Sunday, November 30, 2025
I finally watched the KMJS’ Gabi ng Lagim-The Movie kahapon and I spent the whole night thinking about it! It was an absolute must-watch because of the hype and honestly, it felt like a major test for modern Filipino horror. In some areas, sobrang panalo but in others, may kulang talaga.
1. The Pocong Story
This first segment, the story of the seafarer and the Indonesian ghost, was the clear winner and the segment that truly delivered the terror. The tension was so claustrophobic and tense, especially dahil sa setting… being stuck on a ship far from home. It played brilliantly on the isolation and the unique fears of OFWs.
And here's why it hit different… This story was truly based on a real-life account! They even featured the actual person and his photo on screen at the end of the segment. That confirmed the true horror source and made the whole twist even more devastating. It proves that the KMJS team can deliver intense, emotional horror. If anything, this story deserved a full feature film! Sayang that it had to be condensed… it deserved more screen time!
2. The Berbalang Story
The second story, featuring the flesh-eating creature, felt like a showcase of technical skill. Wow, I genuinely appreciated the improvements in the screen effects and production quality! It's nakakatuwa makita how much Pinoy movie makers are leveling up, especially in creature design. Plus, getting to see the Berbalang - a less common myth from Mindanao… featured like this was interesting.
But here’s the thing… hindi naman talaga siya nakakatakot. The segment was visually compelling pero the pacing felt rushed and the storyline lacked the sustained dread that the first story had. It was entertaining to watch the visuals pero definitely not spine-chilling.
3. Sanib Adaptation
The third story, revolving around the character named Angel and the possession, had so much potential because it was based on one of KMJS's most famous TV features. I remember the original TV story about the guy named Angel and his potential exposure to dark rituals sa pamilya nila… that was truly horrifying because it was rooted in a real background.
The movie chose to take the concept of sanib and create a new, separate storyline. Maganda naman yung idea pero hindi rin nakakatakot ang buong segment. The tension completely broke during one scene… may part doon na biglang nagtawanan lahat ng tao sa sinehan! It was an awkward, unintentional comedic moment which completely took away the horror. While I understand they wanted to make their own version, it felt incomplete and I honestly wish they went for a deep dive into the real, dark life story of the original person.
Overall, the film was good for entertainment, especially if you appreciate the effort in Philippine cinematography. Pero if you went in expecting 3 paralyzingly scary stories, you'll be disappointed because the Pocong story did all the heavy lifting in terms of horror.
It just felt sobrang bitin because they were forced to condense 3 different, complex concepts into one movie. My biggest takeaway is that our directors should trust one truly strong story and dedicate a full feature film to it - like the Pocong segment!
