MMFF thriller 'Uninvited' won't compromise, accepts R-16 rating

After the blockbuster success of its suspense-horror “Mallari” at last year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), Mentorque Productions is stepping up its game with “Uninvited.” Teaming up with Project 8 Projects, the film features a larger cast and a high-concept story, making it a fitting entry as the annual fest celebrates its 50th anniversary.

The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) offered an R-13 rating for “Uninvited”, similar to “Mallari”, but only if certain scenes were cut. This was non-negotiable for the production team, leading them to accept an R-16 classification, ensuring viewers experience the story uncensored.

“The producers don’t want to compromise. If you remove even one scene, the story is not complete. That’s how amazing the film is, so we settled with R-16. I can assure the viewers that they won’t regret it,” Vilma Santos said at a press conference yesterday at Citadines Cebu City.

Santos plays Lilia, a mother who seeks revenge after a tragic event involving her daughter (Gabby Padilla). Set over a span of 24 hours interspersed with flashbacks, the story follows Lilia as she infiltrates the elite scene, disguising herself as Eva to attend a lavish party hosted by Guilly (Aga Muhlach), a man who appears mysteriously younger than his age.

Joining Santos and Muhlach at the Cebu press conference were Nadine Lustre, who plays Guilly’s daughter Nicole, alongside Tirso Cruz III, Mylene Dizon, RK Bagatsing, Ron Angeles, and Cholo Barretto. Also present were director Dan Villegas and executive producer John Bryan Diamante.

With intense performances that resulted to the Star for All Seasons’ blood pressure shooting up to 140/90 during filming, Diamante emphasized the importance of leaving all the scenes in.

He explained, “Like in ‘Mallari’, we challenged all the actors. Mentorque wanted to take the cast into a territory they had never been to. This is a movie that shows Vilma Santos in a way viewers have never seen her before.”

“If we lower the rating, it would mean cutting the full performances of Ate Vi, Aga, and Nadine. This is a story of a mother’s love for her daughter. You don’t want a half-hearted performance from Ate Vi, and you will also see a new side of Nadine, so we gave their renditions in their full R-16 glory.”

Themes of injustice are central to “Uninvited”, making the R-13 rating difficult to achieve without compromising its message. “There is a lot of hard truths this film wants to tell,” Diamante further said.

“Uninvited” joins the ranks of other R-rated films in this year’s MMFF lineup. Action-thriller “Topakk” starring Arjo Atayde also received an R-16 rating, while “Strange Frequencies: Taiwan Killer Hospital” featuring Enrique Gil and Jane de Leon, is rated R-13.

According to MTRCB’s website, “Uninvited” and “Strange Frequencies” secured their ratings on their initial cuts. Meanwhile, “Topakk” underwent two revisions to achieve an R-16 classification, as its original submission earned an R-18. MTRCB has yet to reveal the rating classifications of “And the Breadwinner Is…”, “Isang Himala”, “The Kingdom” and “Espantaho.”

With these R-rated offerings, the G and PG-rated films such as “Green Bones, “Hold Me Close” and “My Future You” deviate from the usual family-friendly fare that traditionally dominate the MMFF. This reflects the evolving tastes of Filipino moviegoers who now demand high-quality stories.

“If you look at all the ten films, there is no straight-to-the-point pangbata because the market is already changing. The cast worked hard, just like Piolo Pascual did with ‘Mallari’ last year. If we lowered the rating, we would compromise too much,” Diamante said.

“Uninvited”, along with nine other MMFF entries, will hit Philippine cinemas this Christmas Day, December 25.