Strange Frequencies: Taiwan Killer Hospital, a Filipino adaptation of the South Korean horror hit Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, has been announced as Reality MM Studios’ entry for the 50th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).
Directed by horror filmmaker Erik Matti and produced by Dondon Monteverde in partnership with actor Enrique Gil, the film recently caught the attention of Hollywood media outlet Variety.
The original Gonjiam, directed by Jung Bum-shik, became a box-office success in 2018, grossing $21 million in South Korea and drawing over 2.6 million viewers. The story follows a group of young people exploring the notorious Gonjiam psychiatric hospital, believed to be haunted. Reality MM Studios brings this chilling premise to Taiwan’s Xinglin Hospital, an abandoned structure in West Central District known locally for paranormal phenomena.
In this Filipino adaptation, Enrique Gil leads a cast that includes actress Jane De Leon, Alexa Miro, Rob Gomez, beauty queen MJ Lastimosa, real-life tarot reader Raf Pineda, and content creator Ryan “Zarckaroo” Azurin. Each plays themselves as amateur ghost hunters exploring Xinglin Hospital to document its eerie reputation.
Zarckaroo, known for videos of haunted locations across Asia, has a significant social media following with 1.6 million subscribers on YouTube and 1.9 million on Facebook. His presence is expected to bring a unique authenticity to the film, which is shot in a “meta found footage” style, keeping with the original format. This technique, blending reality with fiction, aims to intensify the horror experience by immersing audiences in the unsettling atmosphere of the haunted hospital.
The project was introduced to Reality MM Studios by BJ Song, CEO of Creative Leaders Group 8, whose previous projects include Taxi Driver and Boys Over Flowers. The film marks a collaboration of Filipino talent, drawing on Matti and Monteverde’s production experience, known for works like On the Job and BuyBust.
Strange Frequencies: Taiwan Killer Hospital opens on Dec. 25 in the Philippines. Watch the trailer here: https://youtu.be/owJRtbIatnM?si=QXaKIOixhGRgUCBI
