Siquijor: Mystic Island: Movie Review

"Siquijor: Mystic Island" was a huge disappointment. The film had great potential with its folklore and mystic premise. But the incoherent story and poorly-developed cast of characters devolve the film into shambles.

Hilakbot, a horror show is doing well in its afternoon slot. The show tackles re-enactments of horror stories interspersed with interviews with the people who have knowledge or had experiences with hauntings. Due to its high ratings, the network wants to bring it to primetime with the catch that they need to create something new and unique before they get the go signal. Xavier Adriano (Ian Veneracion), the show's creator, is amped up to take the challenge. He decides that the mystic and mysterious island of Siquijor is the perfect snapshot for his new concept. But when they inadvertently get the ire of some locals, horrific and unexplained things start to happen to each member of the production crew.

What's to like about "Siquijor: Mystic Island"? Pretty much nothing. The film turns out to be an incoherent mess and the narrative was completely forgettable. The premise had great potential - we actually loved how the film seems to take a peek into the cutthroat business of local network television - but it never evolves into something bigger. The horror aspect was typical, predictable and non-existent. The final reveal on who the perpetrator was and the twist ending completely misses the mark. The deaths while gruesome were campy and silly. This is more than a decade old already and it didn't age well. But beyond the lackluster story and visuals, the biggest sin for the film is its lack of relatable characters. "Siquijor" has a huge cast and each one had their own personal problems that the film could have worked on. But nope, you'd be hard-pressed to feel sorry when a certain character gets killed. What's the point of having an ex-girlfriend be a producer on your show or a crew member who's struggling with HIV when there's no impact on the overall outcome? Sadly, "Siquijor: Mystic Island" is a completely lost film that does not even do justice to the island it is pertaining to.

Rating: 1 reel




Why you should watch it:
- there's nothing great to experience here

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- badly-written narrative
- non-existent character development

"Siquijor: Mystic Island" is available on iflix. New users get thirty days free access so sign-up now if you haven't yet.