Pasahero - Movie Review

Image courtesy of Viva Films

Have you ever witnessed an emergency unfold, only to find yourself frozen in place, hoping someone else would step in? This chilling inaction, known as the "Bystander Effect," is a psychological phenomenon that has captivated researchers for decades. Now, ‘cult director’ Roman Perez Jr. brings this unsettling reality to the big screen with a supernatural twist in his latest film, Pasahero. Will this new release make you run to the cinema to see it, or just stay put? Read on for our Movie Review!

Bea Binene stars as Angel, one of many passengers on a late-night train ride who, along with an ensemble cast featuring Katya Santos, Mark Anthony Fernandez, and Yumi Garcia, witness Michelle, a saleslady (portrayed by Louise Delos Reyes) being sexually assaulted by a drugged-up deviant (Rafa Siguion-Reyna). They all see and hear the woman's hapless cries for help but decide to do nothing, succumbing to the Bystander Effect. Shortly after the incident, those who did nothing to help Michelle are being haunted by her. Is there anything the “bystanders” can do to make the haunting stop?

We’d like to start by pointing out that Filipino Horror Cinema is having quite a year, so far. We started the year with the underrated gem My Zombabe starring Empoy Marquez and Kim Molina (also written by Pasahero scribe Juvy Galamiton), and now this. It’s always been said that horror films are the easiest kinds of films to make because you already have an in-built formula for basically printing money - just include supernatural mumbo-jumbo, include cheap jump scares, and end the film with a ‘final girl’ (or guy) surviving the night. However, it’s when these kinds of films attempt to be more than what they are that they earn more of our respect.

The film effectively awakens the audience to the Bystander Effect, using interspersed sequences of actual instances captured on cellphone cameras or CCTVs. That stylistic choice, mixed in with Perez, Jr. choosing to not let his actors ham it up (like a typical local horror joint), quite honestly sent up a chill up our spine, simply by tapping into a very real and very visceral fear that we sometimes forget that we have. And when the film does evoke that sense of fear, it’s doesn’t pull punches either; there’s one especially gnarly bit of gore towards the end of the film that we really weren’t expecting, and it drives home the psychological trauma that the film hopes to impart in its message.

Not everything about the film works, though; The film moves at an almost languid pace, not really sustaining the tension built from one victim’s demise to another. And though the film features solid performances from Binene and Santos, there’s room for improvement elsewhere - Andre Yllana as Martin could have used more depth as his performance felt somewhat flat. Also, Fernandez seems to be coasting through his part in the film, but gets a pass when his “Final Destination” moment calls for him to keep on acting the way he’s been acting for the entire film.

Not all horror films need to subscribe to the tired, cliche formula of jumpscares every 5 minutes to tell a terrifying and possibly timely tale. It’s also worth noting that today’s audiences seem to be looking for films that cater more to both their amygdala and cerebellum, and it’s admirable that Pasahero choose to not just end up as another mindless scare fest.

CINEGEEK RATING: B