QCinema 2024: Review of PHANTOSMIA: Smelling the Stench

November 10, 2024

On the remote island of Pulo, there was a penal colony overseen by Major Ramon Lukas (Paul Jake Paule). Not even 500 meters outside its rear gate, Narda (Hazel Orencio) had set up a store and restaurant which she ran together with her simpleton son Setong (Arjay Babon). She had a daughter Reyna (Janine Gutierrez) whom she adopted from a friend impregnated by an American. Soon, the unscrupulous Narda also sold Reyna as well.

Master Sergeant Hilarion Zabala (Ronnie Lazaro) had been a scout ranger and champion marksman all his life. One day, after witnessing a massacred village, he began to smell a very bad odor in his nose, even without anything causing it. This offensive odor soon also negatively affected his appetite. Dr. Valle (Lhorvie Nuevo), the patient counselor at the Army Hospital, diagnosed his condition as an olfactory hallucination, or phantosmia.

This latest film by slow-cinema auteur Lav Diaz is 246 minutes long, rather compact for his standard. His signature style is all there -- shot in black and white to avoid the distractions of color, very prolonged tracking shots of people walking in or out of a scene, scenes of fires burning in pitch darkness. The connection between the two disparate stories of Reyna and Zabala was clear and logical, even as their first scene together was only in the last hour.

Like his previous films, there was also a touch of the mystical in this one. In this case, it was the Haring Musang, the elusive king of the civet cats for which hunters gather yearly to hunt down. One of his devotees was the quirky poet Marlo (Dong Abay). He went to Pulo during hunting season, not to hunt, but to gain inspiration for his epic poem to the Haring Musang. Abay stole his every scene with his out-of-place outfits and passionate poetry recitations. 

Ronnie Lazaro is very much at home in the Lav Diaz milieu, effortlessly portraying this man who never realized he was traumatized by his past until he smelled its stench within himself. Not sure that hanky covering the nose was any help, but it was effective as a visual symbol. Hazel Orencio went strong to play heartless businesswoman Narda. Major Lukas is Paul Jake Paule's longest role in a Lav Diaz film, and he went all out perverse, corrupt and violent. 

Seeing a glamorous mainstream movie star Janine Gutierrez playing an abused character is jarring, and made her Reyna lot more pitiful. Toni Go played Zabala's daughter Aling who help her father despite being abandoned in the past. Her jump rope scene was cute and funny. Lhorvie Nuevo played the doctor (MD and PhD!) who came up with a radical management approach to put the traumatized man back into potentially traumatic situations. 

Lav Diaz tells about the insidious effects of violence when this was done in the line of duty -- in Zabala's case, as a scout ranger against rebels, or as a policeman against activists. Zabala was old-school, a stickler for rules, and he believed what he was doing was the right thing. It was his own mind who made him recognize how damaged a man he was. Unfortunately, he also realized that violence may only rely on more violence to achieve liberation. 8/10

QCinema 2024: Opening Film: Review of DIRECTORS FACTORY PHILIPPINES: Drama in Dapitan

November 9, 2024 

The QCinema International Film Festival is already on its 12th year this year. With "The Gaze" as its theme, it wants audiences to look at the human experience from different points of view, all captured and expressed through the medium of film. Running from November 8 to 17 at cinemas in Gateway, Trinoma, Shangri-la Plaza, and Powerplant Mall, this current edition has 55 full-length films and 22 short films, classified into 11 sections. 

In contrast with previous inceptions, the opening film this year is not a feature-length film. The organizers have decided to showcase a collection of four short films released under the collective title of "Directors Factory Philippines." The Directors Factory is an initiative of the Cannes Directors Fortnight that began in Taiwan in 2013, working with a chosen partner country to mentor 8 promising directors with their dream projects. 

The Philippines was chosen to be the partner country last November 2023. Four young Filipino filmmakers were chosen and partnered with fellow young filmmakers from other Asian countries (Malaysia, India, Cambodia, Singapore) to collaborate on writing and directing their short films, all set in Dapitan City. Their works had their world premiere at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight last May 2024, and now they just had their Philippine premiere.

"Cold Cut" was by Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan (Philippines) and Siyou Tan (Singapore). Joy (Claire Recososa Guantero) was falling in line to audition for a talent show being held in their neighborhood. However, she kept seeing a mysterious guy she knew as the Butcher (Noriel Tome Obnimaga) seemingly stalking her. This was the most abstract of the four shorts, as the viewer can give it whatever meaning. Personally, not to my liking. 4/10.

"Silig," by Arvin Belarmino (Philippines) and Lomorpich Rithy a.k.a. YoKi (Cambodia), is easily the easiest to connect with emotionally. Mamang (Sylvia Sanchez) was dying of cancer, so she asked her friend Sabina (Angel Aquino) to help her plan her cremation. It had two acclaimed actresses in the leads roles, and they knock the ball out of the park with their charming, bittersweet portrayals of two friends facing the inevitability of death. 8/10. 

"Nightbirds." by Maria Estela Paiso (Philippines) and Ashiok Vish (India), stood out because it had animated images of birds integrated with the live images. Ivy (Pokwang) was frustrated that her husband Rody (Arsenio Dagyawan) was losing money at cockfighting. A bird god known as the Tigmamanukan (Bob Jbeili) came down in human form to give Ivy her wings. The message of female empowerment was somewhere in there, but not too clear. 6/10.

"Walay Balay," by Eve Baswel (Philippines) and Gogularaajan Rajendran (Malaysia), had outstanding cinematography by Pao Orendain and music by Bullet Dumas. Yahaira (Shaina Magdayao) and her mother Norayda (Ruby Ruiz) had been displaced out of their homes by the Marawi conflict. Very arthouse in its look and storytelling style, the whole film felt cold and distant. The faces of Magdayao and Ruiz convey their characters' restrained anguish.  6/10

Review of WE LIVE IN TIME: Challenging Choices

November 6, 2024

Tobias Durand (Andrew Garfield) went to the store to buy a pen to sign divorce papers, but was struck by a car on his way back. The driver of the car was Almut Brühl (Florence Pugh), an acclaimed Michelin-rated chef. The two of them hit it off right away and they soon lived with each other. They had to contend a difficult problem before they had their daughter Ella (Grace Delaney), but this was going to haunt them back again later.

Over the years, there had been plenty of films that tackled a romantic relationship which was affected by a difficult and terminal disease. One of the most popular movies in the 1970s was "Love Story," also one of the highest-grossing films of all time adjusted for inflation. Despite its lead stars, this new one, directed by John Crowley, director of Oscar Best Picture nominee "Brooklyn" (2015), may likely not reach pop culture icon status like the former. 

"We Live in Time" is different because it told its love story in a non-linear manner. It shows episodic highlights of their relationship in a seemingly random order. While this may be an interesting concept on paper, the build-up of the story to its inevitable conclusion felt diminished. The pace is slow, with only one scene with heightened emotion.  If not for the talent and charisma of its lead stars, Crowley risked losing some of his viewers midway.  

Andrew Garfield played the goofy salesman Tobias, who had a generally positive outlook in life. He had a great sense of humor, not even averse to running to a store across the bridge only dressed in bathrobe. Once the two of them were living together, Tobias is more of a reactive character to what was happening to Almut. He let his wife make important decisions about her body and life even if he thought otherwise, and supported her all the way. 

Florence Pugh played the plucky chef Almut, who, like her rare Germanic name implied, had a "noble spirit." She chose the treatment option that will still allow her to have a child, at great risk for her own recovery. She chose to pursue one last stab at glory in her career, unbeknownst to her family, despite her deteriorating health. Pugh's method-acting highlight was that moving scene when Tobias and Ella were cutting Almut's hair for real. 7/10

VMX: Mini-Reviews of KRISTA, DONSELYA, BALIGTARAN

November 1, 2024

DONSELYA

Director: Christopher Novabos

Writer: Byron Bryant

Joaquin (Arnold Reyes) had a flat tire on a remote provincial road near the house of Benicio (Allan Paule) and Rosa (Tanya Gomez). While Benicio helped fix the tire, 50-year old Joaquin noted their beautiful 18-year old daughter Iris (Dyessa Garcia) and fell in love at first sight. Joaquin was so smitten that he was willing to pay up to P10M in order to marry her. His only condition was that Iris had to be a virgin. 

This film was notable for its well-blocked and well-photographed scenes. care of director Novabos and his cinematographer Alex Espartero. The storyline was predictable. The ending was too rushed, over-the-top, and inexplicable in the legal context, which was unfortunate. Dyessa Garcia did well in her first starring role. Arnold Reyes had a strong screen presence. Tanya Gomez stole the show with her hilarious portrayal of mommy Rosa's greed. 6/10

BALIGTARAN

Director: Aya Topacio

Writer: Quinn Carrillo

Kat (Apple Dy) was the star DJ of "The Pink Room," a club owned by Ace (Calvin Reyes). Denise (Skye Gonzaga) was Ace's friend with benefits, who was also getting attracted to Kat's looks and talent. One night, Denise defended Kat from a drunk guy who was getting fresh. When Denise asked Kat why she froze up when the guy harassed her, Kat admitted a traumatic experience that made her afraid of men. 

Director Aya Topacio made her feature film directorial debut in 2024, with "Mahal Ko and Mahal Mo,' followed by "Throuple," now this one. A clear central theme in all three of her movies was a lesbian love affair between the two lead female stars.  There is always a male character in between them, but he was just the cog that made the girls realize what they really wanted. Dy and Gonzaga portrayed their parts well, as Reyes was weak, expectedly. 3/10

KRISTA

Director: Sid T. Pascua

Writer: Quinn Carrillo

Makoy (Karl Aquino) worked as one of the men of cockpit owner Samuel (Elmo Elarmo). His wife Krista (Cess Garcia) earned extra cash selling snacks during cockfights. One day, Makoy lost a lot of money by making a huge losing bet, so he stole one of Samuel's prize fighting cocks. Fellow employee Diego (JD Aguas) witnessed this theft, and, wanting to gain favor from his boss for past misdeeds, ratted on Makoy. 

Cess Garcia did not play this title character well, likely a direction issue. Her face was constantly in a scowl, not a good look for her. She had a crying scene where she went full-on hysterical, too over-the-top. Aquino is another plus-sized leading man (after Josef Elizalde), but acting-wise he was not ready yet for this lead role. In contrast, Zsara Laxamana only had a minor role of a prostitute Mikay, but her natural acting was a stand-out. 2/10

Prime Video: Review of NOKTURNO: Death at the Door

October 31, 2024

One night, Joana (Bea Binene) made her way to a nearby motel where she was going to meet up with her boyfriend Manu (Wilbert Ross). They were planning to go to Manila to get away from her mother Lilet's (Eula Valdez) oppressive superstitious beliefs about mysterious beings who came knocking at doors and cause death when allowed to enter. When Manu left her alone to buy some food, Joana began to hear someone knocking on her room's door. 

This is the second horror film that acclaimed director Mikhail Red did with popular actress Nadine Lustre after "Deleter" (2022), the top box office hit and Best Picture of the Metro Manila Film Festival that year. Oddly, their second project together was released direct to streaming on Amazon Prime Video, on October 31, just in time for Halloween, when many Filipinos look for scary movies to watch. By 9 pm, it already hit #1 on the local charts.

Lustre played Lilet's eldest daughter Jamie, who defied her mother's efforts to keep her family together and instead went abroad to work. When she came home after something untoward happened to her sister Joana, she was still at odds with her mother's beliefs about this curse on their family. Youngest sibling Julius (JJ Quilantang) was loyal to his mother and believed everything she said, yet he also agreed to go visit Manila when Jamie invited him.

Lustre's acting talent has not lost its luster even though she had been inactive on the big screen since "Deleter." Eula Valdez remains to be a powerful screen presence even when her time onscreen was relatively short. Veteran character actor Ku Aquino gave a sincere portrayal of Lilet's brother Jun. Young Quilantang held his own among his senior co-stars. Even Wilbert Ross overcame his usual comic persona to give a creditable dramatic turn. 

The technical aspects of this film were topnotch as with other Mikhail Red works. The clean and crisp cinematography of Ian Alexander Guevara, the eerie production design of Ana Lou Sanchez, the musical scoring of Myka Magsaysay and Paul Sigua -- all deserve commendation for creating the unnerving atmosphere. The design of the "Kumakatok" with his tall height, flowing black cloak and gnarly hands, also worked well in this regard.

However, despite all of this high production values, I felt a problem in the storytelling -- from the screenplay by Nikolai Red and Rae Red to the overall direction of Mikhail Red. In spite of the fact that the movie ran only for 1 hour and 20 minutes, it felt much longer than that. The reason why Lilet's family was targeted by the Kumakatok was not even clear to me. The pace was too slow, building up to nothing much, until that abrupt let-down of an ending. 6/10. 

 

Review of NANAY, TATAY: A Daughter's Death

October 31, 2024

One year ago, Malena Imperial (Elia Ilano), a sweet girl who loved the color pink and played the piano very well, suddenly collapsed and died during her 13th birthday party.  Her parents, Lino (Jeffrey Hidalgo) and Amanda (Andrea del Rosario), had been mourning the death of their only daughter ever since. Retired physician Amanda was especially affected, as memories of her dear departed Malena still haunted her everyday. 

One night, the couple encountered three young ladies on the street, running away from  someone. The girls --  Bettina (Aubrey Caraan), Paula (Heart Ryan) and Olive (Xia Vigor) -- claimed that just escaped from a criminal syndicate. Taking pity on them, Amanda offered the three to go home with them, which the three accepted right away. The next morning, Amanda asked them if they would like to stay and become their daughters.  

This new Filipino horror film was written and directed by Roni S. Benaid. All of Benaid's previous feature films were in the horror genre -- "Poon" (2018), "Mary Cherry Chua" (2023) and "Marita" (2023). Like in his last two films which I watched, Benaid relied mainly on loud blasts of creepy music and sudden startling sound effects to cause jump scares. But he did have some good scares, like Paula's shower scene where the audience reacted most.

Benaid's screenplay actually had a number of good twists, not just one, and this kept the story interesting and unpredictable. A questionable plot point, like why did the three girls automatically agree to go home with the Imperials that first night, was actually explained by one of the twists.  A plot twist which they spoiled with dialog, like why did Lino cremate Malena first before bringing her home to Amanda, was actually a red herring for a bigger twist.

Acting-wise, Caraan tended to be too chill, Ryan tended to overact, Vigor tended to be too cutesy. Del Rosario and Hidalgo did well giving their roles enough air of uncertain mystery so as not to give the whole plot away. Elia Ilano was such a brave child actress to portray a role like Malena which required her to go into Linda Blair territory and beyond. I hope she was properly debriefed by a child psychiatrist after shooting those gnarly scenes.  6/10

Review of PASAHERO: Injustice to the Ignored

October 30, 2024

One night, there were eight people riding on the last trip of the MMR train. They were: popular IG artist Angel (Bea Binene), whitening soap sales agent Tina (Katya Santos) and her daughter Belle (Dani Zee), boxing coach Tom (Mark Anthony Fernandez), film students Alvin (Keann Johnson), his girlfriend Drea (Yumi Garcia) and his best friend Martin (Andre Yllana), and department store salesgirl Michelle (Louise delos Reyes).

A creepy guy came on the train at one stop and sat beside Michelle. When she got nervous and moved to the next train car, the guy stood up and followed her. Seeing that that car was completely empty, the guy accosted Michelle and sexually assaulted her. The poor girl was screaming for help the whole time, but everyone in the next car were paralyzed with fear. No one dared to step up and rescue Michelle from her dire plight.

This was one of the eight horror films (only two Filipino films) included in the Halloween-themed "Sine Sindak" film festival in various SM mall cinemas. Each film in the festival only costs P150 per ticket, but a viewer can watch more than one film with a day pass that costs only P300 each. The only disadvantage is that each film only gets shown once a day, so the film you want to see may not be showing when you have the free time.  

Writer Juvy Galamiton chose to go the common "vengeful ghost" route here, as the wrathful spirit of Michelle haunted the seven people to failed to come to her aid that night. Like the usual trope, the cowardly seven were picked off to die one by one. It was not clear why Michelle was punishing some people more severely than others. It was not clear why the most shocking and gory death scene was given to the least guilty of them all. 

To add more horror scenes, Angel was given a terrifying experience in her past which can ruin anybody's childhood. Presently, she was also battling her fears if she should help a neighbor girl Abi (Tep Tep Pineda) being abused by her parents. Tom was too permissive on his spoiled son Nico (CJ Barinaga) and his addict boxer Raymond (RS Magtaan), both of which led to violent outcomes, but he was not given much of a backstory to flesh out his personality.

Bea Binene did her best to liven up her scenes as the lead character Angel. Katya Santos played comic relief at first, but what Tina was doing was not really funny. Yumi Garcia and Keann Johnson were effectively over-the-top as Drea and Alvin, which begged the question why the one left behind to help Angel had to be Andre Yllana's Martin. Yllana's unfortunate portrayal of Miguel was boring and lifeless, with his face remaining numbingly flat.

Cult director Roman Perez, Jr. had shots on the train where the background looked as if there were evil eyes, creating an atmosphere of eerie excitement.  Perez was very imaginative in how he composed his shots during the climactic third act, but those familiar with the Caloocan City Hall complex will recognize where those scenes were shot. To evoke real-life horror of its premise, Perez mixed in CCTV footage of ongoing crimes where no one helped. 6/10. 

Netflix: Review of WOMAN OF THE HOUR: Kendrick's Keenness

October 25, 2024

Cheryl Bradshaw (Anna Kendrick) was an aspiring actress who was having a hard time to get a break in Hollywood. One day in 1978, she accepted a gig to be a contestant on the TV game show "The Dating Game" hosted by Ed Burke (Tony Hale). Cheryl thought the scripted questions were beneath her intelligence, so she decided to go off script. Bachelor 3 gave the best answers, so Cheryl chose him to win. His name was Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto).

One remarkable fact about "Woman of the Hour" was that this was Anna Kendrick's debut as a feature film director. Over the years since we first saw her in "Twilight" (2008) as one of Bella's friends, Kendrick stood out among the young actresses of her generation. She earned an Oscar nomination for her acting in "Up in the Air" (2009). She impressed us with her singing in "Pitch Perfect" (2012) and even had a #6 hit on the Hot 100 with "Cups" in 2013.

This was a solid directorial debut for Kendrick. She chose to tell the story of notorious 1970s serial killer Rodney Alcala in a non-linear order. From the first scene, we already see Rodney charm a girl by taking photos of her, before killing her in cold blood.  Since we already knew his face and slick deceptive modus, Kendrick made it very unnerving for us to watch him make his move of various vulnerable girls, knowing how these encounters would end.

Anna Kendrick's acting turn as Cheryl was very much in the familiar vein of smart and sassy characters we know and like her for.  Cheryl could have been an older version of Jessica from "Twilight" or Beca from "Pitch Perfect" as she rattled her bachelors and the emcee with her rapid-fire questions and off-the-cuff rebuttals. Thanks to Kendrick's directorial eye, that scene of Cheryl and Rodney walking in the parking lot was a intense highlight of suspense.

Daniel Zovatto pulled off playing both a cool guy with a gift of gab and name-dropping, and a creepy guy who made your hair stand on end.  Tony Hale's Ed Burke seemed to be based on the way TV host Jim Lange looked, dressed, and probably behaved. Nicolette Robinson's Laura could've been a key witness if only police took her seriously. Denalda Williams's makeup artist Marilyn secretly supported Cheryl for going against the misogynistic grain. 7/10

 

Review of FRIENDLY FIRE: Trash-Talk Tilt Tactics

October 24, 2024

E-sport Project Xandata, is about to have its Grand Prix in Hong Kong soon. However, the Philippine's leading team, Team Isla, had just lost its star player Adrian Go aka Reaper (Jan Silverio). Isla's Team manager Sonya Wilson (Coleen Garcia-Crawford) was impressed with the game play of Hazel Sales aka Kaya (Loisa Andalio) and recruited her. At first, she had a hard time gelling with teammates Von (Yves Flores) and Ryan (Harvey Bautista).

Ever since she graduated from high school, Hazel had been working at the internet cafe called Clicktopia, where she also honed her skills playing Xandata. She was first introduced to the game by her elder brother Aero (Jon Lucas), who was currently in prison. Her mother Emma (Liza Dino) depended on Kaya for cash, which she spent on her drinking vice. One night, she scored a one-shot, double-kill in a game against Team Isla, which Sonya happened to see.

Earlier this year in January, there had already been a local film about e-sports, Prime Cruz's "GG (Good Game)," and now we have another one. Like the first film, despite the fact that the players were all just sitting on their PCs and clacking on their keyboard and clicking on their mouse, this Mikhail Red film was exciting and fun, with excellent editing and music of its game play, and energetic commenting by the players and announcers. 

This may not have a big star like Donny Pangilinan in the lead role like "GG," however, this one was not any less engaging to watch. One of the housemates of Pinoy Big Brother in 2014, Loisa Andalio finally plays the lead in a feature film again since "Hospicio" (2018). Andalio gave this one her all acting-wise, playing frank and sassy Hazel with a lot of heart. We do root for her and her team, even if you already have an idea who will win from the start. 

Coleen Garcia's Sonya stood out, but not exactly in a good way. With her glamourous look, aloof personality and English-speaking ways, she did not look like she belonged in the e-sports arena at all. A flashback montage about her past could have helped us understand Sonya more as a character. While her advocacy to get government support for e-sports as a legitimate sport is admirable, her cliched motherhood statements don't motivate much. 

The film espouses three rules for team-play in e-sports: trust your teammates, never get tilted, and play to win. The second one contains a word that may be new to Gen X'ers or those not into gaming. Tilting means getting too angry or emotionally-frustrated during a game, such that you lose focus on the goal. Getting the opponent tilted is the aim of trash-talking. These are valuable life lessons that apply to all situations where we need to work with a group. 7/10. 

Review of VENOM: THE LAST DANCE:

October 22, 2024

On planet Klyntar, powerful Knull sent out his symbiote army all over the universe to search for a key needed to set him free -- the Codex. Meanwhile, fugitive duo Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and his symbiote partner Venom wind up in Area 51 a few days before it is decommissioned by the US government. Army General Rex Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and scientist Dr. Payne (Juno Temple) now have them where they want them. 

Ever since struggling journalist Eddie became the host of symbiote Venom, the two of them developed a love-hate relationship that eventually evolved into a close but chaotic friendship.  When the boisterous Venom took over Eddie's body, he not only gets superhuman strength, but also a wacky personality with all his hilarious zingers and insults. Their hilarious repartee was what made the Venom films a lot of fun, even if they were messy to watch. 

Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock looks much older and quite grizzled already this time around.  Hardy spent a lot of energy portraying this exhausting double role of host and symbiote physically and voice-wise, but it looks like he had a great time doing it and his infectious enthusiasm affects us all who are watching him. He made Brock and Venom a very likable team, and is the main reason why this trilogy remained so popular despite middling reviews from film critics. 

Kelly Marcel debuted as a screenwriter with "Saving Mr. Banks" (2013), and followed that up with the adaptation of "Fifty Shades of Grey" (2015). She had risen from the ranks in the Venom film franchise, from co-writer of "Venom" (Ruben Fleischer, 2018), to solo writer of "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" (Andy Serkis, 2021). In this third film of the trilogy, Marcel not only wrote the screenplay, but she also directs it -- her directorial debut. 

There were the funny action scenes we love them for, from fighting Mexican dognappers to surviving an attack on an airplane in flight. There was the requisite silly scene with Mrs. Chen (Peggy Lu), but not in her store this time. However, the big climactic fight scene in Area 51 had full-on destructive force, but Marcel still managed to imbue the scene with much heart. Extra scenes mid-credits and end-credits promise bigger adventures ahead of our manic alien friend. 7/10

Review of SMILE 2: Grimmer Grinning

October 21, 2024

Pop singer Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) was making a comeback in the concert scene months after a traumatic vehicular accident that also killed her boyfriend. Unbeknownst to her mother/manager Elizabeth (Rosemarie DeWitt), Skye was secretly still taking Vicodin for her back pains. She went to her drug addict friend Lewis (Lukas Gage) to buy her stash. However, Lewis was acting all crazy, until he killed himself with a barbell weight in front of Skye. 

This new film is a direct sequel of the 2022 sleeper horror hit about a deadly curse (marked by a crazy smile on his face) passed from one victim to the next one who witnesses his death. At the end of the first "Smile," policeman Joel witnessed the suicide of her cursed girlfriend Rose, so he got the curse. At the start of this "Smile 2," Joel was able to pass the curse before he died, which was how Lewis had the curse that he then passed on to Skye. 

This sequel was again written and directed by Parker Finn, which was why everything stayed true to the original. Finn also brought back basically the same creative team who worked on the first film with him. so the eerie atmosphere was recreated to a T. Cinematography was also by Charlie Sarroff and the suspenseful editing by Elliot Greenberg. Musician Cristobal Tapia de Veer also had to come up with Skye's concert songs with pretty good beats. 

Naomi Scott had quite a challenge playing a pop superstar struggling to recover from a dark episode of her life. Now that the curse was passed unto Skye, Scott had to undergo the whole ordeal of this mercurial entertainer slowly beginning to lose her grasp of what was real and what was illusion. Scott's portrayals of hysteria and paranoia were so convincingly real, which added much to the dramatic and fear quotients of this film. 

The gore level of this sequel was more intense than the first film, although I am not really a fan of extreme gore. Among the best scenes for me include the one when the teleprompter malfunctioned when Skye was speaking onstage at a charity event, and the one when Skye was terrorized by her backup dancers all with sinister smiles on their faces. The "Little Shop of Horrors"-like ending has given this franchise a potentially more epic future ahead. 7/10.