Espantaho (2024)
While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...
The more entries I see from the Metro Manila Film Festival, the more I question its selection process. Espantaho may feature a good performance from Judy Ann Santos, but best visual effects? Best screenplay? Did we see the same film? This horror movie offers few genuine scares, serves up a muddled mythology and the twists are obvious… until the end, when we get a bombshell revelation no one could ever see coming because it makes no sense.
Following the death of her father, Monet (Judy Ann Santos) must host the customary nine days of mourning that accompany the funeral. The rituals are interrupted when Adele (Chanda Romero) and her children, Andie (Janice de Belen) and Roy (Mon Confiado), arrive. Adele is the late Pabling’s wife. As such, she and her children are the rightful heirs to Monet’s home and possessions. Meanwhile, a strange painting of a field recently brought into the home summons a ghostly scarecrow.
What this film does well is set up a sturdy plot and then throw this supernatural element on top. With the drama surrounding Monet, her relationship with her mother, Rosa (Lorna Tolentino), the funeral rituals and the situation with Pabling’s legal wife, a lot is happening. Adele holds a grudge against her “ex-husband” (they weren't legally divorced) but he’s not around anymore, so she’s taking it out on Monet and her son, Keith (Kian Co) by threatening to take away their home. Normally, Monet would have Keith’s father, Jack (JC Santos) to help her, but he’s away to look after his other son – a child he had with his wife before he left (without divorcing) for Monet. It’s no wonder the scarecrow's attacks go unnoticed for as long as they do with all this going on.
But you didn’t tune into this movie for the drama; what you’re interested in are the scares. You’ll be disappointed. At best, viewers might be slightly disturbed or grossed out by some of the vermin-filled attacks the scarecrow unleashes upon his victims. There’s no tension because the story’s rules aren’t established. Obviously, the monster’s attacks are related to the painting, but what does it want? How does it pick who’s next? We never find out. I'm not even sure what the scarecrow does to people now that I think of it.
Another major flaw with the film is the screenplay by Chris Martinez. I’m almost certain that it’s supposed to be obvious that Rosa is a ghost but towards the end of the movie, Monet is shocked when the medium she’s consulting reveals this to her. She didn't realize this earlier? Not when her father was on his deathbed? Now when no one else acknowledged Rosa? Not when she didn't lift a finger during her partner’s funeral? As we learn the backstory of the painting that’s unleashing the evil, you’ll react with a big “so what?” because ultimately, there’s little that’s original or innovative here and it's almost as if this twist was added to distract you from this truth.
The most memorable scene – and the only reason anyone would ever remember this movie - comes right at the end. We know the painting is evil and that the scarecrow’s attacks are connected to it. How do we stop those attacks? You have to kill the person who brought the painting into the house, which happens to be Jack. Here’s where the twist comes in. Jack knew the painting was cursed. He brought it into the home in the hopes that the malevolent spirit within would kill Monet, Adele and her children. His son, meanwhile, would be protected by an amulet he wears. Why? So HE would inherit the home and all of Pabling’s property. This is not something Jack cooked up spontaneously, either. We find out that he only started courting Monet so that, one day, he could put his name on her father's land. Keep in mind that they have a son who must be at least 8 years old and that he didn’t get Monet pregnant on their first date; he’s been cooking up this scheme for what has to be a decade. Dude. There HAD to be an easier way to do this. I can’t even count the number of things that could’ve gone wrong with this plan. It’s such a flimsy agenda that you can’t quite believe what you just heard.
Even before the ludicrous conclusion, Espantaho won’t be impressing anyone. The special effects are passable at best, the scares are weak and the writing is worse. I can’t even say that it’s interesting to watch as a way to see some of the Filipino customs at play. Espantaho never becomes boring and it has a good setup, but those aren’t enough. (Original Tagalog with English subtitles, August 22, 2025)
