Yanggaw (2008)

Director: Richard Somes Cast: Ronnie Lazaro, Joel Torre, Tetchie Agbayani, Aleera Montalla Country: Philippines

Filmmaker Richard Somes avoided the pitfalls commonly associated with horror films by choosing substance over cheap thrills, eventually ending up with a movie that’s more insightful than spine-tingling.

His gambit paid off—Yanggaw became one of this year’s best films.

Yanggaw’s success is attributed to good filmmaking (Somes), seamless editing (Borgy Torre), and good acting (Joel Torre and Ronnie Lazaro). Although Torre gave a tempered, commendable performance as Dulpo, the film belongs to Lazaro, who—after toiling in the movie industry for more than 30 years—was finally given a flashy role he can really sink his teeth into: ’Nior.

’Nior is a bull-headed man with an ego twice the size of his bolo. He orders people around, then throws a fit (or a punch) when they don’t warm up to his ideas. When his daughter ends up with a strange, unexplainable illness, he finds himself at a crossroad: save his daughter or lose everything he holds dear.

Under the watchful eye of Somes, Lazaro let loose a deluge of emotions that ultimately showcased his range as an actor.

Hear him roar.