‘The scariest’: What people are saying about ‘Aswang’

MANILA, Philippines – After Alyn Ayn Arumpac’s Aswang began streaming online – for a limited time – on Saturday, July 11, Filipinos immediately went to social media to air their thoughts after watching the documentary.

Some described the documentary as “the scariest movie” they watched. Others said it was disturbing.

The scariest horror movie is the one where it shows reality.#AswangMovie pic.twitter.com/HpkFRaHIJs

— olin (@rinmhar) July 11, 2020

was so disturbed with the events that were shown in #AswangMovie that i nearly forgot that those were all real life happenings. pic.twitter.com/E1FuBcBoVO

— local rat (@as_lrnn) July 11, 2020

#AswangMovie is a must watch and def an eye opener!!! https://t.co/K74el27yZ5

— #JunkTerrorLaw #MassTestingNowPH (@mmjsanders) July 11, 2020

 

You all better watch the documentary film ‘Aswang’. It is not about the word’s exact meaning. It tells how several Filipinos, especially the poor, experienced and are currently experiencing this kind of inhuman treatment.

This will break your hearts. It is very heavy.

— godwin (@godwincordial_) July 11, 2020

A handful were also quick to point out the most horrifying part of the film – that it was not a work of fiction but a record of what happened during President Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called “war on drugs.” 

The most horrifying part of this film is that all of the scenes, emotions, and events were based on truth and were taken in real-time. No costumes, no actors, no script, and no props. This film is not a reflection of reality; it is the reality. #AswangMovie pic.twitter.com/BV1uXpE1A3

— Teodoro Jan (@TenderJuicy_13) July 11, 2020

#AswangMovie shows a compelling and necessary documentary that highlights the desperate inequality and state-operated oppression of the region.

Let this film be an eye opener for all of us.

Kaya dahil d’yan, #OustDuterteNow.

The real monster. pic.twitter.com/xm39TyiUVg

— alyanna #JunkTerrorLawNow (@alyannakristana) July 11, 2020

 

Kabataan Partylist Representative Sarah Elago, a staunch critic of Duterte’s bloody campaign, urged followers to watch the film. 

“…choose to pay, 100% sales will go to individuals in the film & 2 NGO’s that support EJK victims.
*Visit https://t.co/hsZrSaXChX
*Click
*Login w/ FB, Vimeo, or email
*You can click on to watch for free (first 5K viewers only)
*Promo code:ASWANG2

— Sarah Elago (@sarahelago) July 11, 2020

Here are few more reactions from social media:

Haunting. Definitely haunting. I never felt any calmness. Lungkot. Takot. Galit. Ang bigat lang sa puso. #AswangMovie https://t.co/iEM3boeELK

— yel (@yelmanzano) July 12, 2020

 

“Naglalagay ng sisiw sa ibabaw ng kabaong kung hindi kilala ang pumatay. Kung walang hustisya, kakatukin daw nito ang konsensya ng maysala.

Pero hindi sasantuhin ng aswang ang katok ng kahit pa sanlibong sisiw.”#AswangMovie

— j o h n | #JunkTerrorLawNow (@alxndrrpl) July 12, 2020

 

Nowadays, money is the basis for justice. This can’t be reformed, this can only be abolished. #AswangMovie #HuwagMatakot pic.twitter.com/H4MkDhQ5dK

— finnick (@wobshy) July 11, 2020

 

#aswangmovie paints a chilling picture of the nightmares brought on by a fascist regime that handicaps, abuses, and silences the poor into becoming mere statistics. Unfiltered, unflinching, and unsettling. It makes you fear for what semblance of safety we have left. pic.twitter.com/D0XSkDoW0Q

— Lorenzo (@_LJDG_) July 11, 2020

 

Aswang documents the first two years of President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody campaign against illegal drugs. The “war,” spearheaded by Philippine police, has been criticized for targetting poor communities and tens of thousands of deaths – both in the hands of police and so-called vigilantes. 

Duterte, a former Davao City mayor, promised to get rid of drugs in “3-6 months.” He has been in power since 2016, yet the “war on drugs” continues. 

Aswang was scheduled to be part of the 6-day Daang Dokyu Festival in March 2020, which was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The documentary bagged the the international critics’ FIPRESCI Award during the International Documentary Film Festival in 2019 in Amsterdam. 

The documentary is available to stream on Vimeo until Sunday, July 12 (Philippine time). – Rappler.com