Movie Adventures

Directed by Yam Laranas
Written by Yam Laranas

Cast:
Carmina Villaroel
Marvin Agustin
Rhian Ramos
TJ Trinidad
Alden Richards
Barbie Forteza
Derick Monasterio
Lexi Fernandez
Louise delos Reyes
Renz Valerio
Ynna Asistio
Click here for the Synopsis

The Road is in a whole different league than other horror slash suspense-thriller films in the country. It might be weird, but I'll say it again and again - this is a horror flick that has a sense of art in it.

If you want a suspense-thriller film where you play the whodunnit game, this is not for you. Most viewers actually know who the culprit is halfway through. But this is not a movie of WHO, but WHY! If you are the type of person who thinks, wonders, asks while watching, then you are meant for this. And you will love The Road as much as I did.

The film is divided into three stories that are 12 years and ten years apart, all of which are in relation to the mysterious dirt road.

THE PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT

The Road has opened a whole new world to suspense-thriller movies in the country. Although there are many movies of similar type before, none has been as hyped and as fulfilling as this one. I say fulfilling because watching the movie made me feel proud that it is 100% Filipino made. Finally, a movie with no adverts and inserts of commercial goods.

It is very artistically made, and I commend Yam Laranas for creating a wonderful story. For every question you ask, it will be answered as the film progresses.

With the first story, your question would be what happened? What happened to the daughters of the grieving mother? What happened to the case that was unclosed for twelve years? What happened to the lone teenager who was missing, while the body of the two teenagers were found along the road? What happened to the blackened car found hidden in the trees by the side of the road.

Your questions will be answered at the second story, which depicted what happened to the two sisters. But the question now is: why? (Why would such a good looking guy be so creepy? LOL) Why did he kill the two girls? And why is it that he seems to do so in a loving manner?

Everything is answered at the third story, set ten years earlier than the second story.

What I love about The Road is its superb cinematography! The shots are dark and beautifully creepy. Just looking at the scene, you'll feel goosebumps. It's not a horror movie that shows too much blood and gore. It is so realistic, you'll feel it might happen to you. What could be scarier than that?

Another great thing about The Road is it has no shortage of excellent acting. Carmina Villaroel is a mother you would certainly be afraid of crossing. Her makeup-less, pale face and contorted expression was scary and ultimately believable.

Rhian Ramos is a superb actress as well. It was a no-nonsense acting that is free from conscious effort, unlike other actors of today. She was not concerned of how she looked like, nor if she had to drop facedown into the ground. Undboutedly, Rhian is one of the best actresses of today.

But what really stood out was Alden Richards! He was really a revelation. I haven't known him before the movie, but after the movie, I HAD to research who he was. For me, he deserves to win an acting award. No, not just an acting award but several acting awards.

I think he had the least lines in the film, maybe just two or three. But his actions said it all. His face is expressionless, his eyes are cold, his every move is deliberate. One look at him and you know: this young man is a cold-blooded killer.

The rest of the cast would not disappoint. Everyone knew their craft and played their roles well. Good job! Clap! Clap! Clap!

Finally, it was the director's sense of placing the beautiful and the grotesque side by side that made me say this film is a work of art. You can see the stark difference of the two because they are interwoven and exist together. One cannot be defined if the other is non-existent. Like night and day. Like love and hate.

I must say, Direk Yam Laranas, you are a genius!

What do you think? Does it deserve a score of 5 out of 5, or what?

2010

The film opened to an awarding ceremony. The chief of police is giving a medalion to one of his officers, albeit against his will. After the ceremony, a woman tried to approach the chief of police but he ignored her. The decorated asked what that was about and learned that the woman is the mother of two girls who disappeared 12 years ago. Curious, he asked his subordinate to check on the files of the case.

Later, three teens (Barbie Forteza, Lexi Fernandez, Derick Monasterio) went on a joy ride. Trying to steer clear of the police, they used an old road. What started as a joy ride ended up as their death ride, with a mysterious driverless car passing by them several times, and a freaky bloody figure appearing in the middle of the road. One of the teens calls her father for help and informed him of their location. But upon the father's arrival, accommodated by the police, at the location, only the dead body of two teens were found.

While searching for the missing teen, a decorated police officer (TJ Trinidad) stumbles upon the decayed body of a young woman. An unsolved case that happened 12 years ago in the very same road was then reopened.

1998

Twelve years back, two sisters got stranded in the road. Asking for help from a passerby proves detrimental to them as the weird teenager, named Luis, imprisoned them in his sinister-looking house. He tortures and beats up the youngest of the sisters (Louise delos Reyes), doing so in a brutal yet weirdly loving manner. His handsome, stoic faced reflected a cold-blooded murderer.

The eldest (Rhian Ramos) managed to escape, only to find the body of her sister in an open grave. Frightened and yet trying to stay alive, she tries to run away. But the young man was able to catch up with her using her fixed car. He hit her with the car, immobilizing the poor victim. With the same sure, calm actions as with killing the younger sister, the killer got out of the car and placed a plastic over the girl's head and tightened it around her neck. Leaving the girl to die inside the car that was pushed to the side of the road, the teenaged boy started an inferno.

1988

We are again taken 10 years back when the killer was just a boy (Renz Valerio). He lived with his strict mother (Carmina Villaroel) who locked him up in a cabinet whenever her lover visits or whenever she feels like it, and his kind preacher father (Marvin Agustin) who would not let him out of the house in the premise that sins are acquired outside of their abode. Two seriously demented parents produced an innocent yet equally demented son.

When a young laundry girl (Ynna Asistio) invited Luis to come out of the house and play with her, the boy was hesitant yet was unable to resist the temptation. As he was thoroughly enjoying his time, his sinister mom caught him. She fiercely beat the poor boy. The lanudry girl tried to intercept but she was pushed away with force, hitting her head in the process.

As blood gushed out of the unconscious girl's face, the mother felt no remorse - only that blood would stain and would dirty the floor. The young girl's dead body was stored in Luis' cabinet, where he frequently talked to her as if she was alive.

Pissed off at her and her family's meager existence and wanting to flee with her lover, Luis mother decided to leave her family behind. Upon learning of her plan, her husband tried to beg her out of it but she won't budge. Left with no choice, Luis father decided to kill his wife. Luis could not seem to register what has happened. He continued to "see" his mother and hear her scolding him. Trying to make his son realize that his mother is dead, Luis' father brought his son to an open grave, where Luis' mother lay.

Contrary to what his father expected, Luis still could not register his father's death. Luis was afraid of his mother and locked himself inside his cabinet as punishment for stepping out of the house. Trying to get his son out of the cabinet where he imprisoned himself, Luis' father found the body of their laundry woman. The next day, Luis found his father hanging from the ceiling, and yet he seemed unaffected at the sight. All mental pressure pushed him to the limit, making him feel no emotion but fear of his mother's ghost.

Present

Back to the present, the surviving teen was found, but she was angry and scared of the police. Screaming and kicking, she was brought out of the decrepit house where she was hiding. She could not to recognize her own father and was continuously asking for her sister.

Meanwhile, the investigating officer (TJ Trinidad) who found her was asked to go back inside the house by another police, as there was something weird about the old house. They found that there was a room that is still being used as of the present. The two officers went inside. The younger officer quickly noticed that there was a police uniform inside the room, and that there was a medal at the table. He concluded that the abductor, and possibly the primary suspect to the crime, is the decorated police officer who was with him. However, before he was able to react, Officer Luis was quick to hit him. In the same way as the killer placed a plastic back over one of the sisters several years ago, he placed a pillow case over his co-officer and strangled him with his belt.

Without so much as a glance back, he left the house. But the surviving teenager seemed to recognize him. It was then shown that the girl was actually possessed by the elder sister killed twelve years ago. Luis just gave her a creepy smile and left with his car, ignoring the calls of his superior.

The chief of police, noticing something weird about his officer, acted on his gut and pursued him.

In the middle of the mysterious dirt road, Luis stopped his car. He is shown pointing his own gun beneath his chin. Another look and it is shown that there is someone else in the car with him. It was his youngest sister. He muttered an apology for his mother and then fired the gun.

The young boy Luis is again shown, standing at the door of their house. Slowly but surely (and happily), he stepped out of the house and was free.


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