Seklusyon

In 1947, priesthood candidates spend their final day of training in seclusion (seklusyon) at a remote monastery. Their faith is tested when a mysterious girl arrives—was she sent by God or the Devil?

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Introduction

A great horror viewing coming from the Philippines. There were obvious lacking on the acting department with one particular actor though, but it was something I could overlook and still appreciate Seklusyon. Directed by Erik Matti, he was a part of the ABCs of Death 2, as a director for the segment “I is for invincible”.

“In 1947, those aspiring to be priests are sent to a remote convent to live in seclusion to shield them from the world’s evil. Their solitude is interrupted when a girl arrives, and they debate whether she was sent by God or by the devil.”

Characters

• Rhed Bustamante (as Anghela Sta. Ana) carried this movie. Probably one of the best I’ve seen coming from a child actor for a long time now. She doesn’t flinch or act weird around scenes that might not be appropriate for her age. Specially towards the end and scenes where Madre Cecilia was naked. I love it when she gets all smug and authoritative, ordering adults around like a rich kid brat.
• I’m not going to lie, Phoebe Walker (as Madre Cecilia) was enticing. She could have you commit sins any day. Her character was like a the physical manifestation of the Snake from Adam and Eve. She was reserved yet her gaze would pierce your soul.
• I’m not sure how Ronnie Alonte is related to the Director or to the Casting Director, but I couldn’t see how he got the lead part, his other fellow male cast members were better than him in every way.
• Dominique Roque (as Fabian), J.R. Versales (as Carlo), and John Vic De Guzman (Marco) was on point, they showed proper fear and it struck with the viewers, phenomenal performances coming from these three.

More Graphic

Seklusyon stands out among other Filipino-made horrors because it doesn’t shy away from graphic scenes such as partial nudity and k1lling minors. It’s a huge step in terms of competing in international horror.

In Fairness, CGI is better

We really couldn’t expect much in terms of special effects coming from the Philippines. Having said that, while the effects were mediocre, their use of practical effects was able to carry what SFX lacked.

Homage or Copycat? (Spoiler)

If you’ve watched The Unholy (2021) and The Omen (1976) beforehand, you’d instantly feel how similar they are in story.

• A girl is worshipped for doing miracles. (The Unholy)
• An adult person is by her side 24/7, grooming her to be the next antichrist. (The Omen)

Though I did like how the story ended, it was ominous and let’s you imagine what it would be like years after.

What I Didn’t Like

Everything was honestly good, except Ronnie Alonte’s (Miguel) performance. I mean I get that he was trying to be mysterious and brooding. Unfortunately he came off as just plain weird and doesn’t have a lot a friends.

Conclusion

Honestly, Seklusyon far exceeded my expectations. I’m not too big of a fan of modern day Filipino horror films, but Seklusyon was able to stand out, despite having a storyline that most horror fans are aware of. It was a nice watch and its up on Netflix right now.