“HELL IS A PLACE ON EARTH.”
Lilim is about a week from its theatrical release in the Philippines, a kind of homecoming from its world premiere at IFFR 2025. Directed by Mikhail Red (Birdshot), the film follows a young renegade (Heaven Peralejo) who seeks refuge in what she purports to be a safe haven — a monestary.
“I wanted to make a film about a hidden society sheltering from the encroaching oppression of the times,” Red tells Variety. “Only to collapse and fall victim to their own beliefs, a society shackled by fear and by fanaticism, mirroring the very world it tries to escape.”
Hearing Red describe his film, we can’t help but think Isabel Sandoval’s Aparisyon — but with, as Screen Anarchy puts it, “copious amount of make-up effects, prosthetics, blood, stunts, and gunplay.”
The film boasts a grand cast, including Eula Valdez (Neomanila), Ryza Cenon, and Mon Confiado. Lilim opens in theaters next Wednesday, March 12th.
Watch the full trailer here:
