Hollywood style is also the film's Achilles heel. It's spread with commonplace horror tropes that are no longer scary: claustrophobic elevators, spooky basements, a war-era building that was previously a hospital, flickering lights, static noises in telephones, backstory exposition midway of the film, etc.

  I really appreciate some of the risks the writers took in the story, such as the mother-daughter dramatic aspect,…

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  Review by EudoraFletcher ★★★

  Recommendation to friends of ghost movies!

  A woman around 35 needs a new job urgently because her daughter is in the hospital and needs an expensive treatment. She gets herself a job by frauding herself into a student job agency in a Call-Center.
  For a long time the movie is about her daughter in the hospital and herself in the call-center.
  One night she meets a little girl in the staircase. From then on her life changes step by step.

  I wouldn´t say that I really like this movie, but it´s not bad at all.
  The actors are pros, the camera is good as far as I can judge from the not so good quality on YT. The story is staged entertainingly and the dialogues are absolutely ok.

  In the last 20 minutes there is a suprising and definitely interesting twist.

  
  In mediocre quality: www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2NYDCMS-UQ

  letterboxd.com/eudorafletcher/list/filipino-cinema/

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  Review by Goldmon Iporac ★★★★

  It's a solid horror movie that becomes unpredictable as it goes on, where the scariest parts isn't being trailed by a ghost child but living under capitalism & the consequences of the progress it supposedly brings.

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  Review by andy ★★½

  As much as I liked the cinematography of this film, the way the mythological themes of red thread of fate and kulam were weaved together wasn't effective for me.

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  Review by azealia ★★½

  sunod, despite of having a strong first half and impressive cinematography, turned out to rely more on those cliched tropes we've already seen in a lot of horror movies before. what a shame, this had so much potential in pulling off fresh ideas with its amazing technicalities but all just went to waste.

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  Review by 𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐩𝐡 ★★★

  Love the concept and ideas with this one, it feels different compared to other types of horror films in the Philippines.

  It's those stories where you cheer for the protagonist and his/her goal to get out of despair, pain, and in this case; the illness of her daughter.

  The story revolves around a haunted call center building—pretty simple concept that tries to become something more.

  I love the production design and the third act. Feels a lot like a slasher film in my opinion. The soundtrack is beautiful as well. You get chills from the scares but the score is pretty good.

  A bit of mishaps here and there, could've been better if the characters were written not just for plot devices but also drives the story to its goal.

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  Review by Louie 10

  Meh

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  Review by Carizza Janine ★★½

  the equivalent of a yarn. u throw a ball of possibilities tapos ngek.

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  Review by Dustin Domingo ★★★★

  Just watched. Review later.

  EDIT:

  I often find that the local horror scene lacks a certain edge or is more focused on not-so-subtle influence from the latest horror trend. That's why finding a diamond in the rough is something worth celebrating. Enter "Sunod."

  Carlo Ledesma smartly lets a game cast and atmosphere do the talking. The film thankfully eschews tried-and-true (and overused) jumpscares for a more serious experience. To be honest, I didn't really find myself scared enough to sh*t my pants but I appreciate a film that crafts a sense of foreboding dread and commendable performances rather than bombarding you with tired scares. The last act caught me off guard with some of mean-spiritedness and some impressive visuals involving red string, which I actually hope to see more of in a sequel.

  Overall, "Sunod" is a step in the right direction for Filipino horror, and I was right to trust in the director of "The Tunnel.