Everyone knows that religion has always influenced horror movie plots. Nuns and priests constantly play roles that are important to the conflict’s resolution. Veering away from this tired cliché of the church just coming to the rescue, Maledicto, a new Filipino horror movie starring Tom Rodriguez and Jasmine Curtis-Smith, substantially tackles the roles of the clergy in dealing with demonic possessions, with a nun-and-priest tandem playing the lead roles.
The main character is a young priest named Father Xavi, the character portrayed by Rodriguez. He is a former psychologist who becomes a skeptical exorcist following his sister’s tragic death. He believes that paranormal occurrences like evil possessions are usually a mental issue which can be explained and cured by science.
Fr. Xavi meets Sister Barbie, the character played by Curtis-Smith, a young nun who has the spiritual gift of clairvoyance, which allows her to see things that cannot be perceived by normal human senses. Together, they try to solve the case of a seemingly normal teenager who suddenly starts manifesting demonic behavior. This leads to events that prove to be too compelling even for the Church to dismiss as just another case of young people faking possessions.
A spine-chilling tale of good versus evil, the quality of its story is really one of the great things going for the film, as producers carefully chose from numerous scripts and story pitches before deciding in favor of Maledicto. It is not the usual horror film that’s just meant to scare, as it also has the thriller aspect that really puts viewers on the edge of their seats.
What’s more, being the first locally-produced film by Fox Networks Group Philippines, home to the most popular TV series and Hollywood movies, the film is expected to give Filipinos a really good scare with the highest quality of set production and special effects. The film is co-produced by Cignal Entertainment, Cignal TV’s, original content division and Unitel and distributed by ABS-CBN Films.
“With Maledicto, we hope to offer a different flavor of horror to Filipino viewers who deserve a better and more exciting offering from this genre. Aside from its unique and thought-provoking story, the audience will also be on the edge of their seats with Maledicto’s Hollywood-level set production and special effects,” said Cignal Entertainment President & CEO Jane Basas.
Directed by Mark Meily, Maledicto has an all-star Filipino cast composed of both up-and-coming and veteran actors such as Inah de Belen, Miles Ocampo, Eric Quizon, Martin Escudero, Franco Laurel, Nonie Buencamino, Liza Lorena, and Menggie Cobarrubias.
Definitely the horror thriller to watch out for this year, Maledicto will show in Philippine cinemas on May 1, 2019.
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