01/12/2025
A TWA MOVIE REVIEW
KMJS: Gabi ng Lagim — The Movie (2025)
Marse’s Over-all Rating: (5/10)
Produced by: GMA Pictures
Cast: Miguel Tanfelix, Elijah Canlas, Sanya Lopez, Jillian Ward
Writers: Yam Laranas, Onay Sales-Camero, Anton Santamaria, Dodo Dayao
Directed by Yam Laranas, Dodo Dayao & King Mark Baco
Released: November 26, 2025 (Philippine cinemas)
KMJS has long been recognized for its meticulous research and compelling storytelling on television. Unfortunately, the franchise’s first leap to the big screen delivers something far less potent. Across its three segments, the film presents intriguing concepts, yet the information and narrative depth never fully develop into something truly eerie or memorable. The material never reaches its full potential. All 3 stories mga marse ay para bang na-rushed at hindi kumpleto. Scenes are confined and cut short, ending right when the suspense is finally taking shape. Every segment feels unresolved, as if all three stories were denied the strong, meaningful conclusions they needed.
It almost felt like the big stars in each segment were reduced to comic relief. I didn’t feel any fear throughout the entire film.
POCONG
★★★☆☆
This first segment was my favorite, but for viewers unfamiliar with Indonesian folklore, the concept of a ‘pocong’ won’t be entirely clear. As the narrator, Jessica Soho could have provided meaningful context, especially since KMJS is rooted in strong narrative exposition. That’s exactly what I was looking for in this movie: the signature KMJS-style narration that guides the audience through the unknown. I also wasn’t satisfied with the ending. After a sequence of massive waves, the film abruptly transitions to a simple image of the real “Mark,” the character played by Miguel Tanfelix. It felt jarring and anticlimactic.
BERBALANG
★☆☆☆☆
This segment felt like one big playtime. I didn’t enjoy it at all. The writing seemed careless, and the storytelling lacked direction. The roles didn’t suit Sanya Lopez and Elijah Canlas, casting big stars in a creature-based folklore story diminished the horror instead of enhancing it. The segment might have been scarier with lesser known actors who could disappear into the roles more effectively.
SANIB
★ ★ ☆☆☆
This story also felt mishandled. It’s supposedly based on true events, yet it contains death scenes so unrealistic that you can’t help but laugh. A hand emerging from the possessed girl’s mouth to gouge out a priest’s eye is simply unbelievable. The demon throwing the priest against a wall or impaling him on the tusk/fang of a taxidermy animal was still somewhat acceptable, but the more exaggerated elements just took away the fear factor. Simpler ex*****on would have made these moments far more chilling. More grounded deaths could have strengthened the realism and the horror of the entire segment.
