GOOD HORROR does not need overexplaining. The mystery and ambiguity of the horrors one does not fully understand stimulate a hidden fear within the mind.
In Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins (or Shake, Rattle & Roll XVII), the main scare comes from the apparent images of demons, violent kills and cloaked men, all while leaving the vital details unexplained. But this attempt at ambiguity proves more confusing than unsettling.
Evil Origins is divided into three segments, titled “1775,” “2025” and “2050.” However, unlike the previous Shake Rattle & Roll films that follow a three-part anthology format of unrelated horror stories, this 17th edition is chronologically structured, unified by an evil that stretches across six centuries.
Director Shugo Praico’s “1775” features sisters Flor (Loisa Andalio) and Clara (Carla Abellana) battling an unknown entity in the cloister where they serve as nuns. This entity appears to feed off the hidden desires of the nuns, fooling them into its gruesome trap. The film anchors on this origin, as 250 years later, this entity makes its way into a halloween party in Joey de Guzman’s “2025” segment.
Faye (Francine Diaz) and Sky (Sassa Gurl) infiltrate a party called “Heliclipse” where pickpockets swipe away at the socialites in hopes of quick cash. As the night goes deeper, what appears to be a halloween party turns out to be a cult’s den as they search for victims in honor of the same evil from the first segment.
This evil origin takes its final form in the last segment of the film through Ian Loreños’ “2050,” set in a post-apocalyptic world where everything is obsolete. Keeping with the “Evil Origin” theme, the story follows Edris (Ivana Alawi) as she teams up with Rosdan (Richard Gutierrez) and his family to beat the aswangs that have taken over a now decrepit Philippines.
The established franchise is well-known with its original scares inspired by local beliefs in the Philippines. However, despite the effective scares and cinematography offered in Evil Origins, there is a distinct feature that alienates the film from its predecessors.
Despite the presence of iconic originals of the series, such as Manilyn Reynes and Janice de Belen, the franchise’s trademark was absent from the three stories in the film, as the 17th film leans towards a more westernized definition of horror instead of the Filipino one.
A dystopian setting, such as the rave scene in the “2025” segment, distances viewers from a more relatable reality of a Filipino—the charm that has kept the franchise on its feet for the past four decades.
There is no unifying moral theme or ideology being pushed amid the screams and rut. It is a demon that spans across three generations making the movie, coupled with some rowdy partygoers immediately preceding the cloistered nuns in “1775,” before wrapping up with a post-apocalyptic setting 275 years later.
Evil Origins failed to touch upon why the demon seemed more connected with Rosdan and Riel (Dustin Yu) in “2050,” or how deep the connection is between Malena (Reynes) and Clara and Flor in “2050” and “1775.” The film relied heavily on scares, rather than building characters and storylines that resonate with viewers. It offered scare after scare instead of expounding on the stories behind the characters’ intentions.
What is worth remembering is the sonic experience each segment provided viewers. The segment “2025” drowsed the audience in a hysterical experience of booming music, neon lights and the occasional theatrics of Sky (Sassa Gurl), before it breaks that fantasy with a sudden murder scene.
Praico’s “1775” thrived on its atmospheric environment, where the world is confined within the dark halls of a beaterio, dimly lit by candles and kept alive by the occasional hauntings of the demon. Despite the gloom surrounding the cloister, the cinematography for “1775” managed to make the elements of each scene stand out, without breaking away from the dark ambiance.
The film caps its strong visual element in “2050,” as it takes viewers into a rut of distant, dilapidated buildings and vegetation. It featured convincing effects, aside from one car scene where the obvious green screen effect behind the characters is noticeable while they fight off the aswang in a moving vehicle.
Each segment’s limited timeframe turned into an advantage for the film’s pacing, despite it compromising the actor’s ability to stand out. The mix of veterans and newcomers may have helped balance out each other’s performances.
The “2025” segment, for example, made the most notable mark among the three. Its dynamic of strangers turned comrades among Sassa Gurl, Francine Diaz, Seth Fedelin, Fyang Smith and JM Ibarra worked in harmony with the segment’s aural atmosphere.
The ambiguity—not even knowing what there is to be scared of—becomes part of the experience. In Evil Origins, however, the sheer excess of explicit demonic imagery raises expectations for a clearer resolution.
However, the film somehow fails to properly explore this storyline through its subtle and vague portrayal of the connections, such as Malena’s encounter with Edris in “2050,” who also happens to be related to the Heliclipse party in “2025.”
Evil Origins makes do with this subtlety that by the time it finds its resolution, the viewers’ questions only begin. The film took a straightforward route, without requiring viewers to decipher patterns or themes. There were no hidden meanings for the viewers to dissect, nor were there any statements disguised as horror among the many gruesome scenes. Despite its simplicity, it still left vital questions unanswered.
For those who have long witnessed the franchise’s stories, this 17th edition lacks the soul of its predecessors. Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins broke away from the comfort zone of familiarity, but may have also strayed too far from its iconic franchise identity. F
