‘Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B’ REVIEW: Feastin’ on the flesh with folklore made fresh
‘Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B’ REVIEW: Feastin’ on the flesh with folklore made fresh
Jewel (Ryza Cenon) sits on the couch in Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B. Photo from the film’s IMDB page.
Horror in Philippine cinema has featured local folklore and mythology in rural settings. Stories about mythological creatures are told on screen time and time again. However, it’s when the storytellers take a piece of tradition and reinvent what’s expected, such as placing them in a modern setting to push the narrative forward, elevate the genre, and provide something fresh.
In the case of Alyx Ayn Arumpac’s 2019 documentary, Aswang, about former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, the concept of the Aswang paints the creature’s violent acts as a metaphor for the unjust killings of Filipinos. On the other hand, the Netflix animated series, Trese, based on the Filipino komik series, sets Philippine mythology as a neo-noir crime story, having Alexandra Trese as a hard-boiled detective solving cases of creatures as criminals walking amongst us.
Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B, directed by Prime Cruz, follows Jewel (Ryza Cenon) as a lonely woman of mystery living alone in an apartment. When the night comes, her social endeavors take a sinister turn when she transforms into a Manananggal, feasting on the men she meets after partying hard in clubs. Enter Nico (Martin del Rosario), who just moved into Jewel’s apartment building and is lonely after getting heartbroken by his ex-girlfriend. Jewel then faces the dilemma of learning to love Nico or save him from her battles with who she truly is.
As an avid fan of horror films, whether it’d be your run-on-the-mill slasher hack n’ slash fest, a psychological thrill ride, or even a supernatural horror affair, there’s always a place for reinvention in the genre and something that hasn’t been done before. Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B’s sensual romance offers something fresh, leaning towards the flesh as a representation of intimacy and longing in the form of people masquerading as lonely creatures of the night.
It’s a reflection of people who just want a connection but are seen as flesh-eating creatures who are out in the wild, ready to hunt their prey. It’s a reminder of how we only crave intimacy and human connection, thus, making the romantic nature of the film a logical one. In typical Prime Cruz fashion, we meet two strangers whom we seem to grow a connection with, however, this time around, the other half of the pairing is a Manananggal.
Nico (Martin del Rosario) sleeps while Jewel stands near him in Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B. Photo from the film’s IMDB page.
Ryza Cenon’s depiction of loneliness as Jewel may reflect on how she presents herself when people are watching. She’s usually quiet and observing from a distance. This is the perfect formula for a cunning horror movie villain and we, as the audience, know she is the suspect in the recent crimes of men getting impaled at night. But the characters in the film aren’t fully aware of who Jewel truly is. Cenon’s performance can be attributed to the film’s primary strength. Without her, the film may fall apart completely, as it can be a daunting task for a protagonist, who also plays a double role as antagonist, to have the audience get behind.
Moreover, it’s quite timely for the film to be released in 2016, during the war on drugs in the Philippines. The political undertones in the film are a message about the state of the milieu, but the film doesn’t shy away from making it feel obvious. In her killings, Jewel writes on the placards beside the victims, “Huwag tularan, Pusher ako,” which becomes this obvious social commentary on the drug-centered killings in the country.
Nico stares at the fishbowl while Jewel gazes at him in Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B. Photo from the film’s Official Trailer.
However, this is where the film may suffer from striking a chord with its aesthetic and visual motifs. While the film has its visual voice with its cinematography, especially in the scenes that capture the quiet night and the vivid noise in clubs, it can get lost in the shuffle when it comes to fully pushing the narrative forward.
The film starts with already establishing Jewel as this flesh-eating creature in disguise, but the film also ends with no clear direction or payoff. It also struggles to find a balance between a romance, horror, and drama film. Maybe it’s just me nitpicking the film’s runtime, as there’s still room for the film to focus on character rather than banking on style over substance. There is a potential that remains unfortunately untapped.
Placing the Manananggal character in the form of a lonely (and horny) Millennial woman living in the city is a breath of fresh air.—I’m all in for horror reinventions such as this. This is a film that warrants a sequel or a film of the same vein, at least.
Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B was screened in the ENLIGHTEN: The IdeaFirst Film Festival.
