‘Mallari’

Scene from “Mallari” —MENTORQUE PRODUCTIONS

(We are running this guide to help you plan your movie-viewing activity during the holidays. The 49th Metro Manila Film Festival, or MMFF, Christmas Edition runs from Dec. 25 to Jan. 7, 2024.)

Directed by Derick Cabrido; written by Enrico Santos; stars Piolo Pascual, Janella Salvador, JC Santos, Gloria Diaz and Elisse Joson; produced by Mentorque Productions.

“Mallari” is inspired by the story of Filipino priest Juan Severino Mallari, who lived in the 1800s. Reports say the priest killed 57 people before getting caught, thereby becoming the first and only recorded Filipino serial killer. The story has been expanded into a three-timeline narrative: Fr. Mallari in the 1800s; Johnrey Mallari, the grand-nephew in the 1940s; and, most importantly, present-day Jonathan Mallari, a doctor and a great-grand-nephew.

Pascual had to rely heavily on an acting coach to effectively portray three different characters from three different timelines. “Before every shoot, Tita Angie (Castrense, acting coach) and I would sit down to prepare. We would create backstories for each character. We also interpreted and put meaning into everything that the three characters said. You see, even if it’s fictional, I had to believe in what I was doing,” he said.

Working with Cabrido—who also directed the 2019 exorcism film “Clarita” starring Jodi Sta. Maria—was a breeze, the actor said. “He knows what he wants from me. When he felt I was lacking in something, he would approach me and show me how he envisioned the scene. He also said I really had to communicate with my eyes. As for me, I had to be on top of my game,” Pascual recalled.

Mentorque signed a partnership deal with Warner Bros. Philippines in relation to the nationwide distribution of “Mallari.”—MARINEL CRUZ