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Director Yam Laranas returns with new thriller 'Death of a Girlfriend'

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Leah C. Salterio

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zLPCN9TZiWk?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>MANILA -- After his last two screen thrillers “Aurora” (2018) and “Night Shift” (2020), director Yam Laranas is back at the helm of another suspense movie “Death of a Girlfriend.”</p><p>Although this one is a mystery love story that Laranas also wrote, “Death of a Girlfriend” is a total departure from the previous horror films that he churned out. </p><p>“Not everybody knows about this, but this film is based on a true story that happened in France that I was so inspired with,” Laranas told ABS-CBN News. “It involves a lot of mystery. I always want to involve the audience in my films. They will look forward from one scene to the other.”</p><p>“Death of a Girlfriend” boasts a very lean cast. Diego Loyzaga plays Alonzo and AJ Raval is Christine, the lovers in the story. Raul Moret is the forest ranger and Arnold Reyes is the farmer. There’s a fifth actor played by Soliman Cruz, although he will not be seen in the entire film.</p><p>“I like eventful pieces and character-driven stories,” Laranas offered. “If you will watch ‘Death of a Girlfriend,’ you will see the characters of Diego as Alonzo and AJ as Christine are so alive and real.</p><p>“There’s a rollercoaster in store for everyone to see. It’s a new kind of genre that I’m tackling. Fortunately, I am working with both Diego and AJ. I just polished the final mix. There are so many emotions involved here. Everyone will be in for a surprise.”</p><p>Inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s psychological crime thriller “Rashomon” (1950), the film also drew similarities from Ingmar Bergman’s “The Virgin Spring” (1960).</p><p>Yet Laranas made sure “Death of a Girlfriend” also carries his own trademark that displays techniques he employed in this new genre, which he delivers with a fascinating spin.</p><p>“I am still playing with their emotions, but there’s a twist to the story and the mystery,” he said. “It’s still thrilling. That will create a mood and specific tone that I brought into this film. When they watch this, there are still some horrifying scenes and love scenes, but without the supernatural elements to say it in a more direct way.”</p><p>“Death of a Girlfriend,” insists its director, has dual meaning for a lot of people who are in love. </p><p>“Double meaning ang title,” Laranas explained. “It’s the ending of a love story or the beginning [of a love story]. It took a while to convince Viva to carry that title. But when the executives watched the film, they realized bagay nga siya. It’s a good contrast when you have death, girlfriend and a love story. It becomes more intriguing.”</p><p>Incidentally, when Laranas was still in film school at the Mowelfund, he did a film he also titled “Death of a Girlfriend.”</p><p>There will be a lot of intriguing scenes in this new one that will make viewers watch and wait for the next one. Yet “Death of a Girlfriend” has no gore, according to Laranas.</p><p>“The long and short of it, the love story between the two characters of Diego and AJ has a lot of mystery in it,” the director said. “To them, is love real or merely a trick? When you watch the film, you will be mystified.”</p><p>Raval, who was introduced in Darryl Yap’s “Paglaki Ko, Gusto Ko Maging Pornstar” shown early this year, makes her sophomore outing in “Death of a Girlfriend.”</p><p>“This is the very first screenplay, I wrote it in English first. When I read it to my friends in LA [Los Angeles], then my friends here, they all fell in love with it,” Laranas said. “They really love the story. So I really said, gagawin ko ‘to no matter what the budget is, no matter how I’ll do it, I will do it.”</p><p>Expectedly, Laranas delivers “Death of a Girlfriend” with his brilliant ideas as he continues to roll with the punches. “I like to play with the minds of the audience,” he insisted. “Gusto ko silang maging involved sa storytelling and mystery.</p><p>“As the writer and cinematographer, it’s more challenging for me. I like it. Who knows, maybe my next film will be a real love story.”</p><p>“Death of a Girlfriend” will start streaming April 30 on Vivamax, KTX.ph, iWantTFC and Sky PPV (Pay Per View).</p><div><strong>Related video:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7RCqqjFM4mI?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p># # # </p>

<p>After his last two screen thrillers “Aurora” (2018) and “Night Shift” (2020), director Yam Laranas is back at the helm of another suspense movie “Death of a Girlfriend.”</p>

After his last two screen thrillers “Aurora” (2018) and “Night Shift” (2020), director Yam Laranas is back at the helm of another suspense movie “Death of a Girlfriend.”