Excitement buzzed at the exclusive screening and dialogue for Netflix Philippines’ OUTSIDE, starring Sid Lucero, Beauty Gonzalez, and Marco Masa, featuring renowned Filipino-Australian filmmaker Carlo Ledesma. The event at Grand Hyatt Manila drew a full house of horror enthusiasts, including members of the press, content creators, film reviewers, and media students, who eagerly anticipated the streaming giant’s first psychological horror film–a significant milestone for Netflix Philippines.
With in-theme content zones and even zombified personnel manning the registration, the event created an immersive atmosphere for the guests, especially with its timely launch this spooky season.
Following the screening, the four talents took center stage for a scene breakdown portion that allowed the audience to gain deeper insights into and appreciation of the many creative choices used in the film. The bridge scene is an integral part of OUTSIDE, so much so that it took three separate days to shoot the entire sequence.
“It was a very important scene for Iris, the character of Beauty in the film. Iris always felt that she needed to get away from her family problems and internal struggles. In many ways, the bridge is like a metaphor for her, like, ‘[On] the other side of the bridge, lies a different life for me.’ We wanted to symbolize the crossing [to] a different threshold.”
Direk Carlo also shared that he is frequently asked about how much visual effects were used in the film: “Actually, madami. But it is very important for me to not call attention to visual effects; I want everything to feel as real.”
For him, this meant insisting on not using CGI for the “dead ones” and making their make-up look as “realistic” as possible. That scene, like most aspects of the film, shows the utmost attention to details and a mindful consideration for more discerning viewers. It also involved bringing in local creatives from Negros–from theater actors who play the “dead ones” to production designers who built that world–all to create the very Filipino story of OUTSIDE.
The cast also shared their insights about filming the Bridge scene. Sid, who plays the chilling patriarch Francis, did not use a body double for the physically-challenging sequence, which excited even his co-stars, especially Beauty who shared: “I was excited for him; nakaabang na ‘ko sa eksena niya kasi I knew na isang take lang. (…) I was checking if he was okay; if everybody was okay.”
Speaking about the storytelling techniques he channeled while conceptualizing the story, Direk Carlo expressed: “COVID happened. All these emotions came in. All my fears and anxieties as a parent suddenly came flowing into the pages. (…) It’s a film about zombies but ultimately, it’s a film about an imperfect family [who] are really trying to do their best. No one here is perfect; no one here is a bad guy. No one here is an ‘evil character’.”
Sid is aware of the buzz surrounding the film but hopes it’s not just hype. “The thing is, the movie’s so personal. However everybody takes it doesn’t matter anymore. Whatever is your opinion about the film, that’s you. We spent our blood and tears into [making] it that it almost doesn’t matter what you guys think because we love what we did,” he adds with a chuckle, “We’re just people trying to make a vision–our director’s vision–and we did it as honestly as we could.” The actor happily brought his mother on stage, actress Bing Pimentel, who appears in an important role in the film.
For Beauty, who grew up on a farm, getting into Iris’s character was not difficult, nor did she feel pressured by the initial positive reaction to their trailer, “It was close to my heart. (…) I read the script and realized I don’t really need to prepare but trust my director and his direction because the script is really beautifully written.”
Young actor Marco, who plays the family’s firstborn son Josh, tackled the lock-in taping from a different perspective, “One of the challenges is my school. I have to do my homework, my performance tests away from school. And then, nalayo ako sa family ko. Na-homesick ako, but thankfully, sila ‘yung kasama ko. I am really comfortable with them.”
However for him, one of the perks of doing the lock-in taping in Negros was how it helped him focus on his character: “Gusto ko ihiwalay ‘yung bonding ng family sa work. Nagkaroon ako ng second family.” Marco expressed how honored he was to be part of such a great film and thanked Direk Carlo for choosing him.
The dialogue was preceded by a discussion from Netflix Philippines’ Content Lead, Vitto Lazatin, who thanked everyone for attending the landmark event for horror titles on the platform: “It’s a milestone for us in our ongoing mission to entertain the world. We’re extremely passionate about it; trying to find the best Filipino stories and bringing it to our platform.” Vitto highlighted Netflix’s original Filipino titles from this year and proudly continued, “Naniniwala kami na ang kwentong Pinoy ay kakaiba, ang kwentong Pinoy ay maganda, at ang kwentong Pinoy ay dapat ipamahagi sa mundo.” In keeping with this milestone, OUTSIDE will be available in 32 languages upon launch.
All in all, Direk Carlo has this to say about the story, “It is a story about an imperfect family that is trying to do their best,” a sentiment he echoed to the cast and crew throughout filming.
The four talents felt the energy from the crowd during the screening and happily engaged with the guests at the venue. More than a hundred individuals attended the exclusive event day, including media representatives, horror film enthusiasts, film critics, and students from Mapua University.
OUTSIDE is now playing on Netflix. Available globally.
