Patayin Sa Sindak Si Barbara (1995) Restored and Remastered in HD : Movie Review

A Timeless Pinoy Classic

Original 1995 poste

Director: Chito S. Rono
Starring: Lorna Tolentino, Dawn Zulueta, Tonton Gutierrez, Antoinette Taus
Studio: Star Cinema

Barbara (Lorna Tolentino) returns to the Philippines from the US after her sister's death. Ruth (Dawn Zulueta) committed suicide after she learns that her husband Nick (Tonton Gutierrez) loves another woman. After her return, Barbara is soon haunted by the vengeful ghost of Ruth, who found out that it was her, Barbara, that Nick has loved all this time. Now, she must race against time to find out how to stop the malevolent spirit from becoming more powerful over them.

Considered as one of the classic horror films from the Philippines, this remake of the 1974 horror film is still a delight to watch more than twenty years since it was first released in theaters. I was one of the lucky people who was able to attend it's red carpet premiere courtesy of the ABS-CBN Film Restoration and UP Cineastes.


Story wise, it features the classic revenge story popular in Asian horror films. Penned by award-winning screenwriter Ricky Lee based on Celso Ad Castello's original story, this movie is well-written and evenly paced. Although there are times you'll feel a bit of cheesiness while listening to the dialogues due to the film's age, it actually adds up to the film's charm. The film's visuals are also to die for as it features special effects way ahead of it's time in Philippine cinema. These visual effects still holds up until today, from the flying home furnitures to the flying demon stop motion animation that really scared the crap out of me (one of my favorite scenes). It's cinematography is also something to commend as it utilizes different styles of framing and weird, but unique shots that adds up to it's atmosphere.

Chito Rono's direction is something to praise also, given the fact that this is his first attempt in the horror genre. He will soon direct the most successful horror films in the country in the next couple of years, making him a certified gem in Philippine cinema. And of course, the cast's brilliant performance is one of the highlights of this movie. Lorna Tolentino and Dawn Zulueta shows off their amazing acting prowess in this film. Though not really impactful, Tonton Gutierrez also manages to show off some nice acting chops. Amy Asutria adds a bit of humor into the film as their shrieking maid. But the real star of this show is the young Antoinette Taus. she was around thirteen years old when they filmed this movie and at that young age, she was able to give out such outstanding performance as Ruth's daughter, whom the vengeful ghost even possessed her body later in the film during it's climax.

As per the restoration and remastering of the film, ABS-CBN's Film Restoration project did a wonderful job in this film. It's crisp, bright colors stand out in high definition.

Final Verdict:

Patayin sa Sindak si Barbara is one of those rare classic horror films that you can still enjoy watching despite it's age. It's a beautiful example of a long gone era of Philippine cinema, and deserves to be preserved and seen by generations to come.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ 5 out of 5 stars