Haunting tales in ‘True Manila Encounters’

CEBU, Philippines — Xyriel Manabat, Karina Bautista, Kaori Oinuma, and Elyson de Dios will shed a haunting light on Manila's true-to-life frightening encounters in iWant's newest limited anthology "True Manila Encounters," premiering October 29 exclusively on the streaming platform.

From the award-winning production company CreaZion Studios, the newest horror offering from iWant dramatizes chilling real-life encounters with the supernatural, with its stories carefully selected from multiple submissions gathered across Metro Manila.

The horror series kicks off with the "Undressed" episode, starring Xyriel and Karina as they face a vengeful spirit bound to a piece of thrifted clothing. The story follows Pearl (Karina), a woman who suppresses her third eye to hide from the paranormal. However, she is forced to confront her deepest fears when her coworker, Mei-Mei (Xyriel), buys an innocent-looking ukay-ukay dress, unaware of its gruesome past and the restless entity waiting to unleash terror on anyone who touches it.

The "Undressed" episode was helmed by Rae Red, the filmmaker behind critically acclaimed films, including "Birdshot," "Si Chedeng at Si Apple," and "Eerie."

Kaori and Elyson top-bill the succeeding episode, "Occupant," a true-to-life story about a strained long-distance relationship that takes a sinister turn. The hauntings begin during video calls between Ana (Kaori) and her workaholic boyfriend, Jam (Elyson). As a disturbing entity relentlessly torments Ana, pushing her to the brink of losing her grip on reality, Jam must race against time to save both her sanity and their relationship.

The Kaori-Elyson starrer is directed by Dodo Dayao, who received local and international acclaim for his works in "Uninvited," "Midnight in a Perfect World," and "Violator."

Experience the haunting real-life accounts in "True Manila Encounters" with its "Undressed" pilot on Oct. 29, and November 5 with the "Occupant" episode. — (FREEMAN)