In My Mother's Skin

A wealthy Filipino family is struggling to survive during World War 2 and the Japanese army's hold on the country is reducing. The father Aldo has run off to help Americans, after stealing gold from Japanese and has hid the gold as well. With the mother's health deteriorating, the elder daughter Tala seeks help from a fairy, without understanding the consequences. Things take a dark turn when the wish granted by the fairy is not what Tala wanted, putting her and everyone's life at risk.

This is a slow burner and the eerie setting does seem to pay off. It is as gritty as the very first scene sets it up for and it continues to remain the same throughout. Aided by good performances by the two kids and enough scenes to terrify without the jump scares, the film somewhat falters in it's narrative. In order to narrate a straightforward story without much twists, the film sticks to a single tone and it just doesn't offer any surprises, resorting to showcasing one family's ordeal through the girl's pov.