Lilim Review: On the run from the authorities for killing their father in self-defence, siblings Issa and Tomas find themselves in an orphanage. Although things seem great at first, Issa soon realises that something is not right. Further investigations reveal a truth far sinister than she could’ve ever known.
Lilim has a runtime of 108 minutes.
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Lilim Movie Director
Mikhail Red
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Lilim Screenplay By
Nikolas Red
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Lilim Netflix Cast
Heaven Peralejo, Eula Valdez, Ryza Cenon, Mon Confiado as Fred, Gold Aceron, Skywalker David, Rafa Siguion-Reyna, Nicole Omillo, Phoebe Walker
Lilim Review
Cults are absolutely fascinating to me, and a cult operating an orphanage in the middle of nowhere feels like a dream come true in some ways. Lilim, recently released on Netflix after premiering at the 54th International Film Festival Rotterdam, is a visual treat and offers some memorable horror moments that will leave most viewers shocked.
This isn’t to say that the film is very unique; in fact, there are plenty of silly jump scares that will annoy you to no end. But the eerie atmosphere is one of the best parts of this movie, and it’s also one of the reasons why you won’t be able to look away, despite the plot holes and inconsistencies. The storyline is pretty straightforward – Issa and Tomas end up at an orphanage where they find things are not what they seem, and eventually, almost become sacrifices. Now, I will leave whether or not they are actually murdered for the viewers to find out, but the slow-burn tension feels eerie.
However, that’s where my compliments for the film mostly end because Lilim‘s first half is just so dang slow. For long periods, nothing of note happens, and it’s just one jump scare after another. I mean, sure, you get lost in the beautiful cinematography, but when you come out of its haze, you feel utterly bored and almost cheated. However, it’s the last, cliffhanger ending that makes this film memorable and extremely unnerving.
Interestingly enough, I would say that the film is almost worth watching simply because of the ending, which, thankfully, is not a happy one! A little bit of research will tell you that the Netflix ending is different from the theatrical one, and I am thankful that I got to watch this version because it’s absolutely fantastic and will leave you on edge. Much kudos go to Heaven Peralejo, who nails that ending like no other. The twist is almost unbelievable and comes out of left field, and despite the unanswered questions, this one’s for horror fans who want something disturbing without any headache.
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Other than Peralejo, Eula Valdez and Ryza Cenon are terrifyingly fantastic as well and really dig into the too-good-to-be-true nuns cliches. It works for this film, and both feel scary. Other than that, the set design and costumes are fantastic and really round out the experience of this horror film. I feel like Issa’s backstory should’ve been a bit more fleshed out, and we really miss that experience. But, that’s neither here nor there at this point.
Final Thoughts
Lilim isn’t perfect, but that ending is what becomes memorable after 1+ hours of nothing of note happening. Without it, this would’ve been a test of patience, but at least we got something demented in the end. This one’s an average entertainer with all the vibes and some fantastic performances.
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