I don't wanna see it coming.

Into the Pension House:
A nonhorror-movie-fanatic review of “Amorosa: The Revenge”
by Cheeno Marlo Sayuno

Horror movies are a hit among Filipinos. Most of the moviegoers would like to be shocked by suddenly appearing ghosts with horrific features–creepy sullen eyes, white face, blank expression, hair worthy of a bad hair day, tattered clothes that bathed in blood, even insects and dirt straight from the grave. We want to awaken a part of us that is hungry for fear. We want to escape our dull world by having a little taste of fear. We challenge ourselves into worlds yet unraveled. And yes, we are courageous.

Or maybe, not all. I, for one, am not your horror-movie fanatic. I am fine with magic and powers and adventures and stuff, but please don’t take me to the paranormal and the gore. I don’t sleep well with them knocking in my brain cells every freaking time.

Truth is, I like horror movies as per plots and twists, but I’d rather someone tell me the story. I don’t like actually seeing the images. I only managed to watch Amorosa, which we will be talking about today, because it is a Filipino film and I can sort of handle that.

Amorosa (Angel Aquino), after an accident involving her husband, her two sons Amiel (Martin del Rosario) and Rommel (Enrique Gil), and herself, falls into a void of paranoia, hallucinations, and paranormal as they resume life at a pension house. Rosa ends up managing the room rental business in a house where remnants of a tragic past cry at night.

Good points

• The best element I liked about the movie is its twist involving Rosa and her son Amiel. In the first part of the movie, after the accident, it is shown that both Rommel and Amiel survived, along with Rosa. Amiel joins his remaining family in living in the transient house. However, it turns out, as revealed by Rommel, that Amiel is dead. It was just Rommel who survived, and Amiel is part of Rosa’s hallucinations. How Amiel was shown in all those scenes where he interacts with Rosa and how the same scenes were shown without Amiel actually being there totally sent me goosebumps. It was so well put and unexpected. The movie could survive with just that story line. 
• Consistency was particularly observed in the movie. All the lines and happenstances in the earlier scenes where Amiel and Rommel were still young–how Rommel helps Amiel practice as the latter is about to go blind, how Rosa says Rommel was his strength, and all the simple elements–were all rightfully used in the progression of the story. You get to understand the characters because they were properly built up.
• I don’t know if I am just really that type who gets easily horrified, but the ghost of Sandra (Empress Schuck) was given justice as per prosthetics and makeup. The scenes where the ghost rushes to the screen were really terrifying, and if a horror movie gives you horrors, then the job is done.
• The story line of Sandra is impressive and well portrayed by the characters. The actors and actresses in the whole movie are very much commendable. Bravo!
• Good comic relief by Mosang.

Not-so-good points

• Defying realities and practicality is what usually fails a movie. Imagine, who would be sane enough to explore a dark dungeon at night using matches as light? Yes, just matches, you light one and it goes out without you even managing a few steps. No candles? And please, don’t explore scary parts of the house at night, most especially when there’s no electricity. Trust me, Rosa, your boys would never stay at those places that time of the night. Check their rooms instead.
• Rommel was mad at his mother Rosa because, during the accident, townspeople asked Rosa who should be saved between the two brothers. Rosa picked the one in glasses (Amiel). Amiel, inside the car that tolls death, insists that Rommel be saved, as revealed later on. My point is, why is it needed to make Rosa choose? Those people could actually save the person who can be saved first. Amiel is nearer in the spot where people are pulling them out. There should be no choices. Save the one who can be saved at the moment, no matter who it is. I get the point that the choosing is part of the plot because that is when Rommel becomes a rebellious son, but come on, make the situation more realistic.
• There was one policeman left to guard the house, and worse, he did not notice or hear Rommel and Rosa running and talking loudly behind him.
• There were a few inconsistencies like a green bag at one second becoming red at the next. It is also weird that Rommel’s friend in Manila became friends with those bad guys (Ejay Falcon) in the province, but of course, you can make your own back story out of that.
• The title “Amorosa: The Revenge” is vague because it wasn’t Amorosa who is actually doing the revenge but Sandra. The revenge is not even toward her but toward bad guys who don’t treat girls well by, for example, raping them. 
• Overall, the movie is the usual ghost-after-revenge-in-another-generation-of-people-not-actually-related-to-them-but-repeating-history story. However, other twists were made and it served the movie well. The effects are also well made and the artists acted out their parts with justice.

Sometimes, I learned, we have to make choices even if they are hard to make. The world will throw choices at you, and you have to choose well. Of course, there would be consequences, but a good decision maker should make amends in case necessary. Also, we should learn to accept and understand that people come and go. Our loved ones will have to leave us one day, and sure, we should never forget them, but we have to let them go.