Yesterday I finally watched this movie that had been on my to-watch list for a while. By the way, it's quite an old Filipino movie—probably a decade old now, but I just encountered it lately. This month is the month for our language, so I was quite inspired to review movies from our country, and this will be the first one I'll share with you. The synopsis I read really intrigued me because there's something grim about it, and I'm not wrong. So now join me as I share with you the story of two people who seem different, yet in the end they'll discover that they're too alike to be together.
Silong is a romantic thriller movie that was released way back in 2015. This is an hour-and-a-half movie directed by Jeffrey Hidalgo and Roy Sevilla Ho. So this movie follows the story of Miguel Cascarro, a doctor who's still mourning for his late wife. Since he can't let go of anything that's connected to his wife, he spends time dealing with creditors to save the house that's filled with their memories together. However, his life took a sudden turn when he found Valerie, a severely injured woman, on the road. Out of pity, he decides to treat her wounds and take care of her.
Running away from her abusive husband, Valerie begged Miguel to let her stay until she was fully recovered, which he reluctantly agreed to. Days passed, and their familiarity with each other grew. A new relationship started to grow, but just when everything became sweet—a hint of bitterness appeared. Odd events began to unfold, and those consequently lead to much bigger revelations—shocking truths that they didn't know about each other. And indeed, no good thing last forever.
I didn't expect the plot twist! I already felt that there would be one coming because a successful romance in a thriller movie is too good to be true. Plus, there's mystery in its genre, so I know there would be revelations. I tried to foresee when it would be revealed, but my guess didn't mark the bullseye. I was shocked by how it ended because it's so satisfying. The story was quite a slowburn because the conflict did really took time to come out. There are already hints about the twist—dialogues, gestures and even sudden flashbacks that you thought were just shown to induce more melancholy.
Moreover, the setting of the movie felt both homey and, at the same time, scary. It wasn't as eerie as the houses used for haunted stories, but there seemed to be a cloak of sadness in it. Perhaps it's the lighting and cinematography that made it appear like that, but yes, they undeniably made it fit the story. Also, what made this movie more convincing was the way the actors and actresses portrayed their roles. They're so effective in emulating the characters they need to portray that they somehow affected how I perceived the plot.
Supposedly, there are a lot of obvious lines that could hint at the plot twist, but I guess it's how the actors and actresses delivered them in a way you couldn't suspect them. They're so brilliant that I actually got engrossed in this movie yesterday. Perhaps the only parts that I somehow don't like are the ones where they deliver some cheesy lines when they get too sweet to each other. I'm just not into those kinds of scenes because I somehow felt the secondhand embarrassment when I heard them say those silly dialogues. I know it's prolly famous at that time, but it just doesn't resonate well with me.
Anyway, even with that, I can say I enjoyed watching the majority of the movie. Further, I like how its soundtrack matches the whole vibe of it. The part where Miguel plays the cello was perfect for the opening credits, and it somehow hinted at how sinister and also sad the story could be. Also, I pretty much enjoyed how chill the ending song was. I immediately recognized the artist singing because her voice is definitely something I have always heard on our radio way back in my childhood. She's Kitchie Nadal by the way, and for the end credits she sang With Whom. Like the movie, it's a song from 2015, and strangely, it's my first time hearing it yesterday. So yeah, it's one of the things that made me appreciate this movie more.
Overall, this movie is a nice watch if you're into thrillers. It wasn't too long nor too short, just the kind of movie that's fine for killing time. It doesn't engage you in some deep mind games or complex plot, but it does have mystery and tension that would motivate you to watch until the end. Like I've mentioned, the ending was so satisfying because the characters achieved the end they deserved and worked hard for. So for me, it's an 8.5/10 viewing experience, and if you're interested—then you definitely need to try watching it.
But before I truly end this review, I'll share with you its trailer, so—
Have you seen this movie somewhere? Or is this your first time encountering this one? If you have thoughts about it, then let me know in the comments. That's all for now, everyone! I hope you enjoyed reading my review.
Most of the pictures were screenshots from the movie while the first picture was edited in Canva.
