“Huwag Kang Lalabas: Kumbento”
(We are running this guide to help you plan your holiday movie-viewing activity during the pandemic. The 47th Metro Manila Film Festival, or MMFF, runs from Dec. 25 to Jan. 7, 2022.)Directed by Adolfo Alix Jr.; starring Kim Chiu, Beauty Gonzalez, Aiko Melendez, Elizabeth Oropesa, Yasser Marta, Matet de Leon, Tanya Gomez, Joaquin Domagoso, James Blanco, Bembol Roco, Soliman Cruz, Dave Bornea, Ayeesha Cervantes, Jameson Blake, Tina Paner, Brenda Mage, Donna Cariaga, James Teng, Rico Barrera and Allan Paule; produced by Obra Cinema.
The film offers not just one, but three stories that tackle folklore and urban legends, titled “Kumbento,” “Bahay” and “Hotel,” respectively.
Gonzalez stars in her first horror project in the “Kumbento” episode, where she plays a novitiate who reluctantly uncovers something that has long been kept secret within the walls of the convent.
Melendez plays lead in “Bahay,” based on a familiar urban legend. “It’s nice to see Aiko in a genre she is great in. She has a wonderful chemistry with Joaquin, who plays her son,” says Alix. Melendez and Domagoso get involved in mysterious deaths happening in their rural community.
Chiu stars in “Hotel” as an overseas Filipino worker who returns home and, for lack of a better choice, goes into quarantine in a dilapidated and insect-infested hotel. “Remember, it was Kim’s now famous statement about the 2020 lockdown that inspired the famous quote, ‘Huwag Kang Lalabas,’ Alix points out.
Alix is confident that local audiences will enjoy the film. “It’s worth their movie tickets because they will get to watch three different stories. They should be ready for the twist in every episode,” he points out.