Mayhem brings chills and thrills
Horror is in. That sums up the goal of Star Cinema in distributing foreign fright films in cinemas starting with Steven Yeun-starrer titled Mayhem that is set to open on Nov. 8. Another one will follow which will also be shown within the month.
Star Cinema New Media and Concept Development head Enrico Santos says it is the season of scary flicks that undeniably attract audiences of all ages. Think the box-office success of Korea’s Train to Busan in which a virus turns people into zombies.
There is a great possibility that Pinoy moviegoers are looking for a thriller that is not just all gore but also with a new flavor. What do you know? Well, the Kapamilya network’s movie arm has found another “virus” in Mayhem. But this time no one gets to be a zombie. You just have to keep calm and don’t let anger get the better off you if you never wish to experience what the narrative of Mayhem is all about. Basing from the movie teaser, it brings chills and thrills to audience even when they are mature enough to manage their fear.
According to Enrico, Steven started shooting for Mayhem right after “he was killed” in The Walking Dead. “The movie looks like it was made in America but they shot it in eastern Europe,” he shares. This time, Steven’s character is the threat for being infected with the virus but he won’t turn into a zombie here. It’s a whole new concept of a “virus” since the carrier will kill his enemy. “It is called the anger virus where one loses control of his fury and it will cause death to the subject of his anger. If you notice, it’s a fad these days that American horror has social commentary like Get Out. With Mayhem, it has a social commentary on corporate greed, office politics, people na nagplaplastikan or office hypocrisy.”
In the movie, Steven plays lawyer Derek Cho who is infected by a virus that breaks down all morals, leading him to act violently only to find out later that his uncontrolled surge of anger has caused death.
“When one gets infected by the virus, it’s like a fever that within 48 hours, one will get better yet too late to discover that he already killed his enemy. So it’s an interesting concept,” shares Enrico who also describes the movie as horror comedy yet full of gory scenes. Thus, it has a stamp of R-18 from the Movie Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).
“This is a barkada movie, date movie na mapapahawak sa ‘yo ang kasama mong babae. But it’s not a serious one. It’s slightly funny, in the tradition of Hostel. It gives vent to frustrations, reflection lang din yan ng frustration natin,” he added.
(Mayhem was introduced at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and it also received the Audience Award at the 2017 Chattanooga Film Festival and A Fantasia Bronze Audience Winner award. Directed by Joe Lynch, it also stars Samara Weaving, Dallas Mark Roberts, Caroline hikezie. Mark Stewart Frost, Kerry Fox, Lucy Chappell and Steven Brand.)