Hereditary (2018)

ive heard about this film long before it was announced. at that time the buzzes revolved around 'scariest movie ever!', 'scariest horror since the exorcist', etc. bombastic right? to be honest, initially i was quite skeptical because the pompous claims usually didnt meet my expectation, plus western horrors have been going through a rather monotonous route lately. so when hereditary finally hit local theaters, i didnt waste any time and immediately went to prove it myself.

and boy i was... blown.

this is what it feels like to ride a slow roller coaster in hell.

hereditary is a study of build up and tension. it lingers in your mind and touches your psyche with complete terror, hopelessness, and sorrow. ari aster masterfully directed it with clever play of shadow and lighting that induced your peripheral fear of something that might or might not exist; imagine staring into a dark hallway for a long time that you start questioning whether you're seeing things or its just in your mind. its batshit eerie and dreadful. the scenes are adorned with sublime sound design that the minimum usage of loud music only maximizes the suspense.

the film's tonality is basically built on the mixture of horror and family dynamics, with several conflicts highlighting fundamental matters from relationships to mental health issues. toni colette's tour de force as a grievous matriarch is phenomenal and she does so well at capturing the intensity of the atmosphere. that dinner scene? my soul was gone. also milly saphiro's quiet, haunting expression successfully made me feel uncomfortable in my seat throughout her appearance on screen. what an incredible cast.

one of the most prominent things is many scenes are slowly shot from the distance, living up the illusion that the whole family members are 'pawns' inside a house miniature as seen in the opening. while i usually have problems with pacing, hereditary is like a slow burn that keeps me petrified despite how drawn out it gets in the middle. it eventually pays off with an ending twist so mad that despite unnecessary amount of foreshadowing in the first act it still catches me off guard. for me its in the vines of rosemary's baby, starting from the constant anxiety to the major cult reveal.

i get that hereditary might not fall into the mainstream category that pleases everyone with straightforward expositions and jumpscares. its horror at its most visceral, and its certainly not for those who werent ready.

Alucarda (1977)

the 70s is such a good era for satanic movies. other than popular titles such as the exorcist (1973) and the omen (1976), there are also ones that were buried beneath a hidden treasure box. one of them would be alucarda (1977), a mexican horror film that tells the tale of a pair of girls who lived in a convent that also functions as an orphanage. one day during a short trip to the forest they discovered a cryptic and ancient looking site, and things just went batshit afterwards. apparently the girls had been possessed by demonic forces that attempted to take control over them, leading to immense amount of hysteria and nightmarish events that follow.

no words could explain the madness of alucarda and how every bit of the film's insanity cemented it as a classic, undiscovered gem. it keeps you glued to the screen, as if it has the power to hypnotize through its endless screams, riot, and satanic worships. theres actually not much story here, but the thematic emphasis is spot on. its heavy on religious overtone but it also touches upon coming of age issue, which is portrayed through alucarda's complex desire for love and rebellion.

for a low budget film alucarda got a solid commitment to ensure it doesnt come off as cheap or weak. i really like the overall visual concept that flaunts organic yet detailed sets, such as cave-like convent and stone walls that spark absolute eerieness, down to the nuns who are draped in red-stained robes that resemble blood splatters. the cryptic leitmotif is further elevated with smokey effects like fog and haze, effectively taking surrealism to a higher plateau. at one point the theatrical nature simply crosses the border between art and fever dream.

director juan lópez moctezuma ends the gothic suspense with alucarda unleashing hell upon everyone in such brutal, unapologetic manner thats a good reminiscence of stephen king's carrie. by the time the spectacle is over it feels like i just went through an extreme, unholy ritual marked by copious amount of blood, crucifixion, nudes, gore, and combusting nuns. highly disturbing, but thats exactly what this film aims for, and it indeed succeeded.

Sebelum Iblis Menjemput (2018)

sebelum iblis menjemput blends never ending terrors, flashy jumpscares, deeply rooted mystical sense with full throttle execution that made the audience physically and mentally compromised. just like his previous works (most notably rumah dara), timo doesnt hesitate to go all out with his delivery. this film continuously carries an atmosphere of dread starting from the first minute mark and the diabolical force refuses to fade even until the credits roll. the intensity goes hand-in-hand with tight build ups and a number of jumpscares that blatantly portrayed demonic faces as big as the theater screen. yes, they snatch your sight before you are ready and there is no way you can look away.

interestingly, it is also heavy on gore which is quite of a fresh take since most local horrors tend to rely solely on supernatural theme. this one is disturbingly blood gushing, very much in the vein of raimi's evil dead down to the almost comedic impression. i'd say interesting because its been a while since i saw well crafted gory element in local films that is not corny. it may be difficult to stomach for some, but it does add a unique touch to the whole tone.

music is such an important component in horror movies and i gotta say the scoring department especially did a terrific job this time. every sound effect adheres to the theme, message, and mood present in the scene closely. sometimes the ear-piercing loudness gets over the top it feels like you are being choked on the spot, very visceral and full of madness.

the reason why i gave this film 3.5 out of 5 is because despite the technical excellence, there are considerable shortcomings that are hard to ignore. the most prominent would be the stiff and inconsistent dialogues that kinda ruin some profound moments between the characters which end up making us emotionally detached from them. another one would be the lack of cathartic experience toward the third act where the tension becomes anticlimactic like a roller coaster that already slows down when we are still anticipating for a steep plunge from the skyscraper. instead of a long-awaited explosive momentum it just pales in comparison with the previous acts.

all in all, sebelum iblis menjemput is still an incredibly fun entertainment for horror aficionados and thrill-seekers. thumbs up for timo and the crew for blessing local cinema with yet another quality gem in the genre!

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3

before you come at me and say "dude, you're like over a decade late," yes, i know. in fact, as a late bandwagon jumper as always, i feel like knocking my head off for discovering this phenomenal game just now. nevertheless, i think its safe to say that this game has successfully stood the test of time and will always be one of the top picks for jrpg aficionados.

persona 3 was originally published in 2006 as a subseries of the megami tensei franchise. we take a role as a transfer student named makoto (well its actually an assigned name since the players can always rename the character) who enters gekkoukan high school. most of the gameplay showcases light environments that revolve around sunny ambience, fun classrooms, and lively characters. but behind the peaceful life of these students something dark awaits, and yes i mean it in literal sense. its a period of time called 'the dark hour', a reality bending moment between a day and the next where people would turn into coffins and grim creatures would come out to devour their souls. in order to fight this powerful yet malicious force, we're tasked to manage a special group of students called SEES (specialized extracurricular execution squad). each member of SEES has an ability to summon a 'persona', or an elemental manifestation of their own conscience. interestingly, the way to summon their personas is by shooting themselves in the head with an evoker.

now why the hell would i call a rather graphic gesture 'interesting'? because its basically a symbol of the game's narrative. yes, persona 3's theme heavily deals with death and depression. it's portrayed not only through the persona summoning, but also via the backstories of the characters. throughout the journey, makoto would get to socialize with many types of people, from a debilitated person who awaits his impending death by writing a story book, a famous student athlete whot deals with difficult family problems, a SEES member who is grieving over the loss of her parent, and many more. its interesting because beneath the adorable character designs they still show humane sides that we could relate to. that everyone, no matter how happy they appear on the outside, is carrying a great secret or burden behind the facades. the nuance is also supported by dialogues that often hit too close to home for how personal they are.

another thing that i find interesting is the mechanism of leveling up arcana by improving social links. each arcana comes in different classes of tarot class. it does require heavy grinding to max out every stat and social link, but its worth it considering the story pays off very well in the end. persona 3 is more than a story of youthful characters that embark on a quest to save the world. it captures how people deal with their own demons and eventually grow out of it to be a better person. its a visceral experience embodied in strong storytelling that would touch many hearts out there. cant recommend it enough.