UnTrue: Movie Review

It is pretty rare for a film to leave us guessing until the very last minute but "UnTrue" falls under that category. With a very strong narrative and great execution of horror and mystery under its heels, the attention to detail is not your typical local film experience both in execution and style.

A heavily-injured Mara (Cristine Reyes) seeks the help of the police to find her missing but apparently insane husband Joachim (Xian Lim). But as we get to hear Joachim's side of the story, it seems that Mara and Joachim's narratives clash. Who do we believe when both mix truths, lies, and dark pasts ever so cunningly?

Coming off from "Kita Kita", Director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo completely surprised as as she tackles a completely different genre. But she shows her talent here as "UnTrue" was an exquisite experience and had us guessing and gripping our seats from start to finish. The film is structured into distinct portions very similar to the film "Gone Girl". We first get to hear Mara's side and Joachim's side next. As expected these narrations don't jive with each other. These inconsistencies will play with the audience's minds and adds so much to the immersion but we must admit, some of these felt a little bit forced at times. Unfortunately, we never really find out which of these are true or untrue as the film leaves it up to the audience to decide which is which (we think its a mix of both). Aside from the lead's main acts, there are other revelations in the last and final act that made this film really stand out especially with how dark the story becomes by the time the credits roll. It's one that we never expected or anticipated. Another strong point was its cinematography. The film was able to use its setting marvelously. Scenes seemingly change with the mood and psyche of its characters. The only real downside for the film was the acting of Xian Lim. It was cringe-worthy as he struggled to do both extremes - being psychotic or being demure. Even with its faults, "UnTrue" is a very unique film. It was able to execute well on its bigger aspects and the end result is an experience like no other Filipino film.

Rating: 4 reels





Why you should watch it:
- it will leave you guessing and eventually surprised with the real story underneath the lies

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- acting from Xian Lim was disappointing