'Block Z' (2020)

Genre: Horror Thriller

Mikhail Red’s ‘Block Z’ excites the new generation of audiences

By Joey Ting

Watching films has always been some kind of an escape for me whenever I was not hiding behind the hangered clothes in my room’s closet. It has become part of my weird personality to hide whenever debates of my parents soared up at the top of their lungs in the living room and avoiding not to be scolded by them because of some non-performing grades in school. In the closet, I see nothing but darkness, of course, since I would even turn off the lights of the room and pretend that I am in my brother’s. In darkness, my imagination really works, terribly scaring myself out and developing that fear into a nightmare in sleep. Since then, my attraction for suspense-horror genres in films has never stopped until this date.

‘Block Z’, directed by Mikhail Red, is a suspense-horror Filipino film that touches on the holocaust of ill-fated virus. In turn, people who have become victims of this virus have transformed themselves into an army of zombies, reflexive of the previous zombie films we’ve had in the past years such as – British film director Danny Boyle’s ’28 Weeks Later’, then the sequel, ’28 Days Later’; German-born Swiss film director Marc Forster’s ‘World War Z’ and the sequel upcoming. Netflix’s ‘Cargo’ is synonymous as well as the film tackles a pandemic virus in Australia. Its directors Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke have treated the setting in post-apocalyptic aftermath. There were several previous films that have easily turned out into cult classics: ‘Dawn of the Dead’ (1978, 2004), ‘Return of the Living Dead (1985), ‘The Serpent and The Rainbow’ (1988), ‘Night of the Living Dead’ (1968), ‘I am Legend’ (2007), ‘Resident Evil’ (2002) including the Korean Asian hit zombie apocalyptic ‘Train to Busan’ (2016).  

Distributed by Star Cinema, this ABS-CBN Film production in collaboration with Keep Filming, features young talented resident network’s film and television personalities of today’s generation. Taking the lead is Julia Barretto who plays the role of PJ, an OJT medical student of a university along with Joshua Garcia (Lucas), a varsity basketball player, Maris Racal (PJ’s best friend), Yves Flores (Gelo, class president), McCoy De Leon (best friend of Lucas), Myrtle Sarrosa (an ally of Gelo) while veteran actress Ina Raymundo portrays the conflicting mother character with child star-turned-leading man Ian Veneracion who plays the compassionate father. Dimples Romana, from the famed TV soap ‘Kadenang Ginto’ among others, portrays a different character, this time as a lady school guard. The ensemble of the cast is impeccable as shown in their variety of intensity, rhythm and clarity in their character performances. Stand outs could be given to Garcia who has displayed natural truth in struggle and providing sharpness in his performative skills while Racal surely ignites the pulse of sincerity and truth in her portrayal handling both humor and seriousness. Theater character actor Timothy Castillo was a positive scene stealer in the film. He has helped make audiences laugh and scream at the same time. Castillo’s innate acting ability has made him contributed a lot in the film.  

Red is known to have directed critically-acclaimed films such as ‘Birdshot’, a 2016 Tokyo International Film Festival’s Best Asian Film in the Asian Future Section, currently streaming in Netflix. He also directed ‘Eerie’ (2019) under a Singapore-based film company and Star Cinema starred in by Bea Alonzo and Charo Santos. It was in the film ‘Dead Kids’ (2019) where Red has acquired a solid reputation as an international filmmaker, streaming as well in Netflix and served as his main producer. Though Red’s directorial style could have been succinct if some scene intentions have been clarified further especially in the last minutes of the film where Barretto finally decided to finish what has to be done to fulfill its ending.

Undeniably, music, scored by Paul Sigua and Myka Magsaysay-Sigua, makes it as one of the film’s strengths. It did capture the balance between pop and thematic styles specifically when scenes did not call for it. Cinematographer Steven Paul Evangelio tandems successfully with the music. Evangelio provides the necessary frame compositions and lighting techniques to evoke the suspension of disbelief from the audiences. Those shaky camera movements done intentionally brought a deeper sense of discomfort. Editing transitions have helped immensely move the action forward where most of the scenes have fast-paced rhythm. Although competent production design was evident, it lacked interpretation and cinematic symbols. Art direction could have been cerebral to elate the discourse of horror genre rather than make it literal. Over all, the film’s message is very clear and Red’s film direction has captured the tested formula of this genre. I just hope Red gets to evolve and translate future film materials into an IGen’s revolutionary interpretation that would fit to all generations and perhaps landing an Oscar’s nod someday.

‘Block Z’ opens in cinemas nationwide on January 29, 2020.