"Malikmata" has been on my watchlist since it came out, and finally, I am in the right headspace to watch it.
Overall, it is a good throwback movie especially for those who grew up in the 90s. While it has potential, its flaws outweigh them.
First, a lot of the acting performances were wooden and bland. They were not able to deliver the right emotion demanded for the scenes, particularly, the protagonists. Probably, this is due to how the characters were written, but most of the characters felt like caricatures.
On the other hand, there were many things that did not make sense in the screenplay. Like, why would the police allow people in the crime scene if they are not done with the investigation yet? Why let the maid clean up the crime scene? Why was the crime scene not cordoned off? A lot do not make sense in the screenplay. Furthermore, the cinematography is problematic. A lot of the scenes are too dark that you can hardly see anything at all. This did nothing to the atmosphere, but instead, frustrate the viewers.
However, I am surprised that the director did not overdo the scares, which I like. It is typical in a lot of horror movies to rely on jump scares and gruesome imagery, and with that this movie gets a good point.
If I have to choose the scene with the most potential and intensity, it would perhaps be when the group of mediums went to the crime scene to do a spirit reading. What ruined the scene for me though was the cheesy acting and interpolation. Also, some side characters felt unwarranted and could only be there to add up the payroll.
It is frustrating to think that the screenplay had a lot of potential particularly with the premise they had on hand. But it looks like the writer did not see this at that time, and totally missed the mark particularly during the second act. The ending was a total dud and should have offered a better resolution than simply eliminating the true perp.
Another good point in the movie is the acting performance of the one who played Dita. Her role was convincing as a sympathetic character whose life ended so suddenly. Also, the ghost design was not overly done unlike most Filipino movies nowadays who tries too much with the makeup department.
