Cinema One Originals 2018 | Asuang

First off, it's worth knowing that "Asuang" does not refer to the vampiric creature most of us are familiar with (though those kinds of Aswang are present in the film.) Instead, Asuang refers to the God of Sins in the Bicolano pantheon of gods, an evil god who wanted to steal the sacred fire of Mount Mayon from his brother Gugurang. Asuang the movie deconstructs this narrative, while keeping true to its characters. In the myth, Gugurang rules the people through fear and intimidation; in the film, he is a bully, unconcerned with the lives of men. In the myth, Asuang wanted to steal the sacred fire to gain favor with the people by giving fire to them; in the film, Asuang is a misunderstood figure, all too eager to please people in order to improve his self image.

The rehabilitation of Asuang's social image forms the impetus for the film: the entire enterprise is presented as a mockumentary, much in the style of Taika Waititi's 2014 film What We Do in the Shadows. It takes place in a world where gods live among men, guesting in TV shows, holding parties and social gatherings, and making cooking videos on Youtube. It also serves as a commentary on contemporary social media, in that social currency in the form of likes and followers becomes the raison d' etre for many people. Over the course of the film, Asuang comes to terms with the fact that this reason for living isn't all that it's cut out to be, and he eventually makes a decision to finish what he started in the old myths - not for personal glory or popularity, but because of a genuine concern for humanity.

There is also a contrast between the authoritarian Gugurang and the much more pro-people Asuang, perhaps drawing parallels to historical truths and contemporary events and serving as a take-down of authoritarianism in general. There's the contrast between the unfeeling god whose callous attitude indicates a summary judgement of people who have done bad things, and the misunderstood god whose capacity to empathize and understand people's capacity to change makes him superior.

The film is carried on the capable shoulders of Alwyn Uytingco, who plays the titular Asuang. He nails the comedy aspect of the film, and he shows Asuang's conflict quite well. He makes Asuang feel like a nice dark lord to hang out with. The supporting cast is also relatively capable, with many comedians having supporting or cameo roles. Perhaps the one thing that the film could have done better is explain the mythology behind the film - I only started to truly appreciate the picture the film paints after reading a bit on Bicolano myth.

Asuang is a fun film, and I learned something new today thanks to it. Give it a try, and stay for the end credits.