MALLARI:  Ambitious horror film that failed to sustain its grandeur.

 

One of the most anticipated films in the recently concluded Metro Manila Film Festival is “Mallari”. The film drumbeaters positioned it as an avant-garde in the local horror genre. Warner Bros. even inked an agreement to distribute Mallari in the international market. It has a box-office appeal too and eventually ended as the second in box-office gross. Mallari also received numerous awards including second Best Picture in MMFF.   

“Mallari,” is inspired by the true story of Fr. Severino Mallari, considered the country’s first documented serial killer in the 1800s.

There are three main characters in the film which were all played by A-lister actor Piolo Pascual.

They are Father Severino Mallari, John Rey Mallari, and Jonathan Mallari De Dios. The three characters were presented from different eras but had a chance to interact due to astral travel subplot of the story.

Fr. Severino Mallari is the priest in Pampanga who killed 50+ bad people in his town to save his mother Dona Facunda (played by Gloria Diaz).

John Rey Mallari is a descendant from the 1900s during the US- Japanese era in the Philippines who discovered the secrets of the Mallari clan.

Dr. Jonathan Mallari De Dios is from the present time who returned to Pampanga to find a cure for his fiancée Agnes (played by Janella Salvador)

 

STRENGTHS

The film has efforts to be grand in production values. Its visuals set the bar in the local horror genre.

The cinematography is top-notch as it undeniably displayed the texture and color to depict the gore and scare of the film.

The production design is visually on point. The costume, set design, and backdrop of the period scenes take the audience believably in the 1800s and 1900s era.

The musical scoring creates fear and panic.

The portrayal of its lead and supporting actors is commendable. Piolo Pascual delineates his three personas with a T. He is very effective in his Father Mallari part. Gloria Diaz is remarkably good as Father Mallari’s aging mother.  JC Santos is deserving of his Best Supporting Actor win. His performance especially towards the middle part of the movie when the twist was revealed is a must-see.  Even the “mangkukulam” assistants were scene stealers. The audience gets frightened and at the same time mad at them.

WEAKNESSES

The execution of the horror scenes is not consistent. Some of the scenes tried so hard to scare the audience and fall flat. Some tactics are repetitive.

The time travel element of the script could have been more cohesive. The two Mallari characters can time travel which reveals some important twists in the movie but could have been presented more clearly.  Johnrey’s character could have been explored more to show its backstory.

The movie is marketed as a horror film but often it is the crime-suspense angle gets more evident.

Overall, I still liked Mallari given the efforts of the director and writer to come up with a different flavor in the local horror genre. Actors portrayed their parts with brilliance.

Rating:

8.5/10

ctto: Mentorque production and Warner Bros.