SHAKE, RATTLE & ROLL: EVIL ORIGINS (2025) Review
Directed by Shugo Praico, Joey de Guzman, Ian Lorenos
What keeps the Shake, Rattle & Roll franchise going is not just the scares it brings to the audience, but also the high entertainment value offered by the three episodes of the film. ‘Evil Origins’ looks and feels like it was planned from start to finish; even the title cards of each episode are impressively presented. From supernatural scares to slasher to monster stories, the SRR franchise continues to offer a variety of narratives that capture different types of horrors.
Kudos to the writers for their efforts in the world-building of SRR: Evil Origins. You get to anticipate more and more after each episode because of how the stories are connected. Most horror anthologies suffer from a “jarring transition” problem, where the shift between disparate stories feels like changing channels on a TV. Evil Origins avoids this pitfall effectively. By grounding the entire film in a shared mythos or a recurring sense of dread, the directors have created a “haunted house” effect where every room opens to a different but familiar terror.
The ensemble cast of Evil Origins is the strength of the film. You have great performances from Carla Abellana, Janice de Belen and Loisa Andalio in 1755, Francine Diaz, Seth Fedelin, Fyang Smith, JM Ibarra, Sassa Gurl and Karina Bautista in 2025, and Richard Gutierrez, Dustin Yu, Ivana Alawi and Manilyn Reynes in 2050 – their execution in portraying fear while in intense situations is what anchors each episode’s horrifying premise.
2025 is the episode I enjoyed the most. There is room for improvement, especially in the sound design, as it could use more tension. But there are plenty to enjoy in here. This is the kind of film that’s best experienced with your friends. The chases, the thrills, and the unexpected turns make for a very entertaining and worthwhile time in the movies.
While the first and third episodes could have added more scares and thrills, there is enough tension, surprise, and twists for the audience to cling to the film. The characters, with the actors’ performances, provide enough charm and weight for the audience to root for them. By weaving together the past, present, and future, this film transforms a beloved anthology into an epic mythology. It is the ultimate love letter to Philippine cinema’s longest and most popular horror film franchise.
Shake, Rattle and Roll: Evil Origins isn’t just a movie; it’s a coronation. After decades of defining Filipino nightmares, this installment cements the franchise’s legacy by proving that while monsters evolve, true terror is timeless.
3.5 OUT OF 5 STARS
‘Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins’ is now showing in Philippine cinemas from Regal Entertainment, Inc. Rated R-13 by the MTRCB. #MMFF2025 #SRREvilOrigins