Movie Review: OTLUM

Fred (Buboy Villar) has always wanted to feel like he belonged - and attention is the last thing he can expect from family and friends. He then meets a group of friends in campus, Allan (Jerome Ponce), Dindo (Ricci Rivero), Verna (Michelle Vito), Erwin (Vitto Marquez) and Caloy (Danzel Fernandez), a mix of spoiled and nice students whose personalities will clash on how they will treat Fred who is desperate to be part of their group. The group led by Allan despite the strong disapproval by Dindo decided to take fried in one condition - he has to go through an initiation.  

Fred is posed with a simple challenge - stay inside an old, abandoned orphanage in one night. It sounds easy until Fred discovers that he is inexplicably stuck inside the orphanage and there's no way out.  

The abandoned orphanage having a deep dark story in the past - the group are not sparred with a bunch of problems coming their way. With OTLUMS out in revenge roaming around the abandoned orphanage, the mysteries are just waiting to be uncovered. 

OTLUM is a mediocre horror that has own brand of soapy, giggling thrills to deliver.  It might be consider a longer version of a Shake, Rattle & Roll episode. In fairness to newbie actors, Ricci Rivero and Danzel Fernandez, they been able to deliver in acting, while Buboy Villar and Kiray celis are the one that standout in the film. Buboy faithfully portray his role as a young man getting bullied while Kiray performance is the one that gave a decent laughs for this film.  OTLUM is not a top-tier horror, but if you're looking for a teen thriller to enjoy to watch with friends, you may consider to have fun time seeing this film in Metro Manila Film Festival 2018.

My Verdict: 3/5