Untold

TV journalist Vivian Vera hosts “Untold” documentary series. After a traumatic story investigation, strange events plague her and her crew, forcing her to confront her past secrets to uncover the truth.

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Introduction

One of the times I could tell you upfront to just skip this, unless you want to see for yourself what’s all the fuss is about. Untold honestly had a good plot going on, but they added so much elements that it looked like a scrambled egg at 4am with egg shells on it. Let’s break it down shall we?

The movie… I think “flick” is a more appropriate term, is directed by Roderick Cabrido, also the director of Mallari (2023) and Clarita (2019). Cabrido is not a stranger when it comes to the horror genre, in fact, majority if his works are under the genre. Just that he seems to always want to add more and it becomes a mess.

“Vivian Vera, a successful journalist, who is desperate to escape her impoverished past, uses lies to land sensational stories. But the souls of those she hurt refuse to stay silent.”

Characters

I never saw who starred in the movie (except for Jodi Sta. Maria who was on the poster), so while watching it and characters were slowly introduced, I got excited for it. Unfortunately my excitement was short lived.

Jodi Sta. Maria (as Vivian Vera) was okay. As great as she is with her craft, there’s something that’s lacking in terms of her and the horror genre not mashing up well. This is just me, but I think that Jodi was mostly known for Romantic Comedies that it kind of stuck on me. And her facial expression in terms of terror was lacking. Not once did I feel her fear.

Gloria Diaz (as Monica) was there as well. Yes, she was there. Period.

Mylene Dizon (as Sylvia) was probably my favorite character of all. Even though she was a supporting character, her acting felt authentic. It ligitimately felt like she was the boss girl, ordering people around like her slaves.

Dialogue

The usual habit of filipino filmmakers trying to squeeze in some jokes is very apparent here. To the point that the “horror” aspect of it felt harmless. If its a horror movie, you stick with it, you’re not trying to make people laugh, you’re trying to scare them. Dialogue was mediocre.

Better if Psychological Horror

Untold tries so hard to be under the psychological/supernatural horror genre, I think it would’ve been better if they went purely psycological and left out the supernaturals stuff. Honestly, I think their reveal would’ve been far better than what we saw. It doesn’t need demonic entities/ghosts for it to be scary.

What I Didn’t Like (Spoilers)

• Given that they went with psychological/supernatural, the effects sucked, and I think it ruined what the director was going for.
• Crappy thesis-level dialogue with annoying punchlines. Its like Joker threw a laughing gas at some scenes.
• Jodi Sta. Maria, with much respect to her, was a miscast here in my opinion. I think, while not a perfect choice, Judy Ann Santos would’ve done it more justice.

Final Thoughts

Untold tells the story of the untold on the news channel Untold. The title fits perfectly as the movie should never have been told in the first place. Crappy dialogue with annoying forced comedic moments. A very forgettable flick. Skip it.