Directed by Filipino filmmaker Roderick Cabrido and written by Erico Santos, “Mallari” is a horror film that mixes historical fiction with psychological horror. The movie stars Piolo Pascual in the lead with Gloria Diaz, Elisse Joson and Janella Salvador in supporting roles. It explores the real-life tale of Juan Severino Mallari, who is thought to be the Philippines’ first serial killer in the 19th century. The story spans three interlinked timelines, tracing the Mallari family’s journey through multiple generations. It is available to stream on Netflix!
Cast with Characters
- Father Juan Severino Mallari (Piolo Pascual): A priest who moved to Magalang during the Spanish colonial era in 1812 to spread Christianity. He becomes entangled in local practices involving witchcraft and black magic, leading him to commit murders to save his mother.
- Dona Facunda (Gloria Diaz): Father Juan’s mother, who becomes cursed and needs human flesh to survive, leading to Father Juan’s descent into becoming a serial killer.
- Maria Capac (Ge Villamil): Leader of the servants at the Mallari house who cursed Dona Facunda. She continues her influence across generations to find successors to carry out her bidding.
- Johnrey Mallari (Piolo Pascual): A documentary filmmaker during World War II and the grandnephew of Father Juan. Discovers his family’s dark secret and inherits the curse involving a demonic creature.
- Felicity (Elisse Joson): Johnrey’s wife, who becomes a hostage of Maria Capac and Conching as part of their plans to continue the curse.
- Jonathan Mallari de Dios (Piolo Pascual): Great-grandnephew of Father Juan who is a doctor by profession
- Brother Lucas Alarcon Segundo (JC Santos): A deacon and childhood friend of Jonathan. Lucas is involved in the murders, believing he must continue Father Juan’s vigilante legacy.
- Agnes (Janella Salvador): Jonathan’s fiancée, who uncovers Lucas’s role in the murders. She becomes a victim and pivotal in the events surrounding the curse’s continuation.
- Amal Alarcon (Angeli Nicole Sanoy): Lucas’s nephew, who joins Jonathan and Agnes in confronting the curse and its consequences.
Plot Summary
In 1812, Father Juan Severino Mallari moved to Magalang with his mother, Dona Facunda, to spread Christianity. Faced with local superstitions, he’s forced to become a secret killer to save her from a curse. Believing it’s a divine duty, he targets supposed sinners until he’s caught and executed. His family’s dark legacy echoes through generations, as it was uncovered by his grand-nephew Johnrey during World War II and Jonathan in the 21st century, revealing a haunting past of secrets and supernatural forces.
Who was Juan Severino Mallari?
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To spread Christianity, Juan Severino Mallari, a missionary, arrived at Magalang in 1812. In no time, his mother, Dona Facunda, joined him and was proud to see her son leading the St. Bartos chapel (St. Bartholomew). The people of Magalang, however, did not like the influence that Juan had on them because they believed mostly in their ethnic faiths, and it is believed that some of them practiced witchcraft. Under the leadership of Maria Capac, who served the Mallari family, curses were cast upon Dona. It was asserted that only Juan could deliver her from this curse. However, he had to fulfill a grim pact: he had to become a vigilante in the village, killing those accused of sin at night. Additionally, he needed to feed his mother human flesh to appease a demonic entity believed to be inside her.
He was faced with a choice that he could not even imagine and had to engage in an internal struggle over whether to save his mother at the expense of turning into a killer. Driven by desperation and having mistaken it for divine endorsement, Juan fell under the persuasion of an alter ego and hence became “New Age St. Bartholomew,” a serial killer.
Juan was comforted, despite his act, by the sight of his mother rising from her sick bed without any idea that he had turned himself into a monster just because she had told him that only God could cure her. Nevertheless, when a young boy discovered him and later caught him, this brought his terror regime to an abrupt stop. For instance, Juan was so lost in murdering each time, which he believed was bringing him nearer to getting absolved in heaven, but little did he know there were dark satanic powers controlling him.
Father Severino Mallari was sentenced to death by hanging for his wicked actions against the people. Nonetheless, the curse of his family persisted. It took one hundred years for Maria Capac’s bloodline to wait for another vessel through which they could continue their nefarious activities. Thus securing the perpetuity of violence and shedding blood even after Juan’s death.
How Did Johnrey Find Out About The Curse?
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During World War II, Johnrey, a passionate documentary maker, stumbled upon shocking secrets lurking around his family’s history. When he visited his ancestral mansion, he uncovered a line of horrifying killings associated with his great-uncle Juan Severino, who was a shrouded figure. Intrigued by this gothic heritage, Johnrey discovered that he could do something no other person on earth could: travel in time through astral projection. It was this ability that led him to Jonathan, another younger relative from the future who had the same strange talent as his own. They then set about connecting the dots in their family’s past.
Johnrey, however, soon found out there was an evil force at work. His investigations unearthed a diabolic plan to pass on a terrible curse down through many generations, which was masterminded by Maria Capac and Conching. His wife, Felicity, got trapped in this evil scheme. He found himself in a situation where he must either continue with such a curse or give up himself, whatever it demands. He made a harrowing decision. Accepting the cursed creature into himself, he transformed into a monstrous form. With his new powers, he slaughtered the malevolent forces that plagued his family. In a final act of love and sacrifice, he urged Felicity to safeguard their child and bury him. This ensured the curse’s end and the family’s salvation.
Who Found Out The Real Killer?
Murders began to occur when Jonathan, the grand-nephew of Juan Mallari, started living in the Mallari House. Someone was imitating Father Severino’s own approach to doing justice. Agnes, who is Jonathan’s fiance, realized that Lucas, who is a deacon and Jonathan’s childhood friend, was behind the killing. Lucas belonged to the Alarcon family, famous for their dark magic. His ancestor was Maria Capac, also called Maria Capadocia Alarcon. When Agnes discovered this dark history, she decided to confront Lucas.
One day, Agnes caught sight of Lucas without his mask, and he was all covered in blood. She was shocked and tried to run away, but Lucas grabbed her before she could do so. He insisted that she not speak out about it because his family had other plans for her life. Agnes escaped to the Mallari house in search of help from Jonathan, but he had disappeared through time travel. By the time Jonathan came back, it was too late, as Lucas had already hurt Agnes. Lucas believed his victims deserved to die, thinking he was protecting society. He pleaded with Jonathan to become a vigilante like Father Severino. Lucas was determined to find the monster and continue his family’s mission, convinced that evil still existed. He threatened to kill Jonathan if he refused to join him. Jonathan, however, fought back and shot Lucas. Agnes was seriously injured, and Jonathan desperately tried to save her.
“Mallari” (2023) Ending Explained: What Did Jonathan Do To Save Agnes?
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Johnrey carried the monster inside him, a burden he reluctantly accepted despite its difficulties. He kept it hidden, knowing how dangerous it could be. Johnrey sacrificed himself for the future, coming to terms with his destiny. Meanwhile, Jonathan, deeply in love with his fiancée Agnes, returned to his family’s old home to find a cure. He was willing to try anything, even supernatural means, to save her and refused to give up on her.
Jonathan ignored the ghosts of the monster’s victims when they tried to stop him. When Jonathan dug Johnrey’s grave, Johnrey was alive inside it. It had been tough living without his family members for years, but he thought it was necessary for him to make that sacrifice. He did not want the creature to break free from his body. He pleaded with Jonathan not to let go of a curse, something Jonathan refused because he wanted to save Agnes at all costs. The spirit of Father Severino told Jonathan that if the creature entered Agnes, she would become a monster, and he too would turn into an evil person. Father Juan regretted giving up on life since what he granted his mother was worse than death itself. Jonathan knew having feelings for someone was a curse too, and Agnes’ life was at stake.
In the end, Jonathan, driven by desperation, made a grim decision: he severed Johnrey’s head and rushed it to the hospital where Agnes lay. Despite Agnes knowing the curse’s grim past, she pleaded with Jonathan to allow her to succumb to it, but he adamantly refused. Tragically, the creature’s curse transferred from Johnrey to Agnes, sealing her fate.
In the last part of the movie, Jonathan purchased their ancestral mansion and settled there permanently. Agnes was alive and well, but she ceased to love him. He ignored her wish to save her and cursed her with a monster inside her forever. The decision made by Jonathan was a selfish one; he could not imagine his life without Agnes, so he turned her into a monster. Having the monster inside of her, Agnes refused to marry him; now she could not have any family either. In order to fulfill his duty, Amal Alarcon, who is Lucas’ nephew, joined them. On a full moon, Jonathan was told by Agnes to get ready for his first kill. His choice did not bother him anymore since Jonathan had also become a monster.
