Cinema One Originals 2017 | Nay is a blood soaked tale of class, power and privilege

(this review contains some spoilers.)

Martin (Enchong Dee) is a twentysomething millennial from a rich family. For most of his life he has been taken care of by Luisa (Sylvia Sanchez). But Luisa holds a dark secret: she is an aswang, a vampire like creature that feeds on human flesh. Her subsequent actions eventually turn Martin into one as well, changing his life in unexpected, supernatural ways.

There is commentary in Kip Oebanda's Nay, and it's not particularly subtle about it. Martin's character speaks in Taglish, stereotypical of privileged young professionals like himself, while Luisa speaks in Tagalog. He is raised by absentee parents who never show up at any time in the film - even their voices (as heard in a Skype call) are distorted and incomprehensible. Martin's not a bad person by any means, and to his credit he tries to do the right thing and use his status to help others.

Once he is transformed into a supernatural creature by Luisa, he learns that even in the supernatural world, arrogant, supremacist behavior isn't uncommon - as aswang, they treat humans as something below them, as food to be consumed. He tries to resist, but it is in his nature to feed. He tries to justify the killings (or at least who he kills,) but is told that ultimately it doesn't matter anyway. The parallels of Martin's struggle to the the current exploitation and killing of the poor, and our society's growing desensitization to these injustices, is clear.

While it is thematically rich, the film does not always execute these things in a satisfying or compelling manner. The film isn't scary at all, and at times seems aimless. The ending is marred by a strangely edited sequence. The Taglish dialogue does have a purpose, but sometimes I feel as if it's overdone. The film veers into camp sometimes, which can be detrimental since it tackles some serious concepts. There's actually a term for this: Narm.

That said, the lighting and practical effects are great, often evoking the vibe of local horror and suspense films  of the seventies, eighties and nineties, such as Patayin sa Sindak si Barbara (1995), or works by Celso ad Castillo or Eddie Romero during the same time period such as Beast of the Yellow Night (1972). So maybe in a way it was meant to be a little campy. 

Nay is an interesting film weighed down by questionable execution and a tone that makes one wonder if it should be taken seriously or not at all. It's not particularly scary in any way, but it's got an interesting aesthetic that might appeal to some viewers.