Reality MM Studios’ official entry to the 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival, “Strange Frequencies: Taiwan Killer Hospital,” has landed on the radar of Hollywood media outlet “Variety,” following the release of its first trailer. The film’s adaptation of a South Korean cult horror hit, its unique blend of Filipino talent and its innovative “meta” found-footage style have clearly piqued the interest of international audiences.
Produced by acclaimed horror director Erik Matti and veteran filmmaker Dondon Monteverde, in partnership with actor Enrique Gil, the film follows a group of young Filipino actors as they explore and film inside one of Taiwan’s most haunted locations, Xinglin Hospital.
This ambitious adaptation offers a fresh take on the original 2018 Korean hit “Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum,” which became one of Korea’s highest-grossing horror films by blending authentic locations with intense horror elements.
A group of amateur ghost hunters led by actor Enrique Gil (playing himself) sets out for Taiwan’s notorious Xinglin Hospital in the West Central District.
In the original, directed by Jung Bum-shik, a found-footage format was used to bring the real-life haunted Gwangju-si psychiatric hospital to terrifying life. The film became a commercial success with more than 2.6 million viewers and $21 million in box-office takings. Now, Reality MM Studios is recreating this concept for Filipino audiences, enhancing the appeal by using a cast who plays themselves, including Gil (“My Ex and Whys,” “Seven Sundays”), Jane De Leon (“Shake, Rattle & Roll Extreme”), Alexa Miro and Rob Gomez (“A Girl and a Guy”), beauty queen MJ Lastimosa (“Day Zero”), tarot reader Raf Pineda and content creator Ryan “Zarckaroo” Azurin.
Zarckaroo, known for filming paranormal investigations, brings an additional layer of realism to the adaptation, attracting a following of 1.6 million YouTube subscribers and 1.9 million Facebook fans. The film’s meta approach and choice of a well-known Taiwanese haunted site — Xinglin Hospital — have made it a unique project that reimagines the genre, drawing in horror enthusiasts and critics alike.
Dubbed the Philippines’ first meta-found-footage horror film, “Strange Frequencies: Taiwan Killer Hospital” has already stirred excitement among audiences who are eager to see how this experimental style will heighten the horror experience.
Meanwhile, the project marks another collaboration between Matti and Monteverde, whose works include acclaimed films like “On the Job” (2013), “Honor Thy Father” (2015), “Seklusyon” (2016), “BuyBust” (2018), and “Kuwaresma” (2019). Announced as Reality MM Studios’ official entry to the 50th Metro Manila Film Festival, “Strange Frequencies” is set to open in Philippine theaters on Dec. 25.
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