Disgraced TV reporter Veronica Lansang (played by ABS-CBN diva Gretchen Baretto) strives to reacquire her former glory by undertaking a journalistic mission to uncover what happened in the haunted Diplomat Hotel. Together with her TV crew (Arthur Acuna, Mon Confiado, Sarah Gaugler and Nico Antonio), they set forth to confront the midst, where their deepest fears spring to life in its bloodied lair.
Sounds familiar?
Albeit the conventional plot, Christopher Ad Castillo—award-winning director and son of the iconic Celso Ad Castillo—reminded the audience to set aside preconceptions on what a horror film is ‘supposed’ to be. His much-anticipated, newest thriller-horror release seeks to bridge the gap between the raw, controversial nature of the indie movie scene and tried-and-tested mainstream movies.
Castillo had a lovely plan. A horror film couldn’t go wrong when set in a fabled haunt such as Baguio City’s Diplomat Hotel, an abandoned dwelling rumored to be haunted by monks and nuns.
Undoubtedly, Castillo was able to work within the budget constraints imposed by working with an independent film, relying on drawn-out, careful pacing that teases viewers to remain in their seats to uncover a trove of mysteries.
From the rubble to the ruin, the unsettling atmosphere of isolation and abandonment are painted with the decrepit aesthetic of the venue. Cool overcast palettes wash the scenery with gloom and an impending sense of doom, creating a stark contrast to Denise Santos’ moody original score. Shadows and nuns observe the crew as early as daytime, which hint towards more horrors to come.
Yet, it seems that these resources weren’t maximized. Given that the groundwork for a thrilling film were laid out on a (not quite silver) platter, it leaves the viewer wondering what went wrong.
While the cast performed satisfactorily, they come short in fully embodying their characters. Baretto’s hairstyle wouldn’t move one strand out of place despite the trauma she undergoes. In a flash photography scene that would traumatize claustrophobes, Anna’s (Sarah Gaugler) face contorts in fear and discomfort though the terror never quite reaches her eyes, nor does her body quiver in horror. Which is surprising, since the cast is capable of giving a great show elsewhere.
Was it the script? The pacing? Somewhere in the middle of the film, the gradual buildup so masterfully concocted on the first half suddenly rolls down a slippery slope, slamming into branches and stray rocks on the way, plunging the viewer on a haphazard journey as the rest of the crew turns crazy… and not in a good way.
In the interest of not spoiling the movie, the viewer is left with a vague feeling that something was… off. The characters lacked full development that justified their eventual psychological decline and the resulting heavy-handed chaos. Frankly, there is a fine line between confused terror and just plain confusion, especially in a psychological thriller-horror.
The scares and sounds were also cliché – decaying baby dolls, apparitions by the windows, rustling tree branches – but often these clichés can be transformed into novel devices with the careful maneuvering of the producers. Yet the movie’s overuse of horror clichés made fear and thrill predictable, converting the audience into an orchestra that screams on cue. This is a dismal paradox, especially as a part of the horror-thriller genre, where the terror should rumble through the viewer’s veins, staining them with an undertaste of unease beyond temporal confines.
To be fair, creating a horror flick is a delicate art, where each element needs to be measured precisely – the perfect amount of silence, the perfect interval between an actor’s breath, the perfect contrast of light and dark, the perfect masking of shadow, the perfect pacing and unveiling of vital plot elements, and the list goes on.
In one way or another, the film will surely dispel cringe-worthy moments for the viewer. If you want nice abandoned scenery, enjoy a quick thrill and an intermittently startled heart, The Diplomat Hotel will certainly deliver. But if you seek a thriller-horror that will send your adrenaline pulsing and haunt you as you leave the theatre, head home and prepare for bed… perhaps it’s better to look somewhere else.
Rating: 1.5
