Surviving Evil (2009) Movie Review, Trailer, Film Still and Poster

UK, SOUTH AFRICA 2009
Director: Terence Daw
Cast: Billy Zane, Natalie Mendoza, Christina Cole, Gerald Zarcilla, Joel Torre, Colin Moss, Louise Barnes
Rating:
Release Date: 2 October 2009 (UK)
Running Time: 1 hour 29 minutes 45 seconds

The Movie Review

Surviving Evil film still 1


SURVIVING EVIL
Storyline:
Cast:
Ending:
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Truly filmmakers would never run out of idea if they're willing to look at the magnificent folklores scattered in the world and South East Asian countries do still hold many secrets and legends. Certainly Philippine is one of the countries there to be explored her mythical stories. This time it's about Aswang, a folklore creature seemingly dreadfully very popular in Philippine.

Surviving Evil centers on 6 crews of a TV program about survival in the wilderness with their host and star Sebastian 'Seb' Beazly (Billy Zane), director Rachel Rice (Louise Barnes), along with Phoebe (Christina Cole), cameraman Dex (Colin Moss) and the natives of Philippine Chill Reyes (Natalie Mendoza) and Joey (Joel Torre). For the upcoming show, they go to a remote Mayaman Island. All went well on the first day of their shooting with their side mission is to find the Isarog tribe living in midst of the thick jungle there. However, Joey and Chill find out that the Isarog villagers have been sadistically butchered right in their homes. But Joey seemingly has something else in his mind for he doesn't inform this to his clueless friends. While Chill, Phoebe and Dex has also see mysterious figure in the jungle, but they just don't realize it at first. They should've realized it, for the Mayaman Island is the home of the vampire-like creature notoriously known as Aswang. A creature that prey on human flesh and can change shape into whomever they want. What will happen to them? And what does Joey's real intention there?

From the very first moment this movie starts, I knew this movie would be just another regular slasher flick. Not that I mind that very much though, but honestly this movie would have a hard time scaring seasoned horror fans. Especially with the relatively slow pacing. The writers probably intent to make the audience get to know the characters better, but somehow it didn't work. They're just chattering and blabbering and none of them has strong personality, the good thing is, this British horror film is rather different with none of the characters is purely evil. And I do admit the Aswang legend is scary but their figure here is kinda cheesy. With all these flaws, Surviving Evil almost felt like it's coming from Sci-Fi Channel. Almost...

However even though it takes almost 1 hour into the movie when the real action finally kicks in, those last few minutes of Surviving Evil are intense. A lot of actions with gunfights, explosions, running aimlessly in the dark jungle, climbing and even flying. At this moment the acting quality of Natalie Mendoza (of The Descent (2006) and The Descent 2 (2010)) really shines. But Billy Zane from Titanic (1997) who has gone through time with vampire before in BloodRayne (2006) and in remote island in Three (aka Survival Island (2006)) is unbelievably wooden as the tree in that jungle in England. Yep, they shot it in England and in South Africa btw. Anyhow, seeing this movie I was constantly spending 1 hour looking at the clock, but fortunately that ending part didn't bore me at all. You might find this hybrid of monster and supernatural and slasher movie interesting if you haven't got other Island-theme movie to watch for example. But like I said, for seasoned horror fans, you can safely skip it.

> Go on a trip to the islands of massacre: The Seamstress (2009), Growth (2009) and Pinata: Survival Island (2002).