Why winning awards still ‘excites and challenges’ Nadine Lustre
Teaser shot for “Nokturno” (from left): Bea Binene, Eula Valdes, Justin James Quilantang and Nadine Lustre
With a number of major acting awards under her belt, one might think that Nadine Lustre is already used to it all by now. But the prospect of being recognized for her talent and hard work, she said, will never not be “exciting.”
In 2019, Nadine won best actress at the Gawad Urian and Famas Awards for “Never Not Love You.” Three years later, she was named best actress at the 48th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) for the top-grossing entry, “Deleter.” And just last month, Nadine added another Famas best actress trophy to her collection for “Greed.”
“Of course, that will always excite me—that’s never going to change. That’s why I want to do different projects; I want to have different experiences… I really love being an instrument in creating stories,” she told the Inquirer at a recent story conference for “Nokturno,” an upcoming folk horror film that will reunite her with Mikhail Red, the award-winning director behind “Deleter.”
While winning awards does come with a “bit of pressure,” Nadine is always up for a challenge. “I’m just the kind of person who always wants to do better or outdo my previous performance. I guess there’s pressure, but I’m excited more than anything. ‘Deleter’ was my second project after the pandemic. It was like the universe telling me I’m headed the right way,” she said.
In “Nokturno” (Viva Films, Evolve), Nadine plays Jamie, an overseas Filipino worker who distances herself from her hometown, the secluded island of San Sebastian, because of a traumatic past and the mental instability of her mother, Lilet (Eula Valdes). But upon learning that her sister, Joanna (Bea Binene), has fallen victim to a deadly ancient curse, Jamie has no choice but to return home.
She investigates the mysterious occurrences on the island. In her journey to mend old wounds, Jamie unwittingly discovers a haunted past. She must then uncover the secrets that will help them escape the curse, which, she finds out later on, is brought upon by the Kumakatok, a tall and thin creature with long pale fingers.
The folkloric entity wears a veil that obscures its face and comes knocking on houses in the dead of night. Those who open the door are cursed either to die or lose a loved one in the next three days.
Unlike “Deleter,” which incorporates techno-horror and psychological horror elements, “Nokturno’s” concept and premise is more “primal, rural and existentialist” in nature. It delves into the dynamics of Filipino families and their inescapable past.
‘Little pressure’
“I didn’t think twice when this was offered to me. I’m a huge fan of horror movies. I loved working with Direk Mikhail and his team, so I said yes to the project right away,” Nadine said. “There’s little pressure because people know that ‘Deleter’ did well. But it is the kind of project I have always wanted to do.”
While Nadine enjoys doing drama and romantic comedies, there’s just something about out-of-the-box thrillers that fire her up. “Aside from the growth from these kinds of projects, I love the adrenaline rush. And that’s especially true when you play characters that couldn’t be more different from your real-life personality,” she said.
“You watch a movie like ‘Joker’ and you see Joaquin Phoenix pushing his limits as an actor—sobrang galing. And that inspires me to do something similar,” she said.
Unlike her character Lyra, the stoic and emotionally numb content moderator in “Deleter,” Jamie is expected to be a more dynamic figure—especially since she will have more characters to interact with.
Lustre poses with her 2023 Famas best actress trophy.
“One of the things I look forward to about making movies is thinking about how I will change my approach for each character I play. I even assign my characters zodiac signs that will help dictate their mannerisms and attitudes,” the 29-year-old star related.
Because “Deleter” was produced with pandemic-related precautions still in place, the film was shot in only one location and exuded a sense of claustrophobia. But now that the situation is more relaxed, fans can expect different sceneries and more setpieces, including a “final showdown.”
One of Nadine’s realizations about doing horror is that it can be more emotionally taxing than dramas. “Nokturno” is expected to take things up a notch from “Deleter.”
“I’m already expecting the shoot to be taxing, especially toward the climax with so many things happening. It will be hard both physically and mentally. But I’m looking forward to how things will unfold… I have already read the script. Still, I don’t want to have expectations. I want to be surprised on the set,” she said.
Not a competition
Nadine and Mikhail hope to share this story with the biggest audience possible. Being part of this year’s MMFF will definitely be a help—as it did with “Deleter” last year. But the field appears to be stacked this year with movies starring the likes of Nora Aunor, Piolo Pascual and Jaclyn Jose vying for the remaining four of the eight spots.
The first four went to: “Penduko” (Matteo Guidicelli, Cristine Reyes); “A Mother’s Son” (Sharon Cuneta, Alden Richards); “K(ampon)” (Beauty Gonzalez, Derek Ramsay) and “Rewind” (Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera).“If anything, I’m just really grateful that the MMFF is back. I don’t really see it as a competition, but a venue for Filipino artists to come together and put out their films for everyone… I will be happy if ‘Nokturno’ gets in because then, more people will be able to see it,” Nadine said. INQ
