Nokturno, which translates to Night in English, is a 2024 folk horror film from the Philippines directed by Mikhail Red. The film masters the themes of myth and lore, grief, and even familial dysfunction. Its primary genre is folk horror, which inherently involves a supernatural thriller aspect, however it serves as a representation of psychological issues that are woven into the fabric of death and guilt. It is a quintessential form of horror stemming from a deeply fractured family with long-standing rifts—personal and geographic. Blending the cultural folklore of the Philippines with contemporary emotional dilemmas serves as the backdrop for a horror film that aims to terrify as well as invoke deeper reflection.
Synopsis
The narrative centers around Jamie, the protagonist who was living abroad until she got news of her younger sister, Joana’s sudden and mysterious death. Portrayed by Nadine Lustre, Jamie carries an immense and profound burden of unresolved family issues, regret, and emotional baggage layered grief. She soon realizes that her family in the Philippines do not only carry the burden of mourning, but additionally experience relentless supernatural hauntings. Ominous knocking sounds in the late hours of night eerily suggest the presence of supernatural entities. These entities are known as the Kumakatok.
The Kahulugan ng mga Kumakatok is an eponymous film that portrays ancient folklore tales ingrained in Filipino culture. It centers around the Kumakatok, ominous figures who are known to haunt and knock on doors during the night, announcing doom and calamity. They are characterized in the movie as thin, ghostly figures draped in white cloth with long fingers. Their haunting knocks mark the beginning of a catastrophic countdown: three days until someone close to the door’s keeper dies.
The film portrays a decomposing family as the central conflict, starting with Jamie, a teenage girl coping with school and a disintegrating family. Her mother Lilet’s sorrow drives her deeper into despair, portraying the anguish with expert grace as the veteran actress Eula Valdez. Her youngest brother,” distant to the world, speaks through his intricate bond with bugs—something that holds symbolic meaning throughout the film. In addition to the family, the local barangay captain, Tito Jun aids the family delve into understanding the curse while fighting what is said to be a supernatural occurrence.
Through her relentless pursuit of understanding the myths of the community and her family’s past, Jamie uncovers dark family secrets that essentially bind the family to the curse. Each night introduces an all-consuming threat alongside an unyielding sense of dread while their deafening knocks grow more pronounced. Relentless in this sinister race against time, Jamie is drawn to confront, not only supernatural shenanigans, but also deep rooted emotional wounds that have rendered numerous fractures within the fragile core of her family.
Cast and Crew
The cast of the film is very compelling. As Jamie, Nadine Lustre gives a nuanced performance that is fraught with emotional complexity. Eula Valdez brings emotional gravity to the role of Lilet, a mother caught between mourning and fear. Bea Binene plays Joana, whose presence looms over the story despite her early death. Wilbert Ross plays Manu, Joana’s boyfriend, who is traumatized by her death and becomes increasingly unstable as the curse progresses.
The film also features JJ Quilantang as Julius and Ku Aquino as Tito Jun. Their performances, though secondary, add to the total atmosphere and emotional weight of the film.
The film is directed by Mikhail Red, who is known for his psychological and horror films Deleter, Eerie, and Birdshot. Nokturno continues his distinctively Filipino approach to exploring the horror genre. The folklore rooted screenplay was written by Rae Red and Nikolas Red, who worked closely with the director on modern emotional undertones.
The shadowy, silent long takes of the rural town in the Ian Alexander Guevara cinematography builds dread and highlights the haunting atmosphere. The score by Paul Sigua and Myka Magsaysay-Sigua also contributes to the tension by isolating crucial elements, while maintaining suspenseful minimalism. Nikolas Red also performed editing and, while maintaining a continuous suspenseful narrative throughout the film’s 99 minutes, ensured that the pacing was tight.
Folklore and Symbolism
The integration of Kumakatok into the narrative is perhaps one of the jarring features of the film. Rather than leaning on globally popularized horror tropes such as vampires or ghosts, Western horror relies heavily on well-known mythologies. Nokturno, however, utilizes culturally significant myths that are not as well-known globally. The Kumakatok serves as more than just supernatural antagonists; as symbols of impending death, they personify the loss and dangers of ignoring tradition and family history.
In addition to kumakatoks, the film also utilizes insects and mirrors as symbols of emotional and spiritual decline. The broken mirrors and insects parallel Julius’s obsession with trauma that children face, particularly in families that lack open channels of communication.
Themes and Analysis
At its core, Nokturno is a family film that deals with the burden of unresolved guilt. In this case, Jamie’s homecoming literally embodies the act of confronting the past—hers and her ancestors. The film illustrates how migration, generational trauma, and familial silence give rise to both literal and metaphorical hauntings.
In addition to external elements, the horror of the film lies within. The Brace Kumakatok emerge as both chilling antagonists and multifaceted threats. However, the more persistent dread stems from internal emotional and psychological wounds. Within Nokturno, the cumulative impact of grief, abandonment, guilt, and blame construct a unique sense of horror.
Reception and Critical Response
While thematic and performance components were exceptionally strong, Nokturno as a whole received mixed to negative responses from critics. Its audience score reflects a poorly received film with divided critiques centering on plot structure and use of jump scares. Other critiques included an overarching visual and thematic appeal that lacked in the depth of mythological exploration, particularly in regards to central figures like the Kumakatok.
The film’s family drama – which was supposed to be the film’s emotional anchor – was noted to be underdeveloped and lacked the necessary layers for the arcs to be fulfilling. The film still managed to receive some accolades for the rich cinematography and the atmospheric visuals together with the cultural critique the film provides. Some argued that its blemishes are counterweighted by the film’s attempt to vary within the genre.
Conclusion
Nokturno is a horror movie with a vision. It attempts to place the Filipino folklore at the center of the mainstream horror world while providing a story based on heartfelt truths. Nokturno’s exploration of grief, family, and tradition is poignant, even if the execution is occasionally clumsy. For those seeking depth over spectacle in horror, Nokturno is deeply resonant in its portrayal of how memories, trauma, and silence sustain myths.
Nokturno may not ascend to the heights of defining genre benchmarks, but it marks an important entry in Southeast Asian cinema as well as the shifting paradigm of horror genre narrative frameworks. We are reminded that the most terrifying ghosts are often the ones we harbor within us.
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