Aljur, Vin Abrenica, Jelai Andres, and Ana Jalandoni star in the crime drama-psychological thriller “The Revelation”
Aljur Abrenica tries his hand at depicting multiple characters in the indie film “The Revelation,” which is now being screened in cinemas.
Directed by Ray-An Dulay, “The Revelation” starts out as a mystery with viewers learning about the disappearance of an actor called Jake Petersen. Hardly any information is given about Jake, and his disappearance becomes seemingly inconsequential as the movie progresses. The opening sequences are hard to watch since viewers are bombarded with too many names and too much information that end up being too overwhelming.
In the opening scene of the movie, there is a moment where NBI agent Alex (Jelai Andres) handles evidence without using gloves, which causes the evidence to be contaminated. She holds a cap and hands it to fellow NBI agent Vincent (Vin Abrenica).
In real life, NBI agents are expected to always use gloves when handling evidence in order to prevent the contamination of evidence with the agent’s own DNA or other materials. Contamination of evidence can make it difficult or impossible to use the evidence in court.
For an indie film that aims to be a crime movie, this is one major lapse. The film also aims to be a psychological thriller by depicting the mental instability of the main character Lance (played by Aljur Abrenica). The actor is supposed to show multiple characters but his attempt to differentiate these different personas do not translate on the big screen.
Aljur gives an intense performance as a stalker who is obsessed with a waitress named Gwen (Ana Jalandoni). Aljur has a menacing presence in his sex scenes and he is even more terrifying when he tries to drown one of the major characters in one of the highlights of the movie.
Jelai performs well but her character Alex does a poor job of representing NBI agents especially when she spills her secret when she gets too much to drink. Even though she is a comedienne in real life, Jelai is able to shed her comedic persona and give a serious performance that is quite convincing.
Vin’s portrayal of an NBI agent is spot on and he tries to make the most of his scenes. In the climactic revelation of the movie, his character reads a note that the audience is unable to read. This makes the revelation very anti-climactic and confusing as viewers are left wondering about the conclusion of the movie.
“The Revelation” could be a good film for fans who want to see their idols performing out of their comfort zone.
READ ALSO: Gladys Reyes Quips About Coco Martin Replacing Aljur Abrenica In “Apag”
This review carries the views of the author as an individual reviewer and does not necessarily state or reflect the views of FreebieMNL and its editorial staff.
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