Verdict: Do Something Else
Pinoy Rebyu Score: 1.94 (8 ratings)
Genre: Thriller
Writer/Director: Christopher Ad Castillo
Cast: Gretchen Barretto, Art Acuña, Mon Confiado, Joel Torre, Nico Antonio, Sarah Gaugler, Channel Delatorre, Brooke Chantelle, Abe Pagtama, Alvin Anson, Luchie Maranan, Carl Alexander Acosta, Karen Navarette Anton, Miel Riley Ribon, Evangeline Flora, Mica Panis, Michelle Panis, Jennylyn Samiana, Mark Anthony Marquez, Whammy Alcazaren
Synopsis: Victoria Lansang (Barreto) is a popular news reporter who has been requested to mediate a hostage crisis. And in front of a national television audience, something horribly goes wrong and people are killed while Victoria suffers a mental breakdown. A year later, she’s eager to get back into the game. However, the only assignment she can get is to do a documentary on the last night of The Diplomat Hotel in Baguio City, a crumbling and abandoned building infamously known for its bloody past and its hauntings. Looking for redemption, she arrives there with her crew and they start filming. But as they get deeper into the night, the place starts to exert its will on them and they find out exactly what monstrous evil awaits at The Diplomat Hotel. By daybreak, their lives will never be the same again.
MTRCB Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 86 mins.
Trailer:
Reviews:
3.5 Paul Alcantara (Katipunan)
“One thing is for sure: Christopher Ad. Castillo, the film’s director, understands the scare factor. All of the film’s technical elements smoothly and effectively come together to get as many screams from the audience as possible.” (Read full review)
3.0 Ihcahieh
“The Diplomat Hotel will thrill you enough to enjoy it, but you would probably not remember it as a film that added something new to an already tired genre.” (Read full review)
2.0 Geoff Review
“What made me disappointed with The Diplomat Hotel is that it does not go out of the box in exploring the horror and suspense genre. To me, everything about it was typical, from the scaring tactics to the style, right down to the storyline.” (Read full review)
2.0 Jessica Zafra (Jessica Rules the Universe)
“If the intention of The Diplomat Hotel is to make the audience feel like they’re in The Diplomat Hotel, it has succeeded. We enjoyed it, though not in the way it was meant to be enjoyed.” (Read full review)
1.5 Nicol Latayan (Tit for Tat)
“When you have a prominent ghost location, it sets the mood for something that will build up the tension and fear; instead, all those fears came from the characters themselves and it leaves no attachment to the viewers.” (Read full review)
1.5 Manuel Pangaruy (Tagailog Special Presents)
“Hindi ako filmmaker pero may impression ako na parang bulag ang direktor sa kung ano ang suwabeng pag-arte. Paliko-liko ang mga artista rito (mula kay Gretchen Barretto hanggang kay Art Acuña) na parang walang pupuntahan.” (Read full review)
1.0 Philbert Dy (Click the City)
“It is a really bad horror film, with shoddy production values and a plot that never really comes around to making sense… It seems to value histrionics over any sort of narrative cohesion or logic, and the final effect is not very scary at all.” (Read full review)
1.0 Skilty Labastilla (Young Critics Circle)
“Gretchen Barretto’s character says near the start of the film, ‘Everybody needs redemption.’ She might as well be talking about everyone involved in this production because they sure need all the redemption they can get after this overwrought, horribly acted film that does not really offer something that hasn’t been done before.”
