Aurora: A Philippines horror film involving a ship wreck and ghosts wanting to go home. A coastal village has been visited by death in the form of a shipwreck, the remains of the ship are visible on rocks close to shore. Relatives seek the remains of their loved ones but many bodies are still missing, perhaps trapped in the wreck. The event has cast a dark cloud over the village, fishermen can no longer sell their catch, peope move to the city. Leanna (Anne Curtis) runs an inn, when the relatives of the victims leave she is without customers and links up with fishermen to collect rewards for recovering the missing bodies. But she and her young sister Rita (Phoebe Villamor) catch glimpses of strange characters, hear voices and even seem to make contact with spirits of the missing.
A slow moving film which might have benefited from a 15 minute cut in it's running time. However it was massive success in the Philippines, made for P$3 million, it took in P$100 million at the box-office. The ghosts are well imagined and appear to be seeking closure just as much as their relatives are. While not malevolent they will seize on to divers who approach the wreck. Ghosts appear in windows and flashbacks of the grounding of the ship are related through stories and visions. A cover-up may have taken place and the real cause of the shipwreck turns out to be even more frightening than any conspiracy could hope to conceal. Director/co-writer Yam Laranas delivers an engaging Ghost Story. 7/10. On Netflix.
