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Netflix review: Erik Matti's 'Rabid' is eerie, entertaining

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Fred Hawson

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="A scene from " src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/entertainment/03/12/20220312-rabid.jpg"/><figcaption><em>A scene from &#x27;Rabid&#x27;</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>This new project is director Erik Matti&#x27;s third film last year after &quot;A Girl and a Guy&quot; and his prestigious Venice Filmfest entry &quot;OTJ: The Missing 8.&quot; It is an anthology of four short films with scripts written (or co-written) by Michiko Yamamoto. According to Matti, the stories were inspired by the feelings of madness brought about by the COVID pandemic. </p><p>The excellent technicals for this production deserve mention: cinematography by Neil Derrick Bion, film editing by Mica Roca, production design by Shiel Calde and sound by Lamberto Casas Jr. and Pietro Marco Javier. Unlike the &quot;Shake, Rattle and Roll&quot; films of the past, there were no big name actors in the cast, but these were still entertaining nonetheless.</p><div><strong>Kami Lang Ba Pwede Malasin</strong></div><p>Mayette (Chesca Diaz) was the mom of a well-to-do family who took in a homeless old woman (Jay Glorioso) offered her food and shelter. As a result of this act of charity, her life and those of her husband Carlo (Jake Macapagal) and daughter Lizzie (Ammera Johara) all turned upside down. Can Lizzie&#x27;s boyfriend Dexter (Kent Gonzales) help? </p><p>This first episode instantly set the creepy mood for the whole film with its gloomy atmosphere and unsettling story. There is subtle dark comedy that underlies the dialogues and situations, which will resurface in the other episodes. Veteran theater actress Jay Glorioso dominated this episode with her campy portrayal of the Lola.</p><div><strong>Iba Pa Rin ang Karne</strong></div><p>Jane (Pam Gonzales) had contracted a condition which caused her behavior to turn into that of a wild animal, so she had to be chained up to be restrained. Her husband Melvin (Vance Larena) patiently took care of her, trying to force feed her with a concoction her vegetables which was supposed to help her get well.</p><p>This two-hander episode had the most simple story line among the four, but it had the most complicated set design. There was only one setting in this one, an underground cave which looked like a basement storage facility with various junk. Unlike the other episodes, this one had more sentimental drama, than horror or humor.</p><div><strong>S**t Happens</strong></div><p>Slacker young nurse Becky (Ayeesha Cervantes) took on a job as unit nurse in a small hospital while waiting for her visa to arrive. However, Luzviminda (Ube Lola) the comatose patient in Rm 207, had other plans for her. Meanwhile, her fellow nurse Reggie (Ricci Rivero) and her boyfriend Walter (Brace Arquiza) try to get her out of trouble. </p><p>As a true horror comedy, this episode had to be the most over-the-top of the four. It took its time to build up steam at first, but once the main action between Becky and Luzviminda kicked in, the absurdity of the situation was a lot of fun to follow, all the way to that LOL shock ending. I did not know Ube Lola before this but she will be hard to forget.</p><div><strong>HM?</strong></div><p>Single mom Princess (Donna Cariaga) was laid off from work during the pandemic. In order to make money to raise her son Nico (Ynigo Delen), she tried selling her home-cooked viands online, but her cooking was not any good. However, when she used a secret ingredient she learned from a pop-up ad, her kare-kare turned into an instant sensation among foodies. </p><p>With her self-deprecating sense of humor, Donna Cariaga was perfectly cast as the problematic woebegone Princess. Child actor Ynigo Delen excelled with an intense performance that certainly made this episode most harrowing. This had the eeriest &quot;Twilight Zone&quot;-feels for me with that stressful build-up to that absolutely terrifying climax.</p><p>This review was originally published in the author&#x27;s blog, &quot;<a href="https://said-fred.blogspot.com/2021/11/upstream-review-of-rabid-eerie.html">Fred Said</a>.&quot;</p>

According to director Erik Matti, the stories in 'Rabid' were inspired by the feelings of madness brought about by the COVID pandemic. 