Netflix PHL makes its first psychological thriller zombie film

ISOLATED in an ominous farmhouse mansion in the Philippine countryside for a zombie film are actors Sid Lucero, Beauty Gonzalez, Marco Masa, and Aiden Tyler Patdu, who play the Abel family in Netflix Philippines’ Outside.

The film sees them seeking shelter in the childhood home of volatile patriarch Francis (played by Mr. Lucero), a decision that unearths a big secret and ultimately brings a threat far greater than the undead corpses around them.

Outside premiered on Netflix on Oct. 17. While it isn’t the first Filipino zombie film or psychological thriller, it is the first that the platform produced, alongside Black Cap Pictures.

Ms. Gonzalez plays the unhappy and restless wife Iris, while Mr. Masa and Mr. Patdu play the teenage Josh and younger brother Lucas, respectively. The story follows their attempts to stay safe — from the apocalyptic scene unfolding around them and the demons hidden within their chosen shelter.

Since the film is in a genre known for visual effects, it was important for everything to “feel real,” said Filipino-Australian director and screenwriter Carlo Ledesma.

“I wanted the ‘dead ones’ to have their make-up look as realistic as possible. The bridge scene shows the utmost attention to detail and mindful consideration for more discerning viewers. It also involved bringing in local creatives from Negros, from theater actors who played the zombies to the production designers who built the setup filled with real cars lining the bridge, to create the very Filipino story of Outside,” he said at the Oct. 16 press launch at the Grand Hyatt Manila in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

For Ms. Gonzalez, whose character hopes to get away from her family problems and internal struggles, the bridge scene is meaningful. She said that the entire sequence was filmed over three separate days.

“In many ways, the bridge is like a metaphor for her, like, ‘on the other side of the bridge lies a different life for me’,” Ms. Gonzalez said. “We wanted it to symbolize the crossing to a different threshold.”

“We put our blood and tears into it so it almost doesn’t matter what you guys think because we love what we did. We’re just people trying to make a vision — our director’s vision — and we did it as honestly as we could,” added Mr. Lucero, whose chilling character of Francis faces the most drastic transformation in the film.

Taking on the role of the first-born son is Mr. Masa, whose Josh represents how a teenager may deal with the whole situation. At the launch, he explained that the locked-in taping in Negros was a welcome challenge.

He told the press he was able to focus on a character that is unable to move freely due to his parents’ decisions: “Gusto ko ihiwalay ’yung bonding ng family sa work at nagkaroon ako ng second family (I wanted to separate the family bonding from the work, and so I gained a second family).”

In preparation for the story, which isolates its characters in a large, eerie property not unlike the Torrance family in The Shining, director Mr. Ledesma channeled emotions that arose during the pandemic.

“All my fears and anxieties as a parent suddenly came flowing into the pages,” he said. “It’s a film about zombies but ultimately, it’s a film about an imperfect family really trying to do their best. No one here is perfect; no one here is a bad guy. No one here is an ‘evil character’.”

While Mr. Ledesma and co-writer Anton Santamaria worked on the script together, Ms. Gonzalez found it somewhat personal since she grew up on a farm. She said that getting into character was not difficult.

“I read the script and realized I don’t really need to prepare. I trusted my director and his direction because the script is really beautifully written,” she explained.

Netflix Philippines’ content lead, Vitto Lazatin, said, before the panel with the cast and director was held, that Outside is but one production among the many lined up in the company’s mission to “entertain the world with Filipino stories.” This is why the film is available on the platform worldwide, in 32 languages.

“We’re extremely passionate about it, trying to find the best Filipino stories and bringing it to our platform,” he said. “Naniniwala kami na ang kwentong Pinoy ay kakaiba, ang kwentong Pinoy ay maganda, at ang kwentong Pinoy ay dapat ipamahagi sa mundo (We believe that Filipino stories are unique, beautiful, and worth sharing with the world).” — Brontë H. Lacsamana