Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla (Kathniel) Starrer Pagpag: Siyam na Buhay - Graded B by CEB, PG by MTRCB

 With a concrete story to bank on, Pagpag surfaces as one of the greatest horror local movies I've seen. It's storytelling is rational, logical and easy to grasp. It's so good you want to remember those times when you attended a funeral and recall if you actually did the "pagpag". Binded with an excellent material, the cinematography and the production design also came strong. 

Sadly though, MMFF's lone horror entry is not flawless. With director Franco Mortiz's hands tied on lifting the technical aspects of the film, he seemed to forget about the cast. There's no doubt Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla have oozing chemistry onscreen. However, their charms didn't transform to acting efficiency. 

Kathryn as Leni dela Torre has so many opportunities to go all out. With more than enough time in the movie to be intense, she poured a portrayal that is half-baked most especially at the critical portions of the film. Could be excused for being expected to be less emotional than his female counterpart, Daniel shows improvement but still not enough to deliver what the movie required.