June 19, 2024
They were just three women who were at the wrong place at the wrong time. Perfect girl Roni (Coleen Garcia) had been living a perfect life and was about to get married to her perfect boyfriend Jake (Kim Perez). Carefree girl Patricia (Faye Lorenzo) had just broken up with a bad boyfriend Paul (Bruce Roeland), who was still hounding her. Smart and serious girl Allyson (Sanya Lopez) was a popular vlogger who talked about feminist issues.
On different occasions, these three ladies had all fallen for the charms of Lucas (Xian Lim), a man they just randomly met. He gained their trust in one way or the other, and convinced them to get into his car with him. He offered them a drink from a flask he had in the glove compartment. When they came to, they found themselves in his house built in the middle of a dense forest. Lucas had brought them there so they can play his games.
Mark A. Reyes debuted as a director on television with "TGIS" (1995), and in feature films with "TGIS: The Movie" (1997). Since then, he had mostly done TV series, his most memorable recent work being on "Voltes V: Legacy" and its "Cinematic Experience" (2023). For "Playtime," Reyes mostly played with typical horror tropes to create the mood -- like remote location, dimly-lit surroundings, and, very prominently here, loud startling musical cues.
A surprising name among the writers is Dustin Celestino. He is known as a playwright for cerebral, thought-provoking one-act plays at the Virgin Labfest and for his directorial debut, "Ang Duyan ng Magiting," a bold, eloquently-written treatise on the country's political situation. Celestino makes a detour into shallower, less cerebral territory with "Playtime," co-writing with Noreen Capili ("Through Night and Day)" and Reyes about a power-tripping psychotic whose idea of fun and games is treating women like rag dolls and punching bags.
As in "UnTrue" (2019), Xian Lim looks at home in the horror and thriller genre, as his directorial efforts had all been in that direction. His movie-star looks can sweep ladies off their feet, yet those thick eyebrows can contort his face into a mask of evil. As the damsels in distress, Garcia, Lorenzo and Lopez went through all sorts of pain and emotions, as their characters desperately match wits with their deranged captor. This film may be uneven, and occasionally silly, but entertaining nonetheless, thanks to the commitment of the actors. 5/10.
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