A sexy night goes wrong in political thriller ‘Nanahimik ang Gabi’

CEBU, Philippines —  For those who saw the trailer of “Nanahimik ang Gabi”, they would expect the film to contain steamy love scenes due to its premise and the chemistry between the leads Ian Veneracion and Heaven Peralejo. On the surface, it looked like this could be a Vivamax Original movie.

The film’s supposed “sexual content” is a red herring as viewers will instead witness a deeper story of how one slip of corruption can lead someone into becoming a terrifying villain.

Directed by Shugo Praico, “Nanahimik ang Gabi” focuses on the relationship between a policeman named Chief (Veneracion) and Me-Ann (Peralejo) in a sugar-dating arrangement as they spend the night together in a resort house owned by Chief’s father-in-law.

A steamy night between the two turns into a nightmare when an intruder (Mon Confiado) holds them hostage. As the trio’s true colors slowly start to unravel, Me-Ann is placed in a moral dilemma where she might need to shift alliances.

Without giving too much away, the film subtly tackles corruption on a much-smaller scale as it zeroes in on a few characters and is mostly set in one location. This allows the suspense-thriller to tackle its themes without being too heavy-handed with its politically-charged content.

To release a combination of erotica and political suspense during the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) is a bold move. Perhaps, there is a valid reason why the MMFF jury named it 3rd Best Picture.

“Nanahimik ang Gabi” relies on the strong performances of Veneracion, Peralejo, and Confiado to carry the movie since the story is quite a slow-burn that heavily focuses on characterization and how the characters’ decisions influence the plot. Veneracion’s turn in particular is worthy of his Best Actor award at MMFF’s Gabi ng Parangal.

There are glaring plot holes that might leave viewers scratching their heads, requiring some suspension of disbelief just to see where the story is heading.

The film’s use of flashbacks might be a bit too excessive, but it helps give a clearer picture of how these characters were formed and how their past led them to their decisions.

“Nanahimik ang Gabi” has a strong cast performance and the right amount of suspense and political intrigue to have audiences glued to their seats.

Rated R-13 by MTRCB, those who are mature enough should catch “Nanahimik ang Gabi” while it’s still showing. They must remember that they are watching a political thriller with a pinch of erotica, not a straight-up bold movie that the trailer might suggest.