This is me, reviewing horror movies that I recently watched or already watched a couple of times. I am a horror movie addict, and sometimes, I really love a specific movie that I can't get enough of it, so here I am writing about it. Thanks for stop...
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Nocebo is a Filipino-Irish psychological thriller film directed by Lorcan Finnegan from a screenplay by Garret Shanley. The film stars Eva Green, Mark Strong and Chai Fonacier. - Wikipedia
****** At last, an international horror movie starring a Filipino actress, though she was actually the villain of the story (but at least). I'm so glad Filipino talents are being recognized now around the world. What can I say? Of course, I'm glad because I'm a Filipino as well. It's not everyday that I could hear my native language being spoken in an international film.
By the way, as of writing this, I'm still have no idea what the title Nocebo actually means. But I'm guessing it's a kind of coined or jumbled word from the word Cebuano? Could be, since Diana was from Cebu City here in the Philippines. If so, what on Earth does that have to do with the story? This movie is supposed to be scary, right? Ha-ha! Or maybe, the invented term nocebo sounds kind of ominous? Sounds like a potential scientific name for a rare insect. Could be. (Edit. I just found out that nocebo is the opposite of placebo. Silly me. LOL! A fitting title for this movie, indeed.)
While watching this movie, I kept wondering what Diana's true intention was. She seemed suspicious from the get-go. The way she looked at Christine, and how her eyes seemed to sparkle with amusement as well as scrutiny. I should have known she was actually sizing up her "target".
At first, though, since I gave her the benefit of my doubt, I thought she had come to help Christine cure her illness (an illness that started when Christine encountered a black dog inside her dress shop; a dog infested with disgusting ticks.) And then it turned out that was not the reason for her arrival. Diana was the black dog. Or she used the black dog to give Christine the illness (via a flying tick from the dog). And she had plan for Christine. Evil plan.
The actress that played Diana did a fantastic job. She really did seem like a creepy lady with a supernatural power comparable to witchcraft. And her stuff! Some of them I instantly recognized, like the matchbox and the musical instrument. She really was from the Philippines. Though I don't even know her until now. Seems like she is not that famous here, or maybe she is a just a blooming celebrity.
So in the end, the revelation of Diana's evil intention was truly shocking, but the reason for it was the cherry on top of the cake. Honestly, I think Christine was really a nice person, only ever a business-minded one. And sometimes, being a business-minded person tends to make you as hard as a steel. Tends to make you see to it that everything in your business is as perfect and profitable as it could possibly be. Little did Christine know that her business-minded personality would be her demise.
But, personally, I think Christine didn't deserve to die that way. It was even implied in the beginning that she was suffering from some kind of "mental illness" because of guilt. Christine was feeling guilty because many of her employees in the Philippines were burned to death when their working place caught on fire. And most of them could have escape and live if not only for the locked gate. The very same gate that Christine herself ordered be locked in working hours. She was guilty, all right. But for her to be burned alive as a retaliation is too much for me.
But then again, Diana was a heartbroken mother, grieving for the lost of her beloved daughter, who was one of those who died from the fire. She wanted revenge. After all, Diana was not merely a grieving mother; she was also a grieving umu. A witch. And witches tend to be as vengeful as they could be.
Overall, I think this movie is a nicely-crafted masterpiece. One that I would love to watch again and again.
