It’s been 7 weeks since MMFF (Metro Manila Film Festival) had shown 9 highly acclaimed movies for the Movie Festival. It is also said that 2023 line up was the best since 2016.
One of the most talked about movie was the Piolo Pascual top-billed horror movie, Mallari which was based from the true story of the Catholic Priest slash serial killer, Juan Severino Mallari from Magalang, Pampanga whomst the Parish Priest of the town way back 1812.
The story started with a Mother and Son walking in a field at the middle of the night during 1800s until they passed by Padre Juan Severino not knowing that he has “bolo” with him and strike it to the Mother immediately. As she shouts for her son to run, the priest cut her stomach and pullout her flesh and that’s when the movie transitioned to the present, with a looked-alike of Padre Juan Severino Mallari, Jonathan Mallari, who has the rare talent of seeing vision of the past, from Spanish occupation to Japanese liberation where he meet another Mallari, John Rey. They are the two kin of Padre Mallari that can travel back and see how Padre Mallari became that kind of priest who’s in history, have killed 52 people which they claimed have done bad and unforgivable things that results for the priest to kill them. Not knowing that it is because of his unconditional love to his mother who are only living by consuming the human flesh. Reading the real story behind Mallari, the story of Padre Juan Severino Mallari was claimed to be the first case of Mental Illness. During his time, it is not yet a common word rather an illness. After his crime was found out, he was hanged and the rest is history.
Watching the movie, it will make you proud and amazed how rich the Philippine history is. Philippine Folklore was everyone’s childhood but now, it makes each and everyone curious how these kinds of story really do exist in real life. Some parts of the movie from John Rey to Jonathan was a product of the writer’s wide imagination and perspective, but learning more about Padre Mallari’s true to life crimes, it will also make you think that it is still possible to happen at the present time. An unconditional love will make us do impossible things, a love that makes us reach even the evil’s lair just to save our love one’s. To break even the curse to do what you believe is the right path to take. And to continue the wrong doings even if it means to kill.
“Mallari” has opened to only 50 or less cinemas on the first day of the festival, but was able to rise up to 100 plus cinemas because of the reviews and rage from the viewers, demanding it to be shown to almost every part of the country. It is good to see that the casual viewers are going back to cinemas to learn more about our history. The positive reviews and encouraging others to show more of these kinds of films will help not only the movie industry, but will also enrich the knowledge of our country’s rich history. Let’s continue to support local movies.
As of the writing, Mallari’s main actor Piolo Pascual won the Best Actor to MIFF (Manila International Film Festival) tie with Dingdong Dantes (Rewind), which was held in Los Angeles this month.
