Now we are all used to watching classic Western horror films, but they can get formulaic and repetitive after a while. Watching the best Filipino horror movies is a good way to get rid of that monotonous feeling.
Filipino horror movies are eccentric and exceptional because they are based on the country’s rich folklore, urban legends, and superstitions. The following list of the 8 best Filipino horror films is sure to make you paranoid and release all the fears in the back of your head.
List of the top 8 best Filipino horror movies
A table depicting the premier date and ratings of the movies is given below:
| Movie name | Premier Date | Ratings |
Shake Roll and Rattle (series) | 1984 – 2014 | IMDb rating: 6.8/10 Rotten Tomatoes rating: 50% |
Kuwaresma | May 15, 2019 | IMDb rating: 5.6/10 Letterboxd rating: 2.6/5 |
Sunod | December 25, 2019 | IMDb rating: 5.6/10 Letterboxd rating: 2.8/5 |
Aswang | November 2, 2011 | IMDb rating: 5.6/10 Letterboxd rating: 2.8/5 |
Eerie | March 27, 2019 | IMDb rating: 4.7/10 Letterboxd rating: 2.4/5 |
Feng Shui | September 15, 2004 | IMDb rating: 6.5/10 Letterboxd rating: 2.2/5 |
Sukob | March 15, 2006 | IMDb rating: 6.1/10 Rotten Tomatoes rating: 75% |
Banal | May 29, 2019 | IMDb rating: 4.6/10 Letterboxd rating: 1.8/5 |
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Now let’s get to know the director, cast, and overall plot of the 8 best Filipino horror movies listed above.
1. Shake Roll and Rattle (series)
Director: Athena Productions (1984), Regal Entertainment (1990-2014)
Cast: Dennis Trillo, Sheryl Cruz, etc
You cannot talk about local Filipino horror movies without talking about this horror anthology series of 15 films. Each film series has 3 episodes featuring different Filipino supernatural beings, superstitions, urban legends, extraterrestrials, cults, and demonic possessions.
Each episode shows us a different story starring various cast members. It depicts many different types of Filipino local legends and tales through cinematography and presents a true horror-permeating experience!
2. Kuwaresma
Director: Erik Matti
Cast:
- Kent Gonzales
- Pam Gonzales
- John Arcilla
- Sharon Cuneta
- Jac Pequena
Kuwaresma tells us the story of two twins, a brother and a sister. Luis Fajardo returns home to Baguio to his parents after discovering his twin sister is dead. He is welcomed by his parents, Rebecca and Arturo to mourn the death of his twin sister.
But they hide the truth about the cause of the death of their daughter from their son Luis. The story follows how Luis discovers the true cause of his twin sister’s death as she haunts the family home.
3. Sunod
Director: Carlo Ledesma
Cast:
- Krystal Brimner
- Rhed Bustamante
- Carmina Villarroel
- JC Santos
- Dolly De Leon
This movie is unique in its way. The movie follows the story of a single mother, Olivia, and her sick daughter, Annelle. Forced by the accumulating hospital bills of her daughter stricken by heart disease, Olivia is forced to take a job at a call center.
Her job is located at an old building on the top floor with a very eerie vibe. It turns out that the old building was home to a gruesome past and the spirits in it torturing Olivia and her colleagues.
4. Aswang
Director: Jerrold Tarog
Cast:
- Lovi Poe
- Paulo Avelino
- Albie Casiño
- Jillian Ward
- Marc Abaya
This movie is another supernatural beings plot that follows two siblings, Gabriel and Ahnia, who are on the run from a trio of assassins that slaughtered their family members. But during their journey, they stumble into the wrong town.
The town is known to be infested by different creatures called Abuwaks, a type of an aswang that looks like normal humans but can transform into raven-like birds and burrow underground to attack. The movie shows us the adventure of the sibling’s battle against the Abuwaks and assassins.
5. Eerie
Director: Mikhail Red
Cast:
- Gillian Vicencio
- Bea Alonzo
- Gabby Padilla
- Mary Joy Apostol
- Charo Santos-Concio
Like countless horror movies, this story is driven by a rumor. It is said in the movie that a girl named Erika grotesquely killed herself in the cubicle on the grounds of a Catholic all-girls boarding school named St. Luca, which is run by the authoritarian nun, Sor Alice.
Once the rumors start flying, everyone gets scared. Many haunting occurrences and supernatural events lead to everyone getting traumatized. Many start to believe that they’re being haunted by the deceased girl, Erika’s ghost. As the matter starts to get out of hand, the school guidance counselor, Patricia sets out on a hunt to discover the truth.
6. Feng Shui
Director: Chito S. Roño
Cast:
- Kris Aquino
- Ernesto Sto. Domingo
- Julianne Gomez
- Jay Manalo
- Rosie Salco
This story follows the main lead, Joy Ramirez, who finds a Bagua mirror and unknowingly takes it home with her after consulting her friend, who tells her that based on feng shui tradition, it’ll bring her family good luck. Joy places the mirror in her family home following her friend’s advice.
Afterward, many fortunate events transpire upon placing the mirror in the home. But Joy gets suspicious of her luck and upon researching, she finds out that whoever stares into the mirror mysteriously dies. Their deaths are also connected to their Chinese zodiac signs.
7. Sukob
Director: Chito S. Roño
Cast:
- Kris Aquino
- Claudine Barretto
- Wendell Ramos
- Boots Anson-Roa
- Maja Salvador
- Ronaldo Valdez
There is a traditional superstition among the Filipino people that you should not get married within one year of a relative’s death. This movie shows us a dark twist on that phenomenon by showing the story of a couple, Sandy and Dale, both of whom worked overseas.
They return to the Philippines for their wedding but, upon arrival, discover that one of Sandy’s close childhood friends had died along with her family years ago. Her friend, Helen, ignored her father’s death and proceeded to marry even though she was advised against it.
Eventually, chaos fell upon her family, and they slowly died out.
Sandy also ignores this superstition and proceeds with her wedding. But she falls victim to the curse, as said, and she watches all her family and friends disappear around her.
8. Banal
Director: Peter Abanna
Cast:
- Taki Saito
- Bianca Umali
- Andrea Brillantes
- Miguel Tanfelix
- Paolo Contis
- Glydel Mercado
This movie follows a group of teenagers on a hiking trip. Erika, who has a terminally ill mother, learns from a friend that there is a sacred mountain where there is a cure for all diseases.
She rounds up a group of other friends and enlists their help to find the cure for her mom. But their hiking trip is marred by many resentful spirits and ghost-like creatures tormenting them.
Where can I watch Filipino horror movies?
Now, these movies are, as mentioned, all Filipino. So it can be quite an issue to find the proper streaming platform to watch the movies.
But we have got you covered! Platforms where you can watch Filipino horror movies are listed below:
- Netflix (paid subscription)
- WeTV (some free content, paid subscription available)
- Upstream (pay-per-view subscription)
- iWantTFC (free)
- Youtube (free)
Of course, some of these websites will require a VPN to access the content as they are made only for the Filipino nation.
Conclusion
There’s nothing like a good Filipino horror movie because they are truly amazing to get into the spooky spirit. The top 8 best Filipino horror movies listed above will surely awaken the fear at the back of your head. But I must warn you. These Filipino horror movies are not for the faint of hearts! It may even have you sleeping with the lights on for a few days. So, choose one of the streaming services above and watch with caution. After all, enjoy the movies as they are just horror flicks made for entertainment and thrill.
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