Upstream celebrates its first anniversary with new offerings: Rabid and Benedetta

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Nov 12

Written By Ryan Oquiza

Upstream celebrates its first anniversary with new offerings: Rabid and Benedetta

Ryan Oquiza November 12, 2021, 1:30 PM

*Rabid* and *Benedetta* are among the upcoming films arriving in Upstream PH.

Upstream PH celebrates its first anniversary this November and is set to release a flurry of new local and international content.

The Philippine-based video on demand platform has seen steady growth over the past year. It now houses over 170 content titles and 3 million users. They lit up the screens of cinema-deprived moviegoers with international films such as F9, Nobody, The Croods, as well as local films such as Cleaners and Aswang.

Last June, as part of their Upstream Originals, they released Erik Matti’s raunchy romcom A Girl and a Guy, which became a huge success. It was subsequently picked up by Netflix and recently topped charts as the most viewed film in the country.

Now, Erik Matti is back in the director’s chair for the upcoming Upstream Original horror film Rabid which aims to capture the zeitgeist of the lockdown-ridden year. Shot entirely in Baguio, the film is a foray into the feelings of dread, helplessness, and insanity that engulfed Filipinos during the pandemic.

*Rabid* stars Jake Macapagal, Vance Larena, Ayeesha Cervantes, and Donna Cariaga.

The film places itself in the same realm of shows like Black Mirror and The Twilight Zone as it is split into four episodes entitled “Kami Lang Ba Pwede Malasin,” “HM,” “Shit Happens,” and “Iba Pa Rin Ang Karne.” Matti said that the film is his own version of a Shake Rattle and Roll film since he was never tapped to direct one before. Rabid is set to premiere on November 12.

On the international side, Upstream also plans on releasing Benedetta, the new Paul Verhoeven erotic drama that delves into the story of a lesbian nun set in the 17th century. It was one of the Palme d’Or competing films in the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. Benedetta will have its local release on November 17.

*Benedetta* marks Paul Verhoeven’s first feature film after 5 years since *Elle*.

Local titles arriving in Upstream include the teen romance flick Happy Times starring Ricci Rivero, Sharlene San Pedro, and Heaven Peralejo. The BL, or Boys Love, film Quaranthings starring Kyo Quijano and Royce Cabrera, and the high school-themed superhero film Ero starring Gabbi Garcia, Markus Peterson, and Alex Diaz.

Other films and shows joining the international catalogue of Upstream this year are: