A film driven by atmosphere and a sense of foreboding dread, Pasahero (Viva Films, JPHLiX Films & Entertainment Ltd Co, Studio Viva, BLVCK Films, Pelikula Indiopendent, 2024) proves that even though you may think you are done with the past, the past isn’t always necessarily done with you. There’s very little surprise to the movie, as Juvy Galamiton’s screenplay pretty much lays out just who is stalking the six passengers on the last trip of an MMR train and what the apparition’s ultimate intent is rather early on. Instead, director Roman Perez Jr. makes this an affair that’s a bit more about creating a palpable mood filled with tension and dreamlike uncertainty, where viewers are never quite sure just what is fantasy and what is reality. The film’s ensemble of actors all do a wondrous job bringing a sense of gravitas to the picture. Bea Binene (Angel) and Louise delos Reyes (Michelle) give intriguing performances, especially the former, who plays her role with an indescribable, transcendental quality. The mystery driving the haunting is so cold-blooded and practical that you won’t even think twice about its motivation. The movie is told with style. It goes without saying that style is the most important single element in every ghost story, since without it even the most ominous events disintegrate into silliness. And Pasahero, is aware that if characters talk too much they disperse the tension, adopting a very economical story-telling approach.
Sound Designer: Lamberto Casas Jr., Alex Tomboc
Musical Director: Dek Margaja
Editor: Aaron Alegre
Production Design: JC Catiggay
Director of Photography: Neil Bion
Screenplay: Juvy Galamiton
Directed By: Roman Perez, Jr.
