What we should know about BNDL is that it’s divided into five segments. Its only difference from anthology horror films like Shake, Rattle and Roll is that all of the stories are interconnected and overlapping one another. Read more to know if it’s worth buying or not.
Let me tell you upfront that three out
of five segments worked. I’ll start with the ones that didn’t, which makes up
the first 40 minutes of the film. Masid (Stare) reminds me of Jake Gyllenhaal’s
Nightcrawler where one journalist can go to crime scenes without being
suspected as one of the killers by its readers. It has a brilliant twist that
was wasted once it was revealed. Meanwhile, Dinig (Hearing) is a good social
commentary on instant celebrities and stage moms. They had good premises but were
forcefully compacted to fit their running time. I strongly feel that they were
longer in the first cut, as seen in some badly-edited scenes. The best example
for these noticeable flaws is the choppy conversation between Santi and Odie
where the camera is not facing the speaker. It’s also hard to buy their sudden
fame, especially in Dinig where people have been hooked by Chloe’s voice alone without judging her off-screen attitude. Ganyan
na ba talaga kababaw ang fans ngayon? Sabagay, may point.
The first two stories are weak. But
don’t worry, it gets better. Sarap (Delish) revitalized the movie with its
delicious wits and production design. Halimuyak (Fragnance) is highly entertaining and Katad (Animal Skin) ties a knot to these stories with
style. I won’t spoil much because they’re so good. Let’s just say that these
three segments were great because they’re short, uncomplicated and fun. The final
showdown is like a cool Fatal Frame sequence.
[Disclaimer: Spoilers on the paragraph below.]
BNDL could’ve been better if it had some
meta-horror jokes than playing a straight face. One thing that really bothered
me is that no one even asked for the price of Santi’s product. There were also some dumb
moments, like when Chloe is being attacked by a doppelganger. Some revelations
should have been stressed-out like Maita and Santi’s past and Ato’s recipe. The
ending was nice, but it could’ve been better. Maita should’ve only been burned
and the expected cliffhanger could’ve been more playful (i.e. Santi can sell
online like what happened in the crazy after-credits scene of Feng Shui 2).
Despite the flaws and missed
opportunities, there’s no denying that it’s still an enjoyable movie that feels
like a good Asian horror to catch in the RED Channel. The film is brave enough
to tackle about people who sell their souls for fame and fortune. It has an
outstanding production design and great cinematography. Vhong Navarro and Lotlot de Leon were okay. John Lapus, Janine
Gutierrez, Rayver Cruz and the Sarap family were good but I have mixed
feelings about TJ Trinidad. He’s fantastic but I don’t know if it’s with the
editing or script that failed to make Santi a supremely memorable character.
He should’ve had a memorable entrance and some quotable quotes.
Buy Now, Die Later provides an
interesting story that can outweigh its plot holes and technical issues. It’s a
timely film in this materialistic world where many are blinded to consume for
prestige and power.
BILI KA NA!
★★★½☆
Thanks for reading and have a merry
movie Christmas!
