People are voting emotionally.

just watch it!

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

"The Road" is an odd mix of crime, horror and drama, with an end result that is actually worth watching. However, it is not one of the best movies I have seen, nor is it one of the worst. The movie is fairly average, but it does have some pretty interesting moments here and there.What I enjoyed about the movie was that the movie backtracked, taking us backward in time to the things leading up to the things that happened in the beginning of the movie. That was a pretty good move on director Yam Laranas behalf - sort of like the way the Korean movie "Peppermint Candy" was built up, and it worked out quite nicely for the overall flow of the movie.As for being a Tagalog (Philippine) horror movie, well then I must say that I didn't find the movie overly scary, but then again I am not really familiar with Tagalog movies, so I don't really have anything to compare this with. However, compared to the many Korean and Japanese horror movies, this was like a picnic in the park."The Road" does have some interesting moments, as I mentioned above. Aside from not being scary, the movie does a great job at building up some suspense and an even better job at taking us back in time and showing us the things that lead up to the events in the start of the movie. There is so really interesting character's and portrayal of these characters. Personally, I enjoyed the 1988 segment the most, because it was the most interesting of all the segments, and it was the one that really had the best of acting performances as well. Plus it was initially the foundation of the previous segments of the movie.For a Westerner, then this movie didn't really offer much in the scare department, but the movie is worth watching because of the interesting story and the approach that the director had taken with it. And on the plus side, it was nice to have an Asian horror movie that didn't focus on a ghostly woman in a white dress with long, black hair covering her face.

As a Filipino, I was so excited to hear a movie from the Philippines getting a worldwide audience and being screened at North America. Seeing the trailer, my expectations are mixed. That's what most Filipino movies are most of the time. They tend to show stylish trailers which tend to leave audience curious, "Wow!", "Uh-ah..", " Will the whole film be as good as that?"I decided to watched it not because of all the hype but because I like Yam Laranas' previous work, "Sigaw" . Sad to say, it did not lived up to my expectations. The acting was horrible. All the shouting is pointless. Very typical on a Filipino horror film when teenage actors/actress are being cast. I could say that the acting of Barbie Forteza as Ella, is the most horrible. The ending, though presented with a twist is not commendable. Spoiler Alert!! How could Luis (played by Renz Valerio) suddenly become a policeman (played by TJ Trinidad)after 10 years? This was not properly established in the film. On the 1988 story arc, it was shown that his parents both died. It was not mentioned whether he was adopted or raised by a relative.In the 1998 story arc, Luis is depicted as a lonesome teenager who massacred Lara (played by Rhian Ramos) and Joy (played by Louise delos Reyes). In this story arc, the house became older and disorganized. It is implied that no one lives there except for Luis. This goes to show that Luis might not have gone to college to pursue a career as a policeman. And what's with the driving skills?The 3 story arcs are meant to be joined as branches. This is where the movie failed. Being a suspense movie, you should leave the audience guessing until the end. But there's no real suspense here. The burnt car where Lara was, is obvious in the 2008 story arc along with the founding of the heart pendant of Lara by the policeman Luis. It's obvious that it came from 1998 story arc. It is very visible being worn by Lara during her captivity. I don't know. Maybe Yam liked it that way. Maybe the 3 story arcs are not meant to surprise the audience in the end. So many holes to mention here one by one but if you are a big fan of visual delight, this movie is for you. The environment is very stylish. The view of the road is shot magnificently. The inclusion of butterflies as a background thing is also commendable. How many films do that?But if you are looking for a deeper storyline, this movie is not for your. If you want to get scared, this is not for you. I know when a movie gets scary. When I watch it with my nephew and he closes his eyes, I know it is scary. But this one, nah.. not a hand in his eyes this time...

I guess I have to point out something positive about the growing numbers of foreigners in our land, in that the numbers will justify cinema from their home country to be viable for big screen outings here. I get my fair share of the latest blockbuster movies from India given that it's one of the major cultural make up in Singapore already, then there's the Thai, Korean and Japanese flicks that not only cater to foreigners residing here, but to its legion of fans from time to time. And with films from ASEAN from The Raid to The Collector gaining prominence everywhere, it's only time to add Philippine Cinema to the list.It's true that indie or art-house films from the Philippines do make it to film festivals here, but for the mass market audience, The Road is perhaps one of the earliest to hit commercial cinemas here in a long while, as far as my memory serves. And what better way than for a horror film to try and open up the doors, one that features an ensemble cast of stars with idol looks to spark an interest, besides providing Filipinos here with something from home. But as with most horror films around the region, it's usually touch and go basis, and The Road, boasted for getting itself a US distribution, it's somewhat of a roller coaster ride with its fair share of creepy moments, ultimately done in via a runtime that artificially sustained a thin plot.Written and directed by Yam Laranas, The Road is actually made up of three story arcs each set in a different time line separated by a decade each, and linking them is the titular road along which something strange and macabre even that had happened in a dilapidated house found along it, together with an abandoned car. The opening shot, pardon the pun, set the stage for an epic mystery to be unravelled, with the stage set for a hot shot cop Luis (TJ Trinidad), decorated with a medal for his string of successful case closures, to prove himself in the series of events that follow.In the first arc, three friends go out for an illegal joyride, making a detour into The Road to avoid a police roadblock, and in what would be a case of bad luck, encounter ghouls that seem to be stuck in groundhog day fashion, repetitive hauntings of the trio. Things don't really happen with much logic here, and the strength of friendship amongst the trio got rather telling when it becomes every man (and woman) for him/herself. So much for solidarity when the poop hits the fan. This arc was more teenage drama before the effects and make up crew shifted gears and made it their own toward the end.The second arc tried to become a mini outing along the torture porn genre, but unfortunately with the more violent offering in practically every film in the genre, this arc turned out to be rather tame, with a man inexplicably hammering his victims, two sisters, away without remorse or reason, making it a battle for survival against complete madness. It's also responsible for some interest to wane, as the story here proved to be one of the weakest, and overstayed its welcome through a series of scenes that dragged out quite unnecessarily. We know who's alive and who's not from the earlier arc, and the narrative really took its time to get there.But thankfully, the redeeming factor came from the third act. While it didn't offer anything we don't know about nor new in the narrative sense with similar themes being explored before in other films, and tosses up some more questions than answers, it is the actors here delivering better performances from the rest, and a story that's set against a dysfunctional family, that showed of Laranas' strength in storytelling. The narrative got creepier as it went along, with practical effects enhancing moments within that will make your hair genuinely stand on ends. By now you'd realize that Laranas rarely dips into the oft used box of the same old techniques used to scare audiences with quick jump cuts and edits, preferring to let the camera take its time in revealing presence that's spot on in creating both suspense, and eerie atmosphere.The Road plays on the gimmick of having a horror film told from three expanded story arcs with common characters linking them all together, and in essence scores in its effort. However, horror film fans with a penchant for the same old boo scare tactics dished out by filmmakers may find this a little bit sterile. and not offering that adrenaline rush each time a scare comes on. For those who wish to explore what horror and their films mean to friends from the region.

The Road is not your ordinary horror-film, being a horror film enthusiast, I always crave to watch a non-mediocre type of such genre. The Road successfully delivered the elements that I wanted to find. First is that, it has an excellent cinematography, the ambiance in the movie manifests in the theater where I am watching. It has very great shots, that I was not able to witness in other horror movies. In, terms of the musical scoring, it is absolutely great, though it has some loop holes. But I find it okay for the team pull it off. . It is one of the elements in the movie that might give you the "shock value". The actors delivered fair with their acting. There might be weak acting in some parts, but it is venial. What makes The Road recommendable to watch is the story per se.I loved how the film flowed, it's narrated through flashback and with that, you should start the movie from the beginning, do not go into the movie house if it already begun. For it will spoil you, 'cause it'll help you to discover the mystery of the story. Don't expect scenes that might jump you off from your seats (like what Insidious have, for example). The Road is a psychological thriller, that will give you the eerie feeling upon leaving the theater. If you able to loved "The Echo" which was directed by the same director, You'd be able to love The Road 100 times more. This is a movie that will scare you not because of gore, of disturbing scenes, not because of a lot of scenes that will shock you, but because of the story itself. The story that will make you think and will jolt you in the end. You'll remember the movie forever, and probably be included in you favorite horror movies.