REVIEW | Buy Now, Die Later (2015)

Image courtesy of www.pinoymovieblogger.blogspot.com

Randolph Longjas' anthology horror-comedy Buy Now, Die Later is reminiscent of your childhood TV horror fare Tales from the Crypt, or Twilight Zone. 

Composed of five interconnected tales with the theme of greed and ambition, it centers on a mysterious shop called Santi's (perhaps a combination of Santi Bose's art and Santis Delicatessen?), owned by none other than the devil himself, named Santi (TJ Trinidad). 

The five leading characters, driven by their own worldly desire, unwittingly sell their soul to the devil by purchasing an item, which works as a lucky charm to make their dreams come true.

The victims: A failed photojournalist and ambitious blogger, Odie, (Vhong Navarro) in "Masid"; Chloe (Alex Gonzaga), a superstar-wannabe in "Dinig"; Pippa (John Lapus), a lonely, insecure gay in "Halimuyak";  Ato (Rayver Cruz), a chef maintaining a booming restaurant in "Sarap,"; and Maita (Lotlot de Leon/Janine Gutierrez), a stage mother deprived of youthful adventures in "Kanti." Each story utilizes the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch, as the essence of their ambition.

The impressive art direction and gorgeous production design (opening credits boasting of classy graphics) evoke an atmospheric and mystical feel. Yes, crude effects are still present, including the devil revealing his true face: a more multi-layered version of Flukeworm of the X-Files, totally diminishing his scary factor as he ends up looking like your harmless, funny looking uncle spooking you with a mask.

John Lapus as Pippa. Image courtesy of www.moviesinthephilippines.wordpress.com

You won't experience thrill, suspense, or horror here, just a sense of mystery, curiosity, and wonder. This is due to camerawork that doesn't emotionally connect (and which sometimes resemble TV ads) and a very light, rushed script, with some of the stories senseless. [SPOILERS AHEAD] One example: Vhong's Odie's exclusive photos of murder victims that he posts on his blog? No one questions them. He  skyrockets to fame, yet no one is suspicious why he was the first person to arrive at the scene of the crime. Is that how obtuse the entire social media world is? If this is an attempt to recreate Dan Gilroy's intelligently written Nightcrawler, they forgot that Gyllenhaal's Lou Bloom films the crime scenes with police and paramedics present. 

Lotlot's Maita staying behind while Santi's is burning down is also bizarre. She can very well escape from the fire; instead, she lights a cigarette and waits for her slow and painful death, laughing triumphantly in the process. Well,  I guess you can't blame Maita. If you were the mother of a supremely annoying and bratty daughter like Chloe, you would have also killed yourself. [SPOILERS END]

The pleasure of the film chiefly comes from the wickedly sweet and funny performance of the great John Lapus, who seems to have immensely enjoyed playing his lonely, desperate, and insecure character, Pippa. The combination of his hilarious facial expression and micro-expressions, and the comedic timing when he spits his lines, is pure entertainment.

And among the female cast, it's newcomer Janine Gutierrez (Lotlot de Leon's daughter) who gives the most notable performance.

All in all, Buy Now, Die Later, despite its flaws, redeems itself for its earnest desire to entertain. Nothing scary or thrilling here, but it's a fairly engaging light mystery, intrigue, and comedy wrapped in eye-candy visuals—and, of course, unforgettable for the riotous John Lapus.

2015 Metro Manila Film Festival entry, opens December 25 nationwide.