Spoilers are wary of strangers bearing gifts.

There’s nothing as scary as something familiar to you. Folk horror works best not because you travel to distant lands but because it happens in your own location, twisting tradition against you. Even when depicting a culture that is not your own, you can feel empathy for the characters that are now threatened by their own world. This is one ruthless film coming for your throat.

In My Mother’s Skin (2023) is directed by Kenneth Dagatan. The Philippines, 1945. It’s the last days of World War 2 and the Japanese occupation is pillaging everything as the US forces are getting closer. In a wealthy home, tensions are running high as the father is suspected of hiding loot in gold. He leaves with destiny unknown, promising to come back. Behind remain his wife Liyaga (Beauty Gonzalez) and their children Tala (Felicity Kyle Napuli) and Bayani (James Mavie Estrella). Unfortunately for the two children, their mother soon becomes ill. This is all too much for the house maid Amor (Angeli Bayani).

The children decide to sneak out of the house and try to find their father. Unavoidably they get lost in the countryside with Tala befriending a nameless fairy (Jasmine Curtis-Smith). Tala is wary at first, but the mysterious woman gives her a gift to make her mother better, if she decides to use it. As the days go by and her mother’s condition worsens, Tala decides to use the gift. This will result in a chain of events that will turn the children’s life into a nightmare.

It unexpectedly works. I haven’t seen a harsh situation go from bad to worse with such a steady decline depicted in a way so bleak yet so enthralling. As I watch, I had the uneasy feeling that the film was burying its audience into the mud. I can’t help but praise the way it constructs (or destroys if you will) its lore. It’s such a dark and oppressive finale that is foretold with every step and yet it draws you in. Young actress Felicity Kyle Napuli carries the film with her performance as the young tortured Tala. You can’t help but try to warn her of how her wishes might turn out.

Strongly recommended for horror audiences. It’s folk horror, so it can be course and rough but sometimes having an unfiltered brew makes for a more true experience. Great performances throughout seal the deal. Worth a watch.

That will do for now.