Espantaho (Scarecrow) Review: Fine Cast Trapped in Poor CGI Scares

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

The 2024 Filipino horror movie ‘Espantaho‘ (English title: Scarecrow) follows Monet, a young woman who runs an antique shop with her husband, Jack, while mourning her father Pabling’s death. Jack leaves Monet to handle the nine-day vigil ceremony for her father, as he departs for his own family emergency. Left alone with her young son, Monet must battle new ghosts invading her house, and her woes worsen when her father’s first wife shows up with her children, demanding her share of the property: all of it.

Created by Chito S. Roño (director) and Chris Martinez (writer), ‘Espantaho‘ (Scarecrow) stars Judy Ann Santos as protagonist Monet, a meek young woman prone to seizures, constantly under the shadow of her domineering mother, Rosa (Lorna Tolentino). The twist? Rosa is dead, and this doesn’t count as a spoiler, because it’s revealed in the first 15 minutes of the film, though very subtly. Whoever cast Judy Ann Santos and Lorna Tolentino as the mother-daughter duo joined at the hip deserves brownie points, because they look like they’re actually related. However, it’s a completely different malevolent entity that starts to kill those around Monet, one by one, in eerie ways.

‘Espantaho‘ definitely has an intriguing primary premise, with all its supernatural activities and deaths connected to a mysteriously creepy painting that makes its way into Monet’s house. Even the mansion she lives in looks old and haunting. However, the special effects in the supernatural scenes are low-quality and comedic instead of scary, making it look like it was made in the 1990s. So the ‘fear’ factor in this horror movie is really low, unfortunately, a crucial ingredient for the genre.

Chanda Romero as Monet’s aunt Adele brings some human villainy to ‘Espantaho‘, she is devious as Pabling’s (Monet’s father) calculating, shrewd, and opportunistic wife. Adele arrives for the vigil with her son Roy (Mon Confiado) and daughter Andie (Janice De Belen), Monet’s older half-siblings, despite having been MIA the whole time Pabling was sick in the hospital. So, apart from the mystery surrounding the evil painting, there’s a whole lot of family conflict and property drama, which simply makes the plot more convoluted. Besides, the eventual twist has little to do with the familial bitterness between the main characters.

From creepy-crawlies, locust swarms, and worms to borrowing from horror classics like ‘The Shining‘ by inserting ghostly little twin girls who spook Monet and others, ‘Espantaho‘ is a mishmash of familiar horror tropes. It even throws in shamans and art experts, the only thing missing is an exorcist, though this isn’t a possession story, so one wasn’t needed. If the creators could’ve raised more funds for better CGI, maybe the deaths in ‘Espantaho‘ could’ve been terrifying.

Ultimately, the film tries to juggle too many issues, and the first half feels disjointed from the second, like two different stories jammed into one. But if you don’t mind streaming a retro-styled, old-school horror flick that’s well-acted but underwhelming in the chills department, ‘Espantaho‘ might still be worth a try.

Rating: 5 on 10. Watch ‘Espantaho’ on Netflix.

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