Having worked a variety of production jobs before, Mike de Leon stepped into the director's chair with a vengeance as his debut feature “Itim” shows him to be worthy of the acclaim garnered since the films' release. Responsible for being the start of Charo Santos-Concio before her prolific producing career, the chance for more to discover this early genre gem shouldn't be overlooked as many of the prominent elements of his later career are explored here.
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Arriving in a remote village, photographer Jun (Tommy Abuel) comes to the area looking to do a story on the religious practices observed by the locals who are about to observe a dedicated Holy Week during his visit. As his invalid father Dr. Tores, (Mario Montenegro) is also in the area, his trip is complicated by tending to his ailing condition as well as his burgeoning interest in the enigmatic Teresa (Charo Santos-Concio), another woman who lives in the village with her mother (Mona Lisa) who seems to be living with the idea of her mother being more favorable to her dead sister than her. The more time he spends with her, the more he comes to believe that her odd behavior is due to a strange secret she's holding from him, and once a possible solution to the situation is found, he sets out to put it in motion to save her.
Overall, “Itim” has quite a lot to like about it. Among the better elements at play is a rather strong and enjoyable setup from writers Clodualdo Del Mundo Jr. and Gil Quito featuring a highly enjoyable and chilling central storyline. With Jun arriving in the village to document various religious practices being observed in the area and coming across young Teresa who's becoming more and more obvious that something is wrong with her, the eerie atmosphere of the village with how everyone takes to the strictness of their religious practices, and the strangeness of his dreams, create a particularly appealing set up. The connections that each of these seemingly disparate storylines offer once they come together is quite fun, with the patience made to spell it all out due to a methodical pace that lets everything unravel appropriately.
Once this is established, “Itim” features a wholly impressive and immersive atmosphere playing off Catholic imagery and theming. Relying heavily on the use of prayer and observance of sacred rituals for the occasions, it becomes plainly obvious how important continuing the traditions is ingrained in the family. Featuring even more work throughout bringing across the perils of what happens to those who go across the teachings and what to do in those situations as we witness many of the characters carrying out coordinated instructions in a strict religious fashion, that allows the scares to arrive more fruitfully in the second half in his quest to help Teresa who's clearly troubled. While the full extent is kept hidden until then, the revelation of what's going on helps to generate some fun times with the concept at play making for some startling scenes. Featuring a thrilling seance scene to end things on a high note, these features provide a lot to like.
There isn't much to dislike but “Itim” does have some minor drawbacks. Among the biggest detriments is the rather unnecessary technical flourishes from director de Leon throughout here that are placed for little reason or purpose. Several scenes, including a conversation between Jun and his dad that keeps cutting back to each other despite no one saying anything or featuring Jun snap pictures during a funeral procession, showcase this tactic at the worst point. Each of these scenes is unnecessarily artistic and filled with camera tricks that aren't required and can be more distracting than anything with the way they're included in the film. As well, there's also the aforementioned slow-burn storyline that may not have the required pace and tempo to keep all audiences' attention. That could be due to the low-key nature of the action and reliance on atmosphere could lead to some calling this somewhat plodding. Even when things become more overtly chilling, it still keeps the intensity at a minimum which isn't something most will appreciate and will be what holds this down.
A generally enjoyable if somewhat flawed supernatural effort, “Itim” manages to have far more going for it than negative despite some of the drawbacks being personal preference picks than truly damaging to the film as a whole. Viewers who appreciate this slow-burn approach or are fans of the creative crew will have the most to like here.
