Vilma Santos inspires ‘Uninvited’ to be a revenge thriller

CEBU, Philippines — At first glance, “Uninvited” looks like one of the edgier picks of this year’s usually family-friendly Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). It’s an R-16 revenge thriller that doesn’t hold back on violence and sex.

At its core, however, it’s a story of a mother’s love for her children, consistent with past MMFF family dramas like “Mano Po” and “Family of Two,” but with a dark twist.

Even more surprising is that the concept came from an unlikely mastermind: no other than its lead star Vilma Santos.

The film’s executive producer, John Bryan Diamante, said last year at the "Mallari" press conference in Cebu that it would be a dream for him to work with Santos, who is a family friend.

“We had many stories to pitch to her. Even if she wouldn’t say it directly, you could tell she wasn’t sold because she had done something similar already. So we asked her what she wanted to do instead,” Diamante said during a press conference over the weekend at Citadines Cebu City.

“In the decades I have been in this industry, I wanted to do something that could be a challenge, and that’s how the concept of ‘Uninvited’ came to be; a story of a grieving mother set over the course of 24 hours,” Santos said.

Through his production company Mentorque Productions, Diamante tapped Project 8 Projects to help expand Santos’ idea, with the latter studio’s founders Dan Villegas and Antoinette Jadaone as director and producer respectively.

Warner Bros. Pictures is collaborating with Mentorque once again as the distributor for “Uninvited”, following the impressive box office success of “Mallari” which reportedly grossed P225 million in the box office.

“One thing Bryan does is, he doesn’t just offer lip service. He takes action immediately. That’s what I like about him because, in this generation of filmmaking, you need that [decisiveness],” Santos remarked.

With further assistance from filmmaker Irene Villamor as the creative director and Dodo Dayao penning the script, Santos was thrilled with their finalized pitch that she wanted to shoot the film immediately.

Adding to Santos’ excitement was that she would be leading an ensemble cast with Aga Muhlach (their first project together since 1994 in “Nag-iisang Bituin”) and Nadine Lustre.

Taking place on a single night at a lavish birthday party, Santos plays Lilia, a grieving mother who infiltrates the elite circles as a socialite named Eva, seeking revenge for the murder of her daughter Lily (Gabby Padilla). Her target is the man of the hour, billionaire Guilly Vega (Aga Muhlach), whom she holds responsible for Lily’s death.

Part of the supporting cast present at the Cebu press conference included Mylene Dizon, Tirso Cruz III, RK Bagatsing, Cholo Barreto, and Ron Angeles. Completing the ensemble are Elijah Canlas, Ketchup Eusebio, Gio Alvarez, and Nonie Buencamino.

Remarking on the all-star cast, the Star for All Seasons said, “It’s not every day you get to work with the finest actors in showbiz.”

She also commended the equally powerful crew. “From our three directors, Dan, Tonet, and Irene, when we would shoot a scene, they’d all be watching through the monitor. We never knew if we did it right or not. That’s a challenge for us.”

This marks Villegas’ first feature-length film in six years, his last being 2018’s “Hintayan ng Langit” starring the late actor Eddie Garcia and Gina Pareño.

“From the cast alone, it’s worth the movie ticket,” the director said. “I am so proud of the cast and crew who worked on the film. When I saw the final footage, everything like the performances and the shots were something to be proud of.”

The cast isn’t the only factor making “Uninvited” more expensive than “Mallari” which had an P80 million budget.

The production reused the Arri Alexa 35 camera, a Hollywood standard used in films like “The Equalizer 3” and “Alien: Romulus.” To elevate the visual quality, the production spent P18 million on five customized lenses specifically for the film.

“Even by the trailer, it doesn’t look like a usual Pinoy movie. You can’t pitch the technical aspects to everyday audiences, but they’ll notice because of how much we invested in the visuals,” Diamante said.

For Lustre who plays Gilly’s opportunistic daughter Nicole, “Uninvited” offered a chance to step away from horror and showcase her versatility in a different genre.

“When Direk Dan pitched it to me, I was excited, especially with the cast being this big. Before he could finish, I was already game,” Lustre said. “At least this time, people will look at what I can do as an actress.”

She added that despite her recent string of horror films, she doesn’t consider herself the new “horror queen.” “It’s too early. I’m just happy I’m doing my roles correctly and giving them justice. I don’t want to box myself into one genre, but I’m super grateful nonetheless.”

To portray her dual roles, Santos drew on her own experience as a mother. “I will do everything for my children. Whatever Lilia and Eva did was out of a mother’s love in response to injustice and abuse,” she said.

Aiding her performance was Villegas’ guidance. “Sometimes, he’d tell me he wants to see me as a mother; other times, as Eva. That helped me understand how to react as each character,” she shared.

Cruz III, who plays Guilly’s father, Red, praised Santos’ commitment. “Miss Vilma concentrated on her performance. There were times her blood pressure hit 140/90 because of the role’s demands. She gave so much life to her character by being a professional,” he said.

Barretto, who plays Celso, praised Villegas’ direction. “I was well-guided by our director. Even during the look test, he gave us specific details on how to approach our characters.”

Dizon, playing Guilly’s wife Katrina, emphasized the importance of adjusting to each role. “You don’t want to be the same all the time. It’s about putting rawness and importance into your role and hoping everything works out.”

Even rising actor Ron Angeles admitted he felt intimidated working with a veteran cast but credited Villegas for easing his nerves. “From day one, Direk Dan was hands-on with everything,” he said.

For Muhlach, the project’s ensemble dynamic made it a unique experience for him. “In most movies, there are lead stars and supporting actors. Here, everyone gave a huge performance as one,” he said.

Bagatsing, who plays Jigger, echoed similar sentiments. “You see how your fellow actors work on their process and how they interact with each other on and off cam. That’s something to aspire to in your career. I’m grateful to be part of this cast.”

Despite its dark tone, Santos assured viewers they would leave the cinema with a meaningful lesson, uniquely presented for audiences to experience when it comes out on Christmas Day, December 25.

“It’s a thriller and quite dark, but it ends with a beautiful message,” she shared. “This is a movie that all of us can be proud of. It’s something different we can offer to our audience, and I hope this excitement is something we can pass on to them.”  — (FREEMAN)