Notes on Maledicto

Although its structure is similar to many Filipino movies about ghostly possession, the world of Maledicto treats the supernatural with a heavier dose of skepticism than usual. That skepticism is also reflected in the film's protagonist (Tom Rodriguez,) a priest who ironically specializes in exorcisms. 

This is a world where legitimate supernatural activity is waved away as either mental illness or the effect of drugs, a plot point that, when interpreted in a certain way, has some unfortunate implications. For one thing, what does that say about legitimate mental illness and drug related cases in the real world? Does the film inadvertently trivialize that? In a film where an archaic, corrupt institution sacrifices human lives for the sake of modernization, could that be interpreted as an argument for fundamentalism? Maybe. Maybe not.

Either way, even if viewed under a superficial lens, the film suffers from a number of inadequacies. The film's atmosphere through visuals doesn't quite work thanks to a baffling decision to blur most of the frame. It's as if someone smeared the edges of the camera lens with vaseline. This focal length (or whatever camera setting made these images) is suitable for closeups, but wide shots are particularly unwatchable, with more than 2/3 of the screen a blurry mess. I'm willing to give the movie the benefit of the doubt and chalk it up to a projection problem, but other, similar reports make me wonder.

Rodriguez's Father Xavi is portrayed as a cynical, sometimes smug, maybe even sexist priest, who immediately dismisses the claims of Sister Barbie (Jasmine Curtis). Sister Barbie, though herself a more interesting character than Xavi, is pushed to the side. She possesses supernatural powers that are quickly glossed over and are mentioned only once. Her character is a mix of persistence and weak-willedness. Throughout the film she is ridiculed for her opinions and actions (and Xavi even renames her without her consent, a playful move to be sure, but one that is rife for misinterpretation).

Maledicto feels like the pilot episode for a TV series turned into a feature film. Conceptually, the idea of a demon-slaying priest-nun duo sounds pretty good. But given what Maledicto has shown us, I'd be game watching a sequel to this only after major adjustments are made to the storytelling and visuals.