Mikhail Red, the director behind the top-grossing Filipino horror film Deleter, returns with Lilim, a psychological horror that takes audiences into the unsettling world of a seemingly safe orphanage harboring dark secrets.
The film, starring Heaven Peralejo, National Winner for Best Actress at the 2023 Asian Academy Creative Awards, is set to hit Philippine cinemas on March 12.
Lilim made its international debut at the 54th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), drawing praise for its “atmospheric terror and social undercurrents.”
The film follows Issa, a young woman who kills her abusive father in self-defense and escapes with her younger brother, Tomas. Seeking refuge, they arrive at Helping Hands, an orphanage run by a group of nuns who welcome them but offer a warning: the place holds many secrets.
As Issa and Tomas settle in, they begin to sense something is amiss. Strange rituals take place, the nuns’ intentions appear sinister, and a disturbing force looms over the orphanage. The deeper Issa digs, the more she realizes they may not be able to leave. As she fights to protect her brother, she is confronted with the horrifying truth—the orphanage is not a sanctuary but a trap.
Red, known for his sharp storytelling and social commentary, draws on real-world themes in Lilim.
“I wanted to make a film about a hidden society sheltering from the oppression of the times, only to collapse under its own fanaticism,” he told Variety. “It is also my first horror film seen through the eyes of children.”
The project is a family collaboration. Red’s father, Raymond Red, a Palme d’Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival, serves as cinematographer, while his brother, Nikolas, wrote the screenplay.
Peralejo leads the cast as Issa, marking her first major role in horror. Eula Valdez plays the orphanage head, Marga, bringing a menacing presence to the screen. Mon Confiado portrays an investigator tracking the siblings, while child actor Skywalker David makes his feature film debut as Tomas. Ryza Cenon, who shaved her head for her role, is set to deliver what Red calls a “twisted scene” that will leave audiences unnerved.
Lilim has already earned strong reviews following its Rotterdam premiere. ScreenAnarchy described it as “creepy, entertaining, and polished,” while critics praised Peralejo’s performance, calling her a heroine unafraid to face the horrors of the script. Asian Movie Pulse hailed the film as a “well-directed, well-shot, well-acted psychological horror/slasher.”