Maricel Soriano explores the unseen in horror film 'T2'

CEBU, Philippines - Actress Maricel Soriano believes in the supernatural and the unseen. “It’s even written in the Bible that God also created the unseen,” the Diamond Star said. Soriano explores such theme in her new movie from Star Cinema, the serious horror drama entitled “T2,” which is under the direction of Chito Roño, who created such blockbuster horror flicks as “Feng Shui” and “Sukob.”

In a presscon yesterday at Cafe Laguna in Ayala Center Cebu, Soriano said that she did find the shooting of some scenes, particularly those that were shot at empty spaces in the film’s set location in Samar, eerie and spine-tingling. “It’s hard to explain it, pero may sudden feeling ka na may parang gumagapang sa ‘yo at tumatayo talaga ang balahibo mo.”

The multi-awarded actress, however, said that it is still up to the person if he wants to entertain this kind of experience and allows himself to be driven to fear by it.

In “T2,” Soriano is Clair, a woman whose pain from a broken, childless marriage leads her to Angeli, one of the children she meets in an orphanage in Samar, where she tries to heal by doing volunteer work. Clair is then requested by the nuns running the orphanage if she could bring Angeli, played by Mica dela Cruz, to her aunt (who would turn out to be the child’s real mother).

While they were on their way, Clair and Angeli start to experience strange happenings. And as they arrive at the address (T2 for Tenement 2), the mystery surrounding Angeli unfolds, and it dawns on Clair that Angeli is, in truth, the daughter of an engkanto and a mortal man. Angeli’s mother wants to take her to the engkanto world, but Clair’s growing sympathy and affection for Angeli emboldens her to try save the girl and make her remain in the mortal world. This results to a clash that is set to give moviegoers a serious scare. 

“T2" is the second horror flick for Soriano; the first was “Sa Piling ng Mga Aswang” in 1999. Asked if she feels any pressure that her film should surpass the box-office success of the Chito Roño horror movies that preceded “T2,” Soriano said, “No, I don’t. The important thing for me is that every movie I make, I offer it to God.”

Soriano was also all praises for her young co-star, Mica, who is the younger sister of actress Angelika dela Cruz. Soriano, who started out as a child actress herself, said, “She’s so good, so expressive—especially with her eyes—and very honest. She really gave her 100 percent to this film, and as for myself, I made sure that I didn’t give her a half-baked performance.”

Soriano, who’s happy to have been given this kind of project on her 38th year in show business, further said that more than just the supernatural theme, the film has a bigger, underlying message. She said, “Angeli and Clair belong to two different worlds, pero makikita dun sa film na nagiging isa tayo pagdating sa pagmamahal.” — NMT