August 5, 2022
Inspector Gabriela Isidro (Cara Gonzales) is currently heading the investigation of a series of grisly murders targeting women who were known sinners in the town of Sta. Monica. The victims were found hanging from a tree, with stigmata-like wounds on their hands and feet. Her beat partner Paeng Banez (Kier Legaspi) and the new parish priest, Fr. Ricardo Baltazar (Josef Elizalde) helped her probe for evidence.
Gabriela was under a lot of pressure from her superior (Lander Vera Perez) to solve the crimes. Was it Aling Mira (Raquel Monteza) a miserable old widow who mourned the suicide of her son when he found out his wife was a prostitute? Was it Bryan (Andrew Muhlach), the altar boy who had an affair with the wife of Julio (Jao Mapa)? Or could it be Victor Isidro (Fabio Ide), Gabriela's abusive husband who had affairs with several women?
Cara Gonzales has the co-lead role here as the main police investigator, but she was not given a chance to shine. Granted her character is a battered wife at home, and accused to have only gotten her position by being the daughter-in-law of the Congressman, she should have carried herself with more confidence at work to prove her worth. Instead, she was seen to be simpering, indecisive and fantasizing after the handsome young parish priest.
Because of his fair patrician looks, Josef Elizalde fit very well in roles of good boys whose innocent looks belie the sins that boiled inside him. His Fr. Ricardo had a tendency to be nosy, inquisitive and given to citing entire Biblical verses anywhere from Joshua to Galatians in English as his advice. Since his Vivamax debut, Elizalde had not been shy in baring his body, but it was this time playing a priest that he got to cavort with six ladies.
Aside from Gonzales, a whole bevy of Vivamax sexy beauties played the roles of the sinful victims. The list included Ava Mendez as the avaricious land grabber Ms. Jade, Rob Guinto as the adulterous Jasmine, Quinn Carillo as the prostitute Kriselda, Stephanie Raz as the talented church singer forced to become a mistress, and Kat Dovey as the drug addict Teresita, Gabriela's own sister. Needless to say, those after the pulchritude will get their fill.
Aside from Raquel Monteza, it was also interesting to see a number of former screen sirens who make their comeback here in mother roles, like Isadora (as the mother of Kriselda), Shirley Fuentes (as the mother of Emily) and former Ms. World Philippines Aurora Sevilla (as the mother of Fr. Baltazar). After a series of very small roles in earlier Vivamax films, good to see Kier Legaspi finally get more screen time here.
Even if the resolution was not exactly unpredictable, director GB Sampedro did well in throwing in a series of red herrings to confuse armchair detectives. In revelatory flashbacks, he also gave the killer an adequate backstory to explain the motives and the modus operandi. The acting and special effects could have been better, but Sampedro's effort to deliver a complex murder mystery with disturbing religious overtones is commendable. 5/10.
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