"The Road" starts off very strong. The first segment scared the hell out of me, something that almost rarely happens to me. Sure, the film doesn't have a high budget, and it probably would have benefited if they could manage to pull off the effects they were trying to achieve, but the small budget is sufficient enough. However, after the first segment, the film gets noticeably less exciting as we're given more backstory and information to solve the whole mystery surrounding the story. It would have helped if they tighten up the pace a bit, keep things going rather than slow everything down. Still, there is a satisfying payoff by the end as everything falls into place as well as unexpected emotional pathos rarely seen in horror films. Overall, the film reminds me of a Tarantino horror film. It's ambitious and may be a bit too convoluted for its own good, but it's above-average horror.
20 Reviews
Sorry mama, it won't happen again
Abominog28 July 2012
An off-beat and gripping Filipino ghost tale.
It is essentially a sort of Pinoy Norman Bates story told in retrospective spanning two decades, with heavy amount of supernatural and sufficiently creepy elements thrown in for a good reason.
The yarn is simply structured and easy to follow. The chain of events revolving around the stark consequences of abused childhood experience is pretty dark and disturbing. Overall, in my opinion, the film has balanced mix of mystery, horror, drama ... and comedy.
Comedy? Well, I must be kidding, but I count one particular instance, which may be regarded, to certain extent, as a kind of comic relief in the midst of mostly depressive storyline: a redundant exposure of excessive puke masses ejected on the floor wasn't a fun part unless accompanied by the mother's self-mocking chant. Yum!
The direction perhaps is too heavy-handed at times with superfluous horrific clichés methodically stuck on one another, and the conclusion is somewhat rushed and improbable. But hey, the horror genre is rarely and less than anything else associated with scientifically correct, 100% logical, polished, visually stunning and accomplished piece of art.
Not bad at all.
It is essentially a sort of Pinoy Norman Bates story told in retrospective spanning two decades, with heavy amount of supernatural and sufficiently creepy elements thrown in for a good reason.
The yarn is simply structured and easy to follow. The chain of events revolving around the stark consequences of abused childhood experience is pretty dark and disturbing. Overall, in my opinion, the film has balanced mix of mystery, horror, drama ... and comedy.
Comedy? Well, I must be kidding, but I count one particular instance, which may be regarded, to certain extent, as a kind of comic relief in the midst of mostly depressive storyline: a redundant exposure of excessive puke masses ejected on the floor wasn't a fun part unless accompanied by the mother's self-mocking chant. Yum!
The direction perhaps is too heavy-handed at times with superfluous horrific clichés methodically stuck on one another, and the conclusion is somewhat rushed and improbable. But hey, the horror genre is rarely and less than anything else associated with scientifically correct, 100% logical, polished, visually stunning and accomplished piece of art.
Not bad at all.
Stylish but not Creepy
nicolas-232-8286875 June 2012
Warning: Spoilers
As a Filipino, I was so excited to hear a movie from the Philippines getting a worldwide audience and being screened at North America. Seeing the trailer, my expectations are mixed. That's what most Filipino movies are most of the time. They tend to show stylish trailers which tend to leave audience curious, "Wow!", "Uh-ah..", " Will the whole film be as good as that?"
I decided to watched it not because of all the hype but because I like Yam Laranas' previous work, "Sigaw" . Sad to say, it did not lived up to my expectations.
The acting was horrible. All the shouting is pointless. Very typical on a Filipino horror film when teenage actors/actress are being cast. I could say that the acting of Barbie Forteza as Ella, is the most horrible.
The ending, though presented with a twist is not commendable. Spoiler Alert!! How could Luis (played by Renz Valerio) suddenly become a policeman (played by TJ Trinidad)after 10 years? This was not properly established in the film. On the 1988 story arc, it was shown that his parents both died. It was not mentioned whether he was adopted or raised by a relative.In the 1998 story arc, Luis is depicted as a lonesome teenager who massacred Lara (played by Rhian Ramos) and Joy (played by Louise delos Reyes). In this story arc, the house became older and disorganized. It is implied that no one lives there except for Luis. This goes to show that Luis might not have gone to college to pursue a career as a policeman. And what's with the driving skills?
The 3 story arcs are meant to be joined as branches. This is where the movie failed. Being a suspense movie, you should leave the audience guessing until the end. But there's no real suspense here. The burnt car where Lara was, is obvious in the 2008 story arc along with the founding of the heart pendant of Lara by the policeman Luis. It's obvious that it came from 1998 story arc. It is very visible being worn by Lara during her captivity. I don't know. Maybe Yam liked it that way. Maybe the 3 story arcs are not meant to surprise the audience in the end.
So many holes to mention here one by one but if you are a big fan of visual delight, this movie is for you. The environment is very stylish. The view of the road is shot magnificently. The inclusion of butterflies as a background thing is also commendable. How many films do that?
But if you are looking for a deeper storyline, this movie is not for your. If you want to get scared, this is not for you. I know when a movie gets scary. When I watch it with my nephew and he closes his eyes, I know it is scary. But this one, nah.. not a hand in his eyes this time...
I decided to watched it not because of all the hype but because I like Yam Laranas' previous work, "Sigaw" . Sad to say, it did not lived up to my expectations.
The acting was horrible. All the shouting is pointless. Very typical on a Filipino horror film when teenage actors/actress are being cast. I could say that the acting of Barbie Forteza as Ella, is the most horrible.
The ending, though presented with a twist is not commendable. Spoiler Alert!! How could Luis (played by Renz Valerio) suddenly become a policeman (played by TJ Trinidad)after 10 years? This was not properly established in the film. On the 1988 story arc, it was shown that his parents both died. It was not mentioned whether he was adopted or raised by a relative.In the 1998 story arc, Luis is depicted as a lonesome teenager who massacred Lara (played by Rhian Ramos) and Joy (played by Louise delos Reyes). In this story arc, the house became older and disorganized. It is implied that no one lives there except for Luis. This goes to show that Luis might not have gone to college to pursue a career as a policeman. And what's with the driving skills?
The 3 story arcs are meant to be joined as branches. This is where the movie failed. Being a suspense movie, you should leave the audience guessing until the end. But there's no real suspense here. The burnt car where Lara was, is obvious in the 2008 story arc along with the founding of the heart pendant of Lara by the policeman Luis. It's obvious that it came from 1998 story arc. It is very visible being worn by Lara during her captivity. I don't know. Maybe Yam liked it that way. Maybe the 3 story arcs are not meant to surprise the audience in the end.
So many holes to mention here one by one but if you are a big fan of visual delight, this movie is for you. The environment is very stylish. The view of the road is shot magnificently. The inclusion of butterflies as a background thing is also commendable. How many films do that?
But if you are looking for a deeper storyline, this movie is not for your. If you want to get scared, this is not for you. I know when a movie gets scary. When I watch it with my nephew and he closes his eyes, I know it is scary. But this one, nah.. not a hand in his eyes this time...
Very Creepy!
Leonard622505 June 2012
I am not a gore hound kind of fan. I like it with real stories and unique ideas. The Road is very satisfying and I highly recommend it if you like the slow burn and creepy movies. This is my first to see movie where genre is somewhat crossing-over from horror to thriller to suspense to drama. I wished I've seen this in the big screen though.
When suddenly you think the story is predictable, the director brings you to unexpected "turns" and "detours". It's amazing how some story points and questions are answered by each chapter of the movie. It's cleverly done. I had to read through the subtitles though. But that is worth the eye strain because you will enjoy the film a lot.
When suddenly you think the story is predictable, the director brings you to unexpected "turns" and "detours". It's amazing how some story points and questions are answered by each chapter of the movie. It's cleverly done. I had to read through the subtitles though. But that is worth the eye strain because you will enjoy the film a lot.
too little, too late
naff-sound19 May 2012
"The Road" tells the story of violent occurrences on a stretch of an abandoned road over a timespan of 20 years. It is divided in 3 Chapters, each then years apart. The chapters are interconnected, the whole story unfolding with the third episode. The storyline moves back in time - it therefore starts with the most recent occurrence in 2008 and depicts then the incident of 1998. Finally it connects the lose strands left by the two previous episodes by showing us what happened in 1988.
Good things first: the sonic ambiance, the score if you like, is great. It pushes expectations right from the start. Bad thing : it is utterly wasted on this film. I don't want to go deep into the tremendous holes in the storyline, illogical behavior all around and very cheap and sententious depiction of the development of a psychological illness. It's enough that you know that these are annoyingly obvious even for a genre that thrives on them. The real pain of the movie is the acting. The first two chapters have a cast from the Children's Hospital of the Terminally Talentless! The script lets 16 year olds act like toddlers. The dialogs are horrible. They are like an audio summary for the blind: never telling more than the absolute obvious.
While I do think it refreshing if a horror movie for once doesn't exploit violence and gore, this movie is not giving a valuable solution - I have seen more violent fisticuffs in Stan&Laurel movies. The uneasy avoidance of graphic violence while actually implying its existence, leads to ridiculous scenes - like a girl bleeding from a head wound apparently because she fell on a mattress.
There is no special twist. It is a well used recipe in filmmaking to divide a movie in several chapters that intertwine and all get connected in the end. This was professionally executed, but without major surprises. The movie in itself is neither scary nor startling or revealing. It develops some more depth with the third chapter, which is so much better than the others that it seems to be from a different director entirely. But too little, too late.
3 Stars because sound and cinematography deserve recognition.
Good things first: the sonic ambiance, the score if you like, is great. It pushes expectations right from the start. Bad thing : it is utterly wasted on this film. I don't want to go deep into the tremendous holes in the storyline, illogical behavior all around and very cheap and sententious depiction of the development of a psychological illness. It's enough that you know that these are annoyingly obvious even for a genre that thrives on them. The real pain of the movie is the acting. The first two chapters have a cast from the Children's Hospital of the Terminally Talentless! The script lets 16 year olds act like toddlers. The dialogs are horrible. They are like an audio summary for the blind: never telling more than the absolute obvious.
While I do think it refreshing if a horror movie for once doesn't exploit violence and gore, this movie is not giving a valuable solution - I have seen more violent fisticuffs in Stan&Laurel movies. The uneasy avoidance of graphic violence while actually implying its existence, leads to ridiculous scenes - like a girl bleeding from a head wound apparently because she fell on a mattress.
There is no special twist. It is a well used recipe in filmmaking to divide a movie in several chapters that intertwine and all get connected in the end. This was professionally executed, but without major surprises. The movie in itself is neither scary nor startling or revealing. It develops some more depth with the third chapter, which is so much better than the others that it seems to be from a different director entirely. But too little, too late.
3 Stars because sound and cinematography deserve recognition.
THE ROAD - a very well done Pinoy in it's level
shane24354627 July 2012
THE ROAD was somewhat great in a mediocre way.
The story was beyond compelling and interesting. Critics says that the movie is scary but I disagree. The movie wasn't scary, it was just creepy and mind-disturbing.
The 3 parts of the movie, which is in backwards chronology, will keep you up in your seat. But to enjoy this movie, you have to be a keen observer about the details of the story.
Some says that the movie was a big plot hole, but it's not.
If you're filipino like me, you would relate to the story and not say that it's a plot hole. You just need to understand the movie more. There was no plot hole. Every question of the movie was answered in the end.
It was scary though, for filipinos like me, because mostly everyday, these things happen to us (people get lost, get killed, they turn to ghost and stuff) because in Philippines, we do believe in this stuff and there are big chances for these things to happen to us because Philippines is one big ball of mischief and horror. the script and the acting were both mediocre and a little bit lousy,
Overall, the movie was great, the story was well build, the cinematography was beyond amazing and the movie itself was in a powerful premise which was powerful enough to compel foreign viewers.
I give this movie a decent 7 out of 10
The story was beyond compelling and interesting. Critics says that the movie is scary but I disagree. The movie wasn't scary, it was just creepy and mind-disturbing.
The 3 parts of the movie, which is in backwards chronology, will keep you up in your seat. But to enjoy this movie, you have to be a keen observer about the details of the story.
Some says that the movie was a big plot hole, but it's not.
If you're filipino like me, you would relate to the story and not say that it's a plot hole. You just need to understand the movie more. There was no plot hole. Every question of the movie was answered in the end.
It was scary though, for filipinos like me, because mostly everyday, these things happen to us (people get lost, get killed, they turn to ghost and stuff) because in Philippines, we do believe in this stuff and there are big chances for these things to happen to us because Philippines is one big ball of mischief and horror. the script and the acting were both mediocre and a little bit lousy,
Overall, the movie was great, the story was well build, the cinematography was beyond amazing and the movie itself was in a powerful premise which was powerful enough to compel foreign viewers.
I give this movie a decent 7 out of 10
Don't waste your time or money.
alockwood8621 May 2012
A flat-out bore with very little redeeming qualities. I expect most horror films to be, at the very least, entertaining on some level. Even if the performances are underwhelming and the story thin. But The Road has no intention of entertaining. I was constantly wondering about casting choices, editing decisions, and pacing issues which pulled me out of my suspension- of-disbelief. I really wanted to feel the tension Yam Laranas was going for. So bad, in fact, I considered leaving the theater just to feel the edge of my seat. Let this film serve as a perfect example as to how decent cinematography and set dressing (those redeeming qualities I mentioned) will in no way save a film from ALL of its other failures.
A Nutshell Review: The Road
DICK STEEL18 May 2012
I guess I have to point out something positive about the growing numbers of foreigners in our land, in that the numbers will justify cinema from their home country to be viable for big screen outings here. I get my fair share of the latest blockbuster movies from India given that it's one of the major cultural make up in Singapore already, then there's the Thai, Korean and Japanese flicks that not only cater to foreigners residing here, but to its legion of fans from time to time. And with films from ASEAN from The Raid to The Collector gaining prominence everywhere, it's only time to add Philippine Cinema to the list.
It's true that indie or art-house films from the Philippines do make it to film festivals here, but for the mass market audience, The Road is perhaps one of the earliest to hit commercial cinemas here in a long while, as far as my memory serves. And what better way than for a horror film to try and open up the doors, one that features an ensemble cast of stars with idol looks to spark an interest, besides providing Filipinos here with something from home. But as with most horror films around the region, it's usually touch and go basis, and The Road, boasted for getting itself a US distribution, it's somewhat of a roller coaster ride with its fair share of creepy moments, ultimately done in via a runtime that artificially sustained a thin plot.
Written and directed by Yam Laranas, The Road is actually made up of three story arcs each set in a different time line separated by a decade each, and linking them is the titular road along which something strange and macabre even that had happened in a dilapidated house found along it, together with an abandoned car. The opening shot, pardon the pun, set the stage for an epic mystery to be unravelled, with the stage set for a hot shot cop Luis (TJ Trinidad), decorated with a medal for his string of successful case closures, to prove himself in the series of events that follow.
In the first arc, three friends go out for an illegal joyride, making a detour into The Road to avoid a police roadblock, and in what would be a case of bad luck, encounter ghouls that seem to be stuck in groundhog day fashion, repetitive hauntings of the trio. Things don't really happen with much logic here, and the strength of friendship amongst the trio got rather telling when it becomes every man (and woman) for him/herself. So much for solidarity when the poop hits the fan. This arc was more teenage drama before the effects and make up crew shifted gears and made it their own toward the end.
The second arc tried to become a mini outing along the torture porn genre, but unfortunately with the more violent offering in practically every film in the genre, this arc turned out to be rather tame, with a man inexplicably hammering his victims, two sisters, away without remorse or reason, making it a battle for survival against complete madness. It's also responsible for some interest to wane, as the story here proved to be one of the weakest, and overstayed its welcome through a series of scenes that dragged out quite unnecessarily. We know who's alive and who's not from the earlier arc, and the narrative really took its time to get there.
But thankfully, the redeeming factor came from the third act. While it didn't offer anything we don't know about nor new in the narrative sense with similar themes being explored before in other films, and tosses up some more questions than answers, it is the actors here delivering better performances from the rest, and a story that's set against a dysfunctional family, that showed of Laranas' strength in storytelling. The narrative got creepier as it went along, with practical effects enhancing moments within that will make your hair genuinely stand on ends. By now you'd realize that Laranas rarely dips into the oft used box of the same old techniques used to scare audiences with quick jump cuts and edits, preferring to let the camera take its time in revealing presence that's spot on in creating both suspense, and eerie atmosphere.
The Road plays on the gimmick of having a horror film told from three expanded story arcs with common characters linking them all together, and in essence scores in its effort. However, horror film fans with a penchant for the same old boo scare tactics dished out by filmmakers may find this a little bit sterile. and not offering that adrenaline rush each time a scare comes on. For those who wish to explore what horror and their films mean to friends from the region.
It's true that indie or art-house films from the Philippines do make it to film festivals here, but for the mass market audience, The Road is perhaps one of the earliest to hit commercial cinemas here in a long while, as far as my memory serves. And what better way than for a horror film to try and open up the doors, one that features an ensemble cast of stars with idol looks to spark an interest, besides providing Filipinos here with something from home. But as with most horror films around the region, it's usually touch and go basis, and The Road, boasted for getting itself a US distribution, it's somewhat of a roller coaster ride with its fair share of creepy moments, ultimately done in via a runtime that artificially sustained a thin plot.
Written and directed by Yam Laranas, The Road is actually made up of three story arcs each set in a different time line separated by a decade each, and linking them is the titular road along which something strange and macabre even that had happened in a dilapidated house found along it, together with an abandoned car. The opening shot, pardon the pun, set the stage for an epic mystery to be unravelled, with the stage set for a hot shot cop Luis (TJ Trinidad), decorated with a medal for his string of successful case closures, to prove himself in the series of events that follow.
In the first arc, three friends go out for an illegal joyride, making a detour into The Road to avoid a police roadblock, and in what would be a case of bad luck, encounter ghouls that seem to be stuck in groundhog day fashion, repetitive hauntings of the trio. Things don't really happen with much logic here, and the strength of friendship amongst the trio got rather telling when it becomes every man (and woman) for him/herself. So much for solidarity when the poop hits the fan. This arc was more teenage drama before the effects and make up crew shifted gears and made it their own toward the end.
The second arc tried to become a mini outing along the torture porn genre, but unfortunately with the more violent offering in practically every film in the genre, this arc turned out to be rather tame, with a man inexplicably hammering his victims, two sisters, away without remorse or reason, making it a battle for survival against complete madness. It's also responsible for some interest to wane, as the story here proved to be one of the weakest, and overstayed its welcome through a series of scenes that dragged out quite unnecessarily. We know who's alive and who's not from the earlier arc, and the narrative really took its time to get there.
But thankfully, the redeeming factor came from the third act. While it didn't offer anything we don't know about nor new in the narrative sense with similar themes being explored before in other films, and tosses up some more questions than answers, it is the actors here delivering better performances from the rest, and a story that's set against a dysfunctional family, that showed of Laranas' strength in storytelling. The narrative got creepier as it went along, with practical effects enhancing moments within that will make your hair genuinely stand on ends. By now you'd realize that Laranas rarely dips into the oft used box of the same old techniques used to scare audiences with quick jump cuts and edits, preferring to let the camera take its time in revealing presence that's spot on in creating both suspense, and eerie atmosphere.
The Road plays on the gimmick of having a horror film told from three expanded story arcs with common characters linking them all together, and in essence scores in its effort. However, horror film fans with a penchant for the same old boo scare tactics dished out by filmmakers may find this a little bit sterile. and not offering that adrenaline rush each time a scare comes on. For those who wish to explore what horror and their films mean to friends from the region.
Could have been great...
ryandannar27 November 2012
Warning: Spoilers
I wish "The Road" was a better movie. It's based on a neat idea, and has the bones of what could make for a terrifying and fairly epic horror story. Unfortunately, the film is undone by dumb dialog, clunky editing, an underdeveloped script, laughably thin characters, and bad acting.
The neat idea? A haunting in present-day, which claims the lives of three teens in the film's first section, is revealed to be caused by events which occurred a decade previous in the film's second section. But those events which caused the haunting weren't without their own causes. We see a young man kidnap and murder two girls, but it's obvious there's something more at play; he seems to respond to a presence the girls don't see. And so, in the film's final third, we jump back in time yet another decade, and discover how the young man of part 2 was driven to violent madness by an abusive mother and an ineffectual father.
The recursive nature of this tale provokes some thought. It depicts a cycle of violence which spans generations, and leaves a dark spiritual footprint on a place. There's a poetic quality in that. It leads one to wonder, how far back does the violence actually go? Could we jump back yet another generation, and discover the horrifying circumstances that made the abusive mother into the monster she's shown to be? And from there, beyond? One imagines a chain of evil, begat at the dawn of time, handed down through generations, each generation damaging the next and thus forging the next dark link in the chain. There is no beginning; there is no end.
Or something like that. These were the thoughts this film inspired in me. It's unfortunate, then, that it's not a better movie. The cinematography is competent and creepy, the lighting is never bad, and the sound effects were passable. Fortunately, those things count for a lot, and they made the movie watchable.
Where the film falls down the most is in the script. These characters just aren't fleshed-out at all. There's a cop in the present-day section who is trying to piece-together the mystery, and his character is so thinly-defined as "Hero Cop" that I imagine that's what his name was in the script. It becomes unintentionally funny.
There's also, I think, a big problem with the young man who was cast to play the killer in the film's second section. I understand what the filmmakers were going for -- I believe they wanted a timid sort of guy who is driven to murder girls because of his mother's tormenting voice in his head. Sort of a Norman Bates persona. Unfortunately, the guy cast in this role is just an average-looking, clean-cut, blank-faced boy of about 17. He doesn't have a threatening frame; he's not "big" enough to be imposing; it's not believable that this guy could knock a girl out in one sideways punch, as he's shown to do. His shirt and jeans look too laundered; the grease and blood that accumulate on him over the course of the film look like makeup; he never actually looks dirty or disturbed or mad. He looks like a guy who would be much rather be playing XBox in his bedroom then murdering girls. I just didn't buy his performance at all, not for a second. I hesitate to even call it a performance. I don't think the actor understood how to play this role. He's utterly unbelievable.
Anyway, those are the film's strengths and its biggest weaknesses. It's not a total waste of time. It's just a shame it isn't better.
The neat idea? A haunting in present-day, which claims the lives of three teens in the film's first section, is revealed to be caused by events which occurred a decade previous in the film's second section. But those events which caused the haunting weren't without their own causes. We see a young man kidnap and murder two girls, but it's obvious there's something more at play; he seems to respond to a presence the girls don't see. And so, in the film's final third, we jump back in time yet another decade, and discover how the young man of part 2 was driven to violent madness by an abusive mother and an ineffectual father.
The recursive nature of this tale provokes some thought. It depicts a cycle of violence which spans generations, and leaves a dark spiritual footprint on a place. There's a poetic quality in that. It leads one to wonder, how far back does the violence actually go? Could we jump back yet another generation, and discover the horrifying circumstances that made the abusive mother into the monster she's shown to be? And from there, beyond? One imagines a chain of evil, begat at the dawn of time, handed down through generations, each generation damaging the next and thus forging the next dark link in the chain. There is no beginning; there is no end.
Or something like that. These were the thoughts this film inspired in me. It's unfortunate, then, that it's not a better movie. The cinematography is competent and creepy, the lighting is never bad, and the sound effects were passable. Fortunately, those things count for a lot, and they made the movie watchable.
Where the film falls down the most is in the script. These characters just aren't fleshed-out at all. There's a cop in the present-day section who is trying to piece-together the mystery, and his character is so thinly-defined as "Hero Cop" that I imagine that's what his name was in the script. It becomes unintentionally funny.
There's also, I think, a big problem with the young man who was cast to play the killer in the film's second section. I understand what the filmmakers were going for -- I believe they wanted a timid sort of guy who is driven to murder girls because of his mother's tormenting voice in his head. Sort of a Norman Bates persona. Unfortunately, the guy cast in this role is just an average-looking, clean-cut, blank-faced boy of about 17. He doesn't have a threatening frame; he's not "big" enough to be imposing; it's not believable that this guy could knock a girl out in one sideways punch, as he's shown to do. His shirt and jeans look too laundered; the grease and blood that accumulate on him over the course of the film look like makeup; he never actually looks dirty or disturbed or mad. He looks like a guy who would be much rather be playing XBox in his bedroom then murdering girls. I just didn't buy his performance at all, not for a second. I hesitate to even call it a performance. I don't think the actor understood how to play this role. He's utterly unbelievable.
Anyway, those are the film's strengths and its biggest weaknesses. It's not a total waste of time. It's just a shame it isn't better.
Filipino Horror that Blurs the Line between the Psychopathic Killer and the Supernatural
ra-kamal11 July 2022
A Filipino horror crime thriller that blurs the boundary between slasher killer and the supernatural subgenres. Directed and co-written by Yam Laranas. The two lead stars were Carmina Villarreal and Marvin Agustin.
The movie unfolds in three parts going backwards in time.
It opens in 2008, with the promotion of a cop, who is besieged by a woman to help find her two young daughters, who vanished 10 years earlier, along with a boy. The cop's commander urges him to solve the case.
The story flashes back to 1998, and then 1988, as it unravels who is doing what to whom - and why.
In Part I, three adolescents get lost on a deserted country road and encounter a driverless car and apparitions including that of a bloodied woman with a plastic bag tied around her head, a motif that Is repeated throughout.
In Part II, the two lost girls we are told about in Part I, break down on the same road, and are lured into sequestration by a passing country boy. The boy locks them up in separate rooms in a dilapidated house, chaining one of them up, and mercilessly beating up the second.
Part III explores the boy's childhood, as he is brought up in isolation by a disturbed mother who psychologically and physically abuses him, and a suicidal religious father unable to protect his son.
At the very end of the movie, the link between the cop and the boy, is revealed.
My major issue with the movie is Part I, where after the cop promotion ceremony, the screen is plunged into around 25 minutes of gloomy foggy darkness of an unlit country road, with apparitions of bloodied girls and driverless cars popping up here and there. I struggled to make sense of who is whom, and what is truly happening and why, as the scenes abruptly shift from long shots to close-ups, from scene to scene, from angle to angle. Moreover, the darkness made it difficult to easily pinpoint the film's subgenre; i.e. Killer slasher horror vs supernatural horror. Better editing could have helped. The moviegoer shouldn't be asked to struggle with determining a subgenre.
It is only when Part I comes to a close that the screen lightens up and the moviegoer can sit back and follow events with minimal confusion.
The movie unfolds in three parts going backwards in time.
It opens in 2008, with the promotion of a cop, who is besieged by a woman to help find her two young daughters, who vanished 10 years earlier, along with a boy. The cop's commander urges him to solve the case.
The story flashes back to 1998, and then 1988, as it unravels who is doing what to whom - and why.
In Part I, three adolescents get lost on a deserted country road and encounter a driverless car and apparitions including that of a bloodied woman with a plastic bag tied around her head, a motif that Is repeated throughout.
In Part II, the two lost girls we are told about in Part I, break down on the same road, and are lured into sequestration by a passing country boy. The boy locks them up in separate rooms in a dilapidated house, chaining one of them up, and mercilessly beating up the second.
Part III explores the boy's childhood, as he is brought up in isolation by a disturbed mother who psychologically and physically abuses him, and a suicidal religious father unable to protect his son.
At the very end of the movie, the link between the cop and the boy, is revealed.
My major issue with the movie is Part I, where after the cop promotion ceremony, the screen is plunged into around 25 minutes of gloomy foggy darkness of an unlit country road, with apparitions of bloodied girls and driverless cars popping up here and there. I struggled to make sense of who is whom, and what is truly happening and why, as the scenes abruptly shift from long shots to close-ups, from scene to scene, from angle to angle. Moreover, the darkness made it difficult to easily pinpoint the film's subgenre; i.e. Killer slasher horror vs supernatural horror. Better editing could have helped. The moviegoer shouldn't be asked to struggle with determining a subgenre.
It is only when Part I comes to a close that the screen lightens up and the moviegoer can sit back and follow events with minimal confusion.
All filler, no killer. Creeping a film along does not a creepy film make.
disneywizard14 August 2015
A top-drawer script can be ruined by a poor director but no amount of top-drawer direction can improve a rotten script - I want my one-hundred-and-ten minutes back from this schmutz used to cover the porn hidden under the socks. This epic-fail is almost better than I could create in a weekend with some teenagers, an outline and a handy-cam with broken steady-shot because if it were well trimmed and tightly cut there would only be enough story to fill a quarter-hour. The plot is
is a decorated rogue cop who
, who
, oh yeah, there's no plot. The open-caption narrative subtitling in English throughout distracts even native Tagalog viewers, because the subtitling delivers the lines better than the actors. Schizophrenic hallucination transference (I must assume,) and the supernatural aren't enough undelivered explanation to fill the Kaybiang Tunnel sized plot-holes in this intentionally confusing yawner best screened in a theater for an air-conditioned nap. It's too easy to fall asleep trying to watch this pablum schlok, but there is no plot to miss should you do, it put the focus-puller to sleep over and over again. Low budget is no excuse for not employing a competent continuity script-girl, but apparently the fuzzy forms which vanish and re-appear among scene cuts and frame edges is. A tip to the viewer resulting from four frustrated attempts at genuinely trying to stay awake and stick with it - I was finally able watch it through to the credits, in fast forward. In FF you'll miss no story because the dialog is built into the open-captions, you'll not miss the easily forgettable laboriously long-drawn-out score and much of the film will return to normal speed. Here's a tip for Yam Laranas - Minutes do not manufacture mystery. Creeping a film along does not a creepy film make. If you're stuck with a thin script of kiddie-pool-shallow characters which is stretched several minutes between lines by vacuously empty repetitive images, don't liberally sprinkle your all-filler/no-killer film with over-crank and slow-motion to substitute for genuine tension or thrilling excitement. We want the killer, not the filler!
Perfectly Shot Eerie Atmosphere
3xHCCH6 December 2011
"The Road" tells about a mysterious series of grisly murders that occurred on a lonely stretch of road. The story was told in three parts, spanning three decades. It starts in 2008 when three youngsters were terrorized by a driver-less red car one night when they happened to pick this particular road on which to practice driving. The story shifts to 1998, when two sisters (one of them Rhian Ramos) whose red car overheated on that same road, only to fall victims to a quiet but mentally-disturbed teenage boy (Alden Richards) who had unspeakable violent tendencies. Finally, the story shifts further back to 1988, when a child was being mentally and physically tormented by his virago of a mother (Carmina Villaroel). In the end, the story returns to 2008, when everything was tied up together.
I must say that the opening credits alone was very effective to establish the creepy atmosphere of the whole film. The music (by Swedish composer Johan Soderqvist) was so chilling as the camera follows the spooky shadows that line the titular road. The three parts all had a different kind of horror to show. In the first one, the horror is supernatural. I found the first one the best as we can really feel how helpless the three youngsters were against the vengeful ghost. The second part was scary in a more physical manner, since we can see that the antagonist was an actual psychotic killer. While the third part is more of psychological horror as we see how a little boy's delicate psyche was slowly being corrupted by his parents.
As with most horror flicks, there will be plot holes, some big ones, in fact. But I say, do not think too much, let the eerie atmosphere envelop you as director Yam Laranas tells you his stories with his well-placed camera angles and effects, as well at the amazing lighting of scenes. While the more senior actors like Carmina Villaroel, Marvin Agustin, TJ Trinidad and Rhian Ramos expectedly did well in their respective roles, I was most impressed with the talent of Renz Valerio, the child actor who played the boy in the third part. He was able to convey his gradual descent into madness so well, keeping that last chapter interesting. It is very good to learn that Yam Laranas has once again succeeded to gain the attention of the international market with this release, following his "Sigaw" (2004) which was given the Hollywood treatment as "The Echo" in 2008. "The Road" is a definite must-watch for horror movie fans!
I must say that the opening credits alone was very effective to establish the creepy atmosphere of the whole film. The music (by Swedish composer Johan Soderqvist) was so chilling as the camera follows the spooky shadows that line the titular road. The three parts all had a different kind of horror to show. In the first one, the horror is supernatural. I found the first one the best as we can really feel how helpless the three youngsters were against the vengeful ghost. The second part was scary in a more physical manner, since we can see that the antagonist was an actual psychotic killer. While the third part is more of psychological horror as we see how a little boy's delicate psyche was slowly being corrupted by his parents.
As with most horror flicks, there will be plot holes, some big ones, in fact. But I say, do not think too much, let the eerie atmosphere envelop you as director Yam Laranas tells you his stories with his well-placed camera angles and effects, as well at the amazing lighting of scenes. While the more senior actors like Carmina Villaroel, Marvin Agustin, TJ Trinidad and Rhian Ramos expectedly did well in their respective roles, I was most impressed with the talent of Renz Valerio, the child actor who played the boy in the third part. He was able to convey his gradual descent into madness so well, keeping that last chapter interesting. It is very good to learn that Yam Laranas has once again succeeded to gain the attention of the international market with this release, following his "Sigaw" (2004) which was given the Hollywood treatment as "The Echo" in 2008. "The Road" is a definite must-watch for horror movie fans!
Not really scary, but still worth watching...
paul_haakonsen9 December 2012
"The Road" is an odd mix of crime, horror and drama, with an end result that is actually worth watching. However, it is not one of the best movies I have seen, nor is it one of the worst. The movie is fairly average, but it does have some pretty interesting moments here and there.
What I enjoyed about the movie was that the movie backtracked, taking us backward in time to the things leading up to the things that happened in the beginning of the movie. That was a pretty good move on director Yam Laranas behalf - sort of like the way the Korean movie "Peppermint Candy" was built up, and it worked out quite nicely for the overall flow of the movie.
As for being a Tagalog (Philippine) horror movie, well then I must say that I didn't find the movie overly scary, but then again I am not really familiar with Tagalog movies, so I don't really have anything to compare this with. However, compared to the many Korean and Japanese horror movies, this was like a picnic in the park.
"The Road" does have some interesting moments, as I mentioned above. Aside from not being scary, the movie does a great job at building up some suspense and an even better job at taking us back in time and showing us the things that lead up to the events in the start of the movie. There is so really interesting character's and portrayal of these characters. Personally, I enjoyed the 1988 segment the most, because it was the most interesting of all the segments, and it was the one that really had the best of acting performances as well. Plus it was initially the foundation of the previous segments of the movie.
For a Westerner, then this movie didn't really offer much in the scare department, but the movie is worth watching because of the interesting story and the approach that the director had taken with it. And on the plus side, it was nice to have an Asian horror movie that didn't focus on a ghostly woman in a white dress with long, black hair covering her face.
What I enjoyed about the movie was that the movie backtracked, taking us backward in time to the things leading up to the things that happened in the beginning of the movie. That was a pretty good move on director Yam Laranas behalf - sort of like the way the Korean movie "Peppermint Candy" was built up, and it worked out quite nicely for the overall flow of the movie.
As for being a Tagalog (Philippine) horror movie, well then I must say that I didn't find the movie overly scary, but then again I am not really familiar with Tagalog movies, so I don't really have anything to compare this with. However, compared to the many Korean and Japanese horror movies, this was like a picnic in the park.
"The Road" does have some interesting moments, as I mentioned above. Aside from not being scary, the movie does a great job at building up some suspense and an even better job at taking us back in time and showing us the things that lead up to the events in the start of the movie. There is so really interesting character's and portrayal of these characters. Personally, I enjoyed the 1988 segment the most, because it was the most interesting of all the segments, and it was the one that really had the best of acting performances as well. Plus it was initially the foundation of the previous segments of the movie.
For a Westerner, then this movie didn't really offer much in the scare department, but the movie is worth watching because of the interesting story and the approach that the director had taken with it. And on the plus side, it was nice to have an Asian horror movie that didn't focus on a ghostly woman in a white dress with long, black hair covering her face.
I really enjoyed this movie
daggersineyes13 September 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I didn't realise it was directed by the guy who directed Sigaw until after I'd seen it. (Sigaw is one of my faves). This director doesn't rely on cliché techniques such as jump scares, fake-outs, shadows jumping across doorways and all that other stuff we're so used to. He simply puts together a carefully crafted story and tells it beautifully with interesting twists and an obvious love for his craft.
This is not a movie for the slash & giggle crowd or the jump-addicts. It's a psychological suspense drama that will - if you let it - draw you in and play with your emotions (and this coming from a chick who avoids dramas like the plague!!) while surrounding you with creepy suspense. It's actually a very sad tale for all concerned and isn't the kind of horror movie you can just watch for the "fun of it" and dismiss afterwards as just another horror flick. It's a tragic tale of dysfunction with a lot of ghosts and ghoulish moments.
Some of the acting may have been a bit dodgy (particularly from some of the youngsters in the first act & one of the 'grieving' mothers unfortunately was laughably bad), but other more experienced actors were extremely good. All of the main characters in the third "act" were outstanding & I was deeply effected by their performances. The camera work was often brilliant and the director uses a range of techniques, lighting, camera shots, emphasis, background objects, etc to create the right mood or effect. For example, in one early scene he jumps between ordinary cameras and a shaky handy-cam throughout a particularly harrowing sequence. For a minute there I was afraid he was going to turn the whole movie into one of those unbearable "trendy" flicks where it's all shaky hand-held camera work and half the time the actors are barely on screen and you end up feeling violently ill from motion-sickness. My had was actually reaching for the eject button! But mercifully he didn't succumb to that. Just like he didn't give in to conventions anywhere in the movie. He was just using that convention for that particular scene to enhance the conveyance of terror felt by the characters. This is how that camera technique should ALWAYS be used (if at all!!).
The movie's score was perfect and the settings used were excellent and put to good effect. One or two head-scratching plot holes perhaps - or it could be a cultural gap issue. I'm not sure. In any case, it doesn't detract from my overall view that this is a movie well worth seeing.
I am not a fan of slow, overly clever, "arty" movies (eg The Devil's Backbone left me completely unimpressed - I rate this flick as better) and this movie, although it's not a fast past action-oriented one by any means, was well paced and grounded. It never stepped over the line into pretentious like TDB and similar movies.
Watch this if you like mystery, suspense, thrillers and don't need to have a scream a minute thrill-ride every time you watch a movie. Don't watch it if you can only enjoy a horror flick if it's a screaming pointless gore-fest with no real story to it (or if you can't stand subtitles!! LOL).
This is not a movie for the slash & giggle crowd or the jump-addicts. It's a psychological suspense drama that will - if you let it - draw you in and play with your emotions (and this coming from a chick who avoids dramas like the plague!!) while surrounding you with creepy suspense. It's actually a very sad tale for all concerned and isn't the kind of horror movie you can just watch for the "fun of it" and dismiss afterwards as just another horror flick. It's a tragic tale of dysfunction with a lot of ghosts and ghoulish moments.
Some of the acting may have been a bit dodgy (particularly from some of the youngsters in the first act & one of the 'grieving' mothers unfortunately was laughably bad), but other more experienced actors were extremely good. All of the main characters in the third "act" were outstanding & I was deeply effected by their performances. The camera work was often brilliant and the director uses a range of techniques, lighting, camera shots, emphasis, background objects, etc to create the right mood or effect. For example, in one early scene he jumps between ordinary cameras and a shaky handy-cam throughout a particularly harrowing sequence. For a minute there I was afraid he was going to turn the whole movie into one of those unbearable "trendy" flicks where it's all shaky hand-held camera work and half the time the actors are barely on screen and you end up feeling violently ill from motion-sickness. My had was actually reaching for the eject button! But mercifully he didn't succumb to that. Just like he didn't give in to conventions anywhere in the movie. He was just using that convention for that particular scene to enhance the conveyance of terror felt by the characters. This is how that camera technique should ALWAYS be used (if at all!!).
The movie's score was perfect and the settings used were excellent and put to good effect. One or two head-scratching plot holes perhaps - or it could be a cultural gap issue. I'm not sure. In any case, it doesn't detract from my overall view that this is a movie well worth seeing.
I am not a fan of slow, overly clever, "arty" movies (eg The Devil's Backbone left me completely unimpressed - I rate this flick as better) and this movie, although it's not a fast past action-oriented one by any means, was well paced and grounded. It never stepped over the line into pretentious like TDB and similar movies.
Watch this if you like mystery, suspense, thrillers and don't need to have a scream a minute thrill-ride every time you watch a movie. Don't watch it if you can only enjoy a horror flick if it's a screaming pointless gore-fest with no real story to it (or if you can't stand subtitles!! LOL).
Long Ago In A Mental State Far, Far Away...
Foutainoflife13 August 2018
There was a disconnect.
This movie was decent. The actors could've used a bit more polishing but they weren't annoying. The camera work was really beautiful in a few scenes and the atmosphere was well adjusted to fit what was going on. The plot was ok but needed a bit of work. It is more creepy thriller than scary horror. It was an interesting watch.
This movie was decent. The actors could've used a bit more polishing but they weren't annoying. The camera work was really beautiful in a few scenes and the atmosphere was well adjusted to fit what was going on. The plot was ok but needed a bit of work. It is more creepy thriller than scary horror. It was an interesting watch.
Probably too slow for our modern day attention deficient audiences
ebossert25 June 2013
This film by Yam Laranas ("The Echo") is divided into three segments. The first story concerns three young teenagers who drive down a desolate road at night, not knowing that it is haunted. This is a very cool, lengthy sequence with some nasty looking ghouls. The atmosphere is dense and the scare tactics are nicely crafted. The next two stories are flashbacks that show the historical acts of violence that are connected to the hauntings. The style here feels like a modern French horror film. It's very professional, with great photography, very eerie scoring, and solid performances. No humor or stupid one-liners to be found here. The deliberate pacing and gloomy mood will likely wear viewers down, which is a trait that I find to be a very positive thing. I strongly recommend this.
On a side note, I find it somewhat annoying that this film has such a low IMDb rating and such negative reviews. In a day and age where crap like "The House of the Devil" (2009) and "Insidious" (2010) are praised and hyped as new genre classics, I guess I shouldn't be surprised when a genuinely strong horror film like "The Road" (2011) is derided and criticized for being "too slow." Perhaps a few dozen cheap jump scares or some graphic violence would have sufficed to keep our attention deficient audiences awake. For goodness sakes, "Rob Zombie's Halloween" is currently rated higher than "The Road."
Yeah . . . okay.
On a side note, I find it somewhat annoying that this film has such a low IMDb rating and such negative reviews. In a day and age where crap like "The House of the Devil" (2009) and "Insidious" (2010) are praised and hyped as new genre classics, I guess I shouldn't be surprised when a genuinely strong horror film like "The Road" (2011) is derided and criticized for being "too slow." Perhaps a few dozen cheap jump scares or some graphic violence would have sufficed to keep our attention deficient audiences awake. For goodness sakes, "Rob Zombie's Halloween" is currently rated higher than "The Road."
Yeah . . . okay.
The Road is more than just a horror film with ghosts.
ClariSays26 December 2020
The Road is split into 3 parts (2008, 1998 and 1988), a familiar formula in Filipino horror films. But what sets The Road apart from others is its unique style blended with powerful visuals and development.
The film gave us a one path to follow. Though there were some bumps along the way, each part (2008, 1998 and 1988) dug deeper making the narrative even more interesting. It showed that The Road is more than just a horror film with ghosts.
The film gave us a one path to follow. Though there were some bumps along the way, each part (2008, 1998 and 1988) dug deeper making the narrative even more interesting. It showed that The Road is more than just a horror film with ghosts.
An Eerie Psychological Horror Thriller.
P3n-E-W1s311 May 2017
If you're like me and enjoy a good movie, no matter what the language, then you should check out this Filipino gem.
What this film gives the audience is a story in three very different acts.
The first act is the present day where three friends "borrow" a car to go joy riding. Though their version of joyriding isn't creating havoc on the road but to actually practise their driving. While they're tootling around the town they see a police car and decide to try and find a quieter section of town. They come across a fenced off lane and think it would be a good place to improve their driving skills. However, it's not long before they find themselves in some scary and creepy situations. The director Yam Laranas does a fantastic job of creating an eerie atmosphere, using shadows and light to their fullest. The only thing I found annoying with the film was in this act... the girls really can scream... you need to turn the volume down before all the glass in your house explodes...
The second act starts to tell of the events that have led up to the present day events. We travel back in time a couple of years to when two sisters disappear while travelling the road. Adding to the creepiness of the earlier act the story now adds a dark and ominous feel as things become dangerous and deadly for the sisters.
The third act goes back twelve years to the very beginning and shows the psychological effects that a dysfunctional family in turmoil can experience, especially if one of the family is mentally unstable. This is one of the strongest sections of the film as it resolves the mysterious parts of the story. Laranas does a brilliant job of building atmosphere, once again. This time he uses brightness and shadows to convey feeling. Add the great acting of Carmina Villaroel who plays Carmela, a strong controlling independent woman caught in a loveless marriage due to having a child, a woman who runs hot and cold at the flick of a switch.
All of this makes the story much more interesting. The writers, Aloy Adlawan and Yam Laranas, easily blend the styles and intricacies into a strong and believable story that spread through the horror, thriller, psychological, and crime genres.
I would recommend this to all horror lovers and even to fans of thrillers, who wouldn't usually watch a horror movie. This film really does work on so many levels.
What this film gives the audience is a story in three very different acts.
The first act is the present day where three friends "borrow" a car to go joy riding. Though their version of joyriding isn't creating havoc on the road but to actually practise their driving. While they're tootling around the town they see a police car and decide to try and find a quieter section of town. They come across a fenced off lane and think it would be a good place to improve their driving skills. However, it's not long before they find themselves in some scary and creepy situations. The director Yam Laranas does a fantastic job of creating an eerie atmosphere, using shadows and light to their fullest. The only thing I found annoying with the film was in this act... the girls really can scream... you need to turn the volume down before all the glass in your house explodes...
The second act starts to tell of the events that have led up to the present day events. We travel back in time a couple of years to when two sisters disappear while travelling the road. Adding to the creepiness of the earlier act the story now adds a dark and ominous feel as things become dangerous and deadly for the sisters.
The third act goes back twelve years to the very beginning and shows the psychological effects that a dysfunctional family in turmoil can experience, especially if one of the family is mentally unstable. This is one of the strongest sections of the film as it resolves the mysterious parts of the story. Laranas does a brilliant job of building atmosphere, once again. This time he uses brightness and shadows to convey feeling. Add the great acting of Carmina Villaroel who plays Carmela, a strong controlling independent woman caught in a loveless marriage due to having a child, a woman who runs hot and cold at the flick of a switch.
All of this makes the story much more interesting. The writers, Aloy Adlawan and Yam Laranas, easily blend the styles and intricacies into a strong and believable story that spread through the horror, thriller, psychological, and crime genres.
I would recommend this to all horror lovers and even to fans of thrillers, who wouldn't usually watch a horror movie. This film really does work on so many levels.
The Road will move you from the beginning 'till the end..
ronnelmoreno7 April 2012
Warning: Spoilers
The Road is not your ordinary horror-film, being a horror film enthusiast, I always crave to watch a non-mediocre type of such genre. The Road successfully delivered the elements that I wanted to find. First is that, it has an excellent cinematography, the ambiance in the movie manifests in the theater where I am watching. It has very great shots, that I was not able to witness in other horror movies. In, terms of the musical scoring, it is absolutely great, though it has some loop holes. But I find it okay for the team pull it off. . It is one of the elements in the movie that might give you the "shock value". The actors delivered fair with their acting. There might be weak acting in some parts, but it is venial. What makes The Road recommendable to watch is the story per se.
I loved how the film flowed, it's narrated through flashback and with that, you should start the movie from the beginning, do not go into the movie house if it already begun. For it will spoil you, 'cause it'll help you to discover the mystery of the story. Don't expect scenes that might jump you off from your seats (like what Insidious have, for example). The Road is a psychological thriller, that will give you the eerie feeling upon leaving the theater. If you able to loved "The Echo" which was directed by the same director, You'd be able to love The Road 100 times more. This is a movie that will scare you not because of gore, of disturbing scenes, not because of a lot of scenes that will shock you, but because of the story itself. The story that will make you think and will jolt you in the end. You'll remember the movie forever, and probably be included in you favorite horror movies.
I loved how the film flowed, it's narrated through flashback and with that, you should start the movie from the beginning, do not go into the movie house if it already begun. For it will spoil you, 'cause it'll help you to discover the mystery of the story. Don't expect scenes that might jump you off from your seats (like what Insidious have, for example). The Road is a psychological thriller, that will give you the eerie feeling upon leaving the theater. If you able to loved "The Echo" which was directed by the same director, You'd be able to love The Road 100 times more. This is a movie that will scare you not because of gore, of disturbing scenes, not because of a lot of scenes that will shock you, but because of the story itself. The story that will make you think and will jolt you in the end. You'll remember the movie forever, and probably be included in you favorite horror movies.
Here's a film that explores the Gothic and thriller genres, fusing them to make a really terrifying experience for the audience.
ezrahi18 December 2011
Warning: Spoilers
MANILA STANDARD: Isah V. Red
If Sigaw and Echo were about a haunted apartment, what is The Road all about?
Laranas explores the idea of terror in this sleek horror-thriller. No, there are no supernatural creatures that terrorize the other characters in the story, there is just a crime that for many years has not been solved, and the perpetrator is still on the loose.
The police is baffled. So is the father of the character played by Tween star Barbie Forteza after receiving a call from her in the middle of the night asking for help.
Even the audience is confounded as Forteza disappears from the screen after nearly 25 them endlessly. She is with Derrick Monasterio and Lexie Fernandez who spirited the car without permission for a good time.
When Derrick and Lexie die in terror, the action shifts to Rhian Ramos and Louise de los Reyes in car that breaks down in the middle of the road. This is in a different era and Laranas wants us to take a closer look as this can provide us a clue on what happened to Monasterio, Fernandez, and Forteza.
The sisters see a man walking and ask him if he could help them with their car. Without saying much, he leads them to a house. As soon as the two girls are in the house, they are subjected to a mind-boggling and terrifying torture. Richards seem to be a docile man, but inwardly he is sick and wanted to inflict pain on his victims.
Again, this baffles us because there seems to be no direct connection to the previous scenes with the three younger actors.
Yet, we suspect something, this could be the ghosts that haunt the road, but why?
Laranas takes us to an even earlier time, at home, with a strange family. A kid, played by Renz Valerio, wonders why her mother, Carmina Villarroel, forbids her to talk to strangers, even to the laundrywoman, Yna Asistio. As punishment for even trying to connect to her, she is locked in a closet. Valerios's father, Marvin Agustin, tries to talk to Villarroel about not being to hard on their son, but to no avail. What happens after adds even more to the baffling issue of how are this connected to the three.
When finally, Laranas takes us back to the present, we are able to breathe in relief. Forteza finally finds herself again, and the police wonder how she was able to be in the place,
Oh, there's one character we failed to mention, that of TJ Trinidad, a policeman helping in the investigation of the crime. What he does to his fellow policeman at the end of the movie answered the question. No, Laranas isn't interested in a police story, he is interested in how people behave in terror.
The Road is perhaps the first local movie I've seen in years that I didn't feel the urge to go out of the theater after the first 15 minutes. I would have if I wanted to, but something was telling me to stay so I can find out what the terror was all about. Is it a ghost, a creature, or is it all in the mind of Forteza, Fernandez, and Monasterio. But Fernandez and Monasterio have died, so it leaves Forteza to tell the story, but can she?
Forteza surprises us with an honest performance. No, she's not the tween star we see on TV, but more of the young actress that delivers the kind of performance serious critics should notice. She reminds us of Dakota Fanning in her younger years starring in terrifying thriller Hide and Seek with Robert DeNiro.
While the role is not lengthy enough to show more of what Forteza can do, I think it's enough that directors like Laranas is able to see beyond the 'tween stars sweet-young girl image.
Alden Richards is in my opinion the biggest revelation in the movie. With nary a dialogue, he is able to imprint his character on the audience's memory bits as the disturbed murderous teen who tortures to death Rhian Ramos and Louise de los Reyes.
Richards, in creating this character, makes a prototype for other actors who are dreaming of portraying a significantly different character.
Yet, the actor that makes a big mark for us is the young boy played by Renz Valerio. Physically abused by his mother (Villarroel) and unable to be protected by his preacher-father (Agustin) we empathize with the young boy's confusion and inability to discern love from punishment. He is also unable to tell his father of his mother's infidelity lest he upsets her. And even after her death, he can still see her unaware of what his father did to her.
It seems Laranas wrote the policeman role for TJ Trinidad. And he delivers exactly the kind of performance that I like in movies. With no frills but more substance, Trinidad's menacing character is hooded by his good looks and we are left with no inkling of what he is really made of and what he can do until the last minutes of the film.
Laranas, apparently has picked up many things about filmmaking while making The Echo. He is now able to tell a story without too much bending to the whims of producers who want movies to be really so damn sophomoric you'd want to puke at th end. Here's a film that explores the Gothic and thriller genres, fusing them to make a really terrifying experience for the audience. This is way too ahead not by just a mile but by millions of miles of other local films shown in theaters.
If Sigaw and Echo were about a haunted apartment, what is The Road all about?
Laranas explores the idea of terror in this sleek horror-thriller. No, there are no supernatural creatures that terrorize the other characters in the story, there is just a crime that for many years has not been solved, and the perpetrator is still on the loose.
The police is baffled. So is the father of the character played by Tween star Barbie Forteza after receiving a call from her in the middle of the night asking for help.
Even the audience is confounded as Forteza disappears from the screen after nearly 25 them endlessly. She is with Derrick Monasterio and Lexie Fernandez who spirited the car without permission for a good time.
When Derrick and Lexie die in terror, the action shifts to Rhian Ramos and Louise de los Reyes in car that breaks down in the middle of the road. This is in a different era and Laranas wants us to take a closer look as this can provide us a clue on what happened to Monasterio, Fernandez, and Forteza.
The sisters see a man walking and ask him if he could help them with their car. Without saying much, he leads them to a house. As soon as the two girls are in the house, they are subjected to a mind-boggling and terrifying torture. Richards seem to be a docile man, but inwardly he is sick and wanted to inflict pain on his victims.
Again, this baffles us because there seems to be no direct connection to the previous scenes with the three younger actors.
Yet, we suspect something, this could be the ghosts that haunt the road, but why?
Laranas takes us to an even earlier time, at home, with a strange family. A kid, played by Renz Valerio, wonders why her mother, Carmina Villarroel, forbids her to talk to strangers, even to the laundrywoman, Yna Asistio. As punishment for even trying to connect to her, she is locked in a closet. Valerios's father, Marvin Agustin, tries to talk to Villarroel about not being to hard on their son, but to no avail. What happens after adds even more to the baffling issue of how are this connected to the three.
When finally, Laranas takes us back to the present, we are able to breathe in relief. Forteza finally finds herself again, and the police wonder how she was able to be in the place,
Oh, there's one character we failed to mention, that of TJ Trinidad, a policeman helping in the investigation of the crime. What he does to his fellow policeman at the end of the movie answered the question. No, Laranas isn't interested in a police story, he is interested in how people behave in terror.
The Road is perhaps the first local movie I've seen in years that I didn't feel the urge to go out of the theater after the first 15 minutes. I would have if I wanted to, but something was telling me to stay so I can find out what the terror was all about. Is it a ghost, a creature, or is it all in the mind of Forteza, Fernandez, and Monasterio. But Fernandez and Monasterio have died, so it leaves Forteza to tell the story, but can she?
Forteza surprises us with an honest performance. No, she's not the tween star we see on TV, but more of the young actress that delivers the kind of performance serious critics should notice. She reminds us of Dakota Fanning in her younger years starring in terrifying thriller Hide and Seek with Robert DeNiro.
While the role is not lengthy enough to show more of what Forteza can do, I think it's enough that directors like Laranas is able to see beyond the 'tween stars sweet-young girl image.
Alden Richards is in my opinion the biggest revelation in the movie. With nary a dialogue, he is able to imprint his character on the audience's memory bits as the disturbed murderous teen who tortures to death Rhian Ramos and Louise de los Reyes.
Richards, in creating this character, makes a prototype for other actors who are dreaming of portraying a significantly different character.
Yet, the actor that makes a big mark for us is the young boy played by Renz Valerio. Physically abused by his mother (Villarroel) and unable to be protected by his preacher-father (Agustin) we empathize with the young boy's confusion and inability to discern love from punishment. He is also unable to tell his father of his mother's infidelity lest he upsets her. And even after her death, he can still see her unaware of what his father did to her.
It seems Laranas wrote the policeman role for TJ Trinidad. And he delivers exactly the kind of performance that I like in movies. With no frills but more substance, Trinidad's menacing character is hooded by his good looks and we are left with no inkling of what he is really made of and what he can do until the last minutes of the film.
Laranas, apparently has picked up many things about filmmaking while making The Echo. He is now able to tell a story without too much bending to the whims of producers who want movies to be really so damn sophomoric you'd want to puke at th end. Here's a film that explores the Gothic and thriller genres, fusing them to make a really terrifying experience for the audience. This is way too ahead not by just a mile but by millions of miles of other local films shown in theaters.
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