What makes a horror flick engaging and thrilling

What does one look for or watch out for in any horror film?

The answers may vary, and they are valid. But top of mind, perhaps, is the scary story that should hold the viewer’s attention from start to finish. It can explore some folk tale or kwentong bayan or a familiar event reported in various sources of information.

Characters should be faultless or flawed. They have to be relatable. A piece of them reminds one of someone familiar or even oneself. This, along with their explicit and implicit intentions, should contribute to the scary and spooky feel and atmosphere of the movie. From there, they can be easily classified as allies or foes.

The personal, including the background of the characters, marred by a childhood experience and past, can also intersect with the supernatural. Their true colors, such as psychological fears and motives, can be revealed as the story progresses, whether it follows the linear or non-linear flow of events.

Whose perspective the story will revolve around should also be clear even if it is multi-character or the protagonist belongs to a cohort.

Since it’s about moving images, the camera shots and movements should bring the story close to the audience watching it. Frames and snapshots let viewers get to know the characters’ trains of thoughts and personalities and carry them in a temporal timeline.

Even if the movie is set, let’s say, in the dark with minimal light, the characters should still be seen, and their feelings of fear and uncertainty must be sensed.

The sound and the sight must be crisp, while the music complements the terrifying and terrible feeling and situation the dramatis personae are in. These should come together for an immersive cinematic experience.

With that, the GMA Pictures and Mentorque Productions venture, “Huwag Kang Titingin,” ticks the items of an entertaining and engaging movie for across generations, especially the young people who are interested in technology and social media and want to document something.  It’s nice to ponder upon the potential of being tech-savvy to unleash and communicate with supernatural beings and prevent them once they shake the peace the living should be enjoying.

Directed by Frasco Mortiz, “Huwag Kang Titingin” features Sofia Pablo, Allen Ansay, Charlie Fleming, Marco Masa, Kira Balinger, Michael Sager, Sean Lucas, Josh Ford, Anthony Constantino and Shuvee Etrata.

The creative producer and screenwriter is Ays De Guzman.

The movie is easy to follow even if scenes are told as events that have already taken place or are happening. It has a “timestamp” to keep the viewers on the same path.

The first set of scenes has presented the cause, the conflict, as well as the consequence to be explored in the story. The movie title, “Huwag Kang Titingin,” is a warning for the characters and a statement that the viewer should keep to figure out who among them did break the rule while doing a ritual that invoked and called the presence of the One Who Lurks or Umaaligid. The latter, as an antagonist, has allies who pretend to be nice and caring. A person should have a good sense of reading and masking people even if one considers them family.

I like how local traditions, such as the procession and festival for the patron saint of wandering souls, and the colonial history of a remote town have been incorporated in the thrilling horror story. Some people may use them to hide their true identities and intentions. The concept of alay or offering is a vital part of the story, and it reminds me of the “Aswang” episode in “Shake, Rattle & Roll II,” starring Manilyn Reynes and Richard Gomez as the perceived, innocent victim and the knowledgeable savior and caring regular guy, respectively.

There are also points in the movie where some characters make commentary about the film genre and the fate of characters. It somehow gives one, as part of the conversations, the feel of “breaking the fourth wall” and reminds viewers that this is reel, not real. It makes the viewer laugh and take a momentary break from the scary and intense storyline.

Please watch the movie, “Huwag Kang Titingin” in cinemas nationwide.