Double Trouble: The Healing Movie Review

The Healing (2012)


Starring Vilma Santos, Kim Chiu and Martin del Rosario
Directed by Chito S. Roño

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This story that I'm about to tell you happened when I was in sixth grade.

We were in the middle of the most solemn part of our recollection when Rica (not her real name) went outside to pee. When she was about to finish washing her hands, her guy classmate suddenly appeared at the door.

"Hey John (not his real name)! What are you doing here? This is not the male's comfort room, it's at the other side," my classmate cheered.

John didn't respond; he was just staring at her.

Rica thought John was just pulling a prank on her. "Huy, ikaw ha! 'Wag kang magbiro ng ganyan!"

Once again, John didn't give a response.

Rica poked his right shoulder. "Alis na nga ako, tinatakot mo lang ako."

When Rica went back to the conference room, he spotted John with his circle of friends. He seemed happy. She thought John was just joking.

She approached her and asked, "Ikaw ha! Tinatakot mo lang ako sa CR kanina!"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Diba, nandun ka kanina, 'di mo nga ako kinikibuan eh! Akala ko may galit ka sa akin!"

"Uhm, di ako lumabas kanina. I swear! I'm not lying!"

The two went silent.

In line with The Star For All Season's 50th year in showbiz, Star Cinema had teamed up with the country's most prolific director, Chito S. Roño to create a fresh horror-suspense flick of the year. I know, I know. We already had enough with baguas, suspicious beliefs, bloodsuckers, a babaeng-feeling-aswang-pero-baliw-lang-pala, not-like-ours and shakes and rattles and rolls. Honestly, I am not into horror films because it scares the wit out of me but what made me decide to watch it (R18 version) was its theme - faith healing.

Story-wise, the plot was just your typical Filipino horror flick. Seth, played by Vilma Santos went to a far-flung province, hoping that Aling Elsa, the province's famous faith healer, will cure her father from stroke. Days later, her dad's condition got better and some of Seth's neighbors got intrigued by it. And because they wanted to experience the healing power of Elsa, all of them went to the province the following day. Little did they know that they are about to experience the dark consequences of it.

Like any other Chito S. Roño films (except Tenement 2), The Healing was a good one. The characters were also portrayed well. Vilma Santos is Vilma Santos; there's no question for that however, the newbie star, Martin del Rosario (who played the only son of Vilma Santos) was surprisingly good in portraying his role. Special mention to Robert Arevalo for daringly delivering the most embarrassing lines in the movie - it never failed to crack me up and lightens the tension as well! The movie may not be that complicated but I loved how the plot unfolded as the movie progressed.

The Healing had been too reminiscent of other horror films the way the friends of the lead character were dying around her and it is up to her to break the curse. If it was Kris Aquino who played Seth instead of Vilma Santos, it would just be "Feng Shui" all over again.