Filipino folklore feeds familiar vampire tale
The Time That Remains,” the new horror drama film by Adolfo Alix Jr., has the hallmarks of a classic gothic romance: An anguished vampire, a damsel in distress, and that age-old fascination with everlasting love.
But while it revisits themes typically associated with the genre like sacrifice and immortality, the Netflix Philippines film gives them a fresh twist, grounding the fantastical elements in Filipino history and folklore. The story unfolds in familiar ways, but it builds toward a less common, but no less affecting, climax that puts respect for free will above personal desire.
Alix had long hoped to explore eternal love onscreen, and a concept centered on a vampire and a mortal woman seemed the most obvious vehicle. However, as rich our local cultures are with stories of the aswang and its different permutations, there’s no exact Filipino equivalent to the vampire as we know it today in pop culture.
A cycle of grief
With that in mind, Alix and writer Mixkaela Villalon figured it would be compelling to have a resilient Kalinga warrior, Matias (Carlo Aquino), transformed into a vampire during the Spanish conquest. This cultural link is important because the Igorot peoples of the Cordillera region resisted Spanish attempts at total subjugation; the idea of the hero’s body being overtaken by a colonial curse becomes all the more poignant.
Behind the choice of locations was a similar and purposeful intent. There are urban legends claiming that the cooler the place is, the more spirits and unseen forces it shrouds. For that reason, the mountainous terrain and the misty chill of Baguio City and Sagada made perfect sense.
“The world [they created] was like peeking through a part of history that I want to know more about and understand more. A glimpse into Matias’ world,” says Jasmine Curtis-Smith, who plays the young version of the vampire’s one great love, Lilia.
The vampire myth often caters to the human fantasy of eternal youth and undying love—perhaps in an attempt to soften the looming realities of aging and death. But in Matias’ world, it’s immediately apparent that his centuries-long existence isn’t some romantic fantasy, but a never-ending cycle of loneliness, yearning, and grief.
Part of Matias’ tragedy is the unpredictability of love—“you never know who you fall in love with,” Alix says. And those profound burdens Aquino had to reflect in his eyes. “That’s 300 years’ worth of experiences, memories, and loss. How do I even show the viewers that my character has lived through more than three lifetimes?” Aquino says.
“Kung buhay nga natin na ilang dekada lang, grabe na ang mga struggles natin,” Curtis-Smith tells Lifestyle Inquirer in a roundtable interview. “I don’t think I would like to go through those for hundreds of years!”
A “beautiful journey”
In its exploration of immortality, the movie inevitably and subtly reinforced aging—and in some cases, even death—as a privilege and not as a fear. Veteran actress Bing Pimentel, who portrays Lilia in the twilight of her life, resonates with this perspective on a personal level.
“I have no qualms about aging or death because I think I have lived a good life. I’m not saying it’s perfect; I have been through hell,” she shares. “But thank God, He gave me a good life and the grit to get up from the trials I have faced.”
On any given day, Pimental would pass up immortality. But if it were for this mission—and she just can’t help but sneak it in—she might reconsider and see it as a gift from God instead of a curse: “I will have the chance to fight all the bad people destroying our country!”
For Curtis-Smith, seeing loved ones grow and evolve before your eyes is “a beautiful journey.” “For instance, you begin to see your parents as individuals and not merely as authoritative figures,” she points out. “You witness people change—your relatives, friends—and see what they become. And we should welcome that.”
Despite fate and society tearing them apart over what is deemed taboo, Matias continues to watch over Lilia as she moves from place to place, protecting her from the shadows even as she settles into a life without him. But in the end, with Lilia on her deathbed, Matias (spoilers ahead) finally offers her a chance at escaping the inevitable.
Respect for humanity
This, perhaps, is Matias’s greatest act of love. He doesn’t tempt Lilia or coerce her into it during her youth. By waiting for the mortal woman to live a full life before finally offering the option of immortality, Matias proves his respect for humanity and free will. Lilia refuses—but not for lack of love.
“Sometimes, you have to choose yourself,” Curtis-Smith says. “And the person meant for you will understand why you chose yourself, and love you for who you are.”
Ultimately, the story the movie tells isn’t so much about how long you live, but how much you live. And if an immortal being like Matias longs for love and connection, what more those who are bound to leave this world someday?
“We try to make sense of life as if it follows a straight timeline, but it doesn’t always work that way. Take every experience that comes your way— the good, the bad, the closeness, the distance—and just keep pushing forward,” Curtis-Smith says, reflecting on the erratic nature of life. “At some point, it will come together as it’s meant to be.”
Alas, in real life, there’s no turning over the sands of time. “Every waking second is a second taken from us by time. You don’t know when it will stop,” Aquino says. “So love as much as you can. Laugh as much as you can.”
