Mallari (2023) – Review | Filipino Horror on Netflix | Heaven of Horror

An intriguing story worth knowing

The story in Mallari is based on a horrific true story, which I will get back to. However, I can say that in this movie, we become familiar with Father Severino Mallari. He was a 19th-century priest during the Spanish occupation.

Unfortunately for the people in his parish in Pampanga, he descents into madness and kills people. A lot of people!

All supposedly in an attempt to help his ailing mother live longer.

In the story told in this movie, we get several stories that interlink three generations of the Mallari family. From Juan Severino in 1812 to Johnrey in 1948, and finally Jonathan, in 2023.

Both Johnrey and Jonathan have the ability to see and move across time. Well, sort of, you’ll have to watch the movie to know the ins and outs of their gift as “travelers”. For the record, I liked this part as it gave the story an extra edge.

What I did not like was the crazy chronology of the storytelling, the repetition of both scenes (in part due to the time travel aspect) and the same CGI “horror faces” that were anything but scary. Well, to me anyway.

For the record, only Severino is based on a real person. His descendants are fictional.