MMFF Review: 'The Strangers' - Built Up For Corrosion

More than what is on the surface - handsome visuals and imposing cinematography - Lawrence Fajardo's The Strangers boasts of formidable performances both from the superiors and newcomers of its astral cast. The narrative may be somewhat middling and contrived, the twist may have been cooked and presented in an unjustifiably wearied fashion; but the movie's taut filmmaking, fortunately, is powerful enough to stall, if not completely prevent, its impendent corrosion.

When a family sets out on a trip to a desolated town called "Murcia," strange things commence to happen. They got stranded in the middle of the woods but in luck was eventually offered of aid by a band of locales. What the night knows is something that the family - comprised of a workaholic father (Johnny Revilla), a caring mother (Cherry Pie Picache), and a ceaselessly fighting twins (Enrique Gil and Julia Montez) - and the local people has no plentiful knowledge of. A vile aswang (or is he) with redneck hunting skills played by Enchong Dee lurks in and out of the area. 

The Strangers takes some time to introduce its characters (as many other horrors do) so that in these characters' demise, they're not only dead bodies piling up, but also people who we used to like, dislike, embrace and loathe. Janice De Belen (Pridyider) also appears in the movie (as the family's help) and she is in her usual charismatic performance. She takes care of the grandfather of the family played by Jaime Fabregas (Guni-Guni). The characterization in these characters, however, for reasons that I cannot put to words in detail, after the movie's reveal, has lost any of its prior substance. JM De Guzman (Intoy Syokoy ng Kalye Marino), meanwhile, plays one of the unsuspecting barrio people.

The movie provides ample scares and these generally come from the CGI aswangs (monsters). An unquestionable improvement in Philippine cinema's visual effects, the movie's computer-generated imagery has a lot of weight and impact. 

Production values, strong performances and efficient shocks prove assurance, but the movie is inevitably eroded towards the end by its contrived yet remaining tired narrative.

VERDICT: B