"Uninvited" [2024]

Film

Vilma Santos, Aga Muhlach,

Nadine Lustre

Written by: Dodo Dayao

Directed by: Dan Villegas

Mentorque Productions, Project 8 Projects

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RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5

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NO SPOILERS

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SYNOPSIS:

Lilia Capistrano seeks revenge on billionaire Guilly Vega for killing her daughter. Disguised as Eva Candelaria, she attends his party with a vengeful plan.

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It was quite a question for me how would a 71-year-old actress could perform in this type of genre, which requires some physical strength to do it? But after watching this film, it's clear that in her state, Vilma Santos could still do it. With such a stellar cast, Uninvited will not leave you shortchanged. They delivered what it needed to deliver, and the overall performance of the cast makes it an outstanding piece of art.

This is one of those movies when taking a toilet break would be considered a sin. Almost every scene was executed very well, and the flow of the story, despite frequent flashbacks, you'll still be able to follow through. I think the first 30 minutes of the film kept me on the edge of my seat, not knowing what would happen next. There were times that I caught myself needing to take deep breaths as my anxiety started to become apparent.

The cast was impeccable. This was Aga Muhlach and Nadine Lustre's best performance. Aga’s character as "Guilly Vega" was outstanding. He could be the most evil character but still has a charming smile that makes you uncomfortable. In contrast, Nadine Lustre's performance as "Nicole" was unlike anything I'd seen before. You don’t know whether to take pity on her or despise her, knowing that she’s also a part of the evil that was going on.

As for Vilma Santos? She ain't the Star for all Seasons for nothing. She portrayed "Lilia Capistrano" with such a balance between seeking vengeance and also understanding her limitations. Other notable performances include Gabby Padilla as "Lily" and RK Bagatsing as "Jigger".

The cinematography was great, the voiceovers were not overacted, and the lighting and sound were good too.

As much as I rave about this film, it still suffers from the common trope of having too much dialogue when a certain danger is coming. Like for crying out loud, save those tears for later! (Haha!). When this scene happened, it automatically reminded me that I’m still watching a Filipino film.

Even though I wasn’t able to see any much promotion for this movie, I think the fact that it is a Vilma Santos film is already a big reason why you shouldn’t miss this one. It was a collaborative effort, and everyone gave an exceptional performance. For me, this is a masterpiece.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVDE75afqdQ