Review of THIRD EYE: Detour Into Disaster

February 27, 2014

"Third Eye" had such an eye-catching poster, I could not help but check it out.  Unfortunately, after viewing the film, this poster was probably already the most intriguing aspect about this whole film project.

Mylene is an optometrist who had an ability to see ghosts.  She suspects her husband Jimmy of infidelity. One day, she follows his car as he picked up a pregnant Janet and was bringing her to the province.  A detour on the main road caused them all to get lost in a desolate area in the mountains. There they encounter strange people who all want to kill them.

No amount of charisma of lead actress Carla Abellana (as Mylene) could save this film from the weak screenplay. I thought making Mylene an optometrist was a stroke of genius, but they did not make anything out of that.   In fact, even Mylene's ability to see ghosts hardly really mattered in the story.  They were in danger from actual killers, not ghosts. Abellana also made several unbecoming costume choices for Mylene, which was quite distracting.  The multiple scenes showing that Mylene did not ever wear a seat belt while driving in the city to the province was also distracting.

Ejay Falcon (as the philandering husband Jimmy) and Denise Laurel (as the very pregnant Janet) were unfortunately trapped in very poorly-written characters who were made to mouth vapid lines and made to do the most unbelievable scenes.  Jimmy had been mercilessly hacked by a bolo.  Denise had been slashed at the wrists to drain her blood.  Yet they were still able to get up and do so many things despite these near-fatal injuries.  

Camille Prats was miscast as the provincial woman Susan who wanted to revive her husband Cenon (Alex Medina) who had recently died.  It seems she was also influential among her neighbors, but we do not learn why.  What happened to their son Ramram? It was unfortunate that we were not given much background as to who these people were.  It would have been more interesting.

The scenes before the opening credits showing how Mylene's third eye was opened as a traumatized child were very well-done.  The creepy atmosphere was captured perfectly and the terrible images were rightfully disturbing.  The presence of Ms. Boots Anson Roa as Mylene's grandmother was a plus. They were already the best scenes in the whole running time of the film.  The rest of the film could not match the scariness and squeamishness of these first ten minutes.

The whole set-up of the scenes in the isolated barrio were very artificial.  The gray skin tone of the ghost made them obvious, not scary.  There were a few brilliantly-shot scenes such as Cenon's spirit standing separate from his zombie, and maybe a couple more.  But in general, there was a staged and fake feeling in the production that never drew us into the dread we were supposed to feel for Mylene and company. I felt quite disappointed after watching this film. 3/10.