Directed by Roderick Cabrido, the Filipino horror film Mallari stars Piolo Pascual as the three main characters living in different time periods: Juan Severino Mallari, Johnrey, and Jonathan. The film is centered around the Mallari family from Magalang, Pampanga. In 2023, Jonathan, a doctor, returned to his ancestral property in Magalang to find the cure for his wife’s illness, and that was when the supernatural phenomena began. The film is inspired by the real-life story of Father Juan Severino Mallari of Magalang, Pampanga, infamous for killing 57 people. Mallari adds a supernatural element to the story and takes it up a notch. From astral projection to time travel, the film offers an elaborate explanation to connect the three timelines.
Spoiler Alert
Why did Father Severino turn into a killer?
In 1812, during the Spanish colonial era, Father Juan Severino Mallari moved to Magalang to spread the word of Christ. Soon his mother, Dona Facunda, arrived there to visit him, and she was proud to see her son head the chapel of her favorite patron saint, St. Bartholomew the Apostle. The locals practiced their ethnic religion, and they were often said to perform witchcraft and black magic. With Christianity spreading far and wide, the locals devised a plan to control Juan. Just like St. Bartholomew, he was expected to become the new vigilante of the village. The servants working at the Mallari house, led by Maria Capac, had cursed Dona Facunda, and she could only be saved if Father Juan agreed to their conditions. Juan was asked to kill the sinners at night and feed his mother human flesh since that was the only way she could survive. There was a demonic creature living inside of Dona, and it had to be fed human flesh. Father Juan did not know what to do—saving his mother meant turning into a killer, but then again, he could not fathom losing her. His alter ego convinced him to become a serial killer; he targeted the sinners to justify his actions. He assumed he was the New Age St. Bartholomew, and he did not regret his decision.
Juan was happy to see his mother in a healthy condition; she had no recollection of her illness, and she had no idea what her son was up to. Father Juan accepted his fate until one day he was apprehended after a little boy informed the police about him. Juan believed that with every killing he was getting closer to heaven; he failed to realize that he had the devil in him. Father Severino was hanged and killed for the murders, but Dona Facunda continued to live, as did Maria Capac. She and her clan needed someone else to do their bidding, and they had found the perfect candidate after over a century.
How did Johnrey find out Juan Severino Mallari’s secret?
Johnrey was a documentary filmmaker during World War II, and after visiting his ancestral property and learning about the strange murders that continued, he developed an interest in uncovering the life of his great uncle, Father Severino. He found it incredibly intriguing that there had been a serial killer in his family, and as a documentary filmmaker, he believed it was his responsibility to dig deeper. Johnrey soon figured out that he was blessed with the power to time travel. Through astral projection, he could go back in time and find out his family’s secret. Johnrey was surprised when he met little Jonathan in the future. He realized that some members of his family could travel in time, and Jonathan was no different. The little boy from the future ended up in the 19th century in his sleep. Growing up, Jonathan had convinced himself that it was just a dream. But with time, he realized that everything he had seen that night was too real to be a dream, and it also seemed impossible to believe that the grandma of his great-grandmother and her son were still alive. While Jonathan tried to figure out the truth, Johnrey left him clues to make the process easier for him.
When Johnrey realized that he was a time traveler, he tied his camera to his arms to take it along with him and record the past. Johnrey did not expect the curse to continue, and he was shocked when he found out that his wife, Felicity, was taken hostage by Maria Capac and Conching. The secret room where Dona lived was covered with wallpaper. Dona was two hundred years old. She begged Johnrey to accept the old vow and allow her to die in peace. As long as the creature living in Dona was not transferred to another person, she was cursed to live. Maria Capac planned to pass the creature to Felicity, and she expected Johnrey to continue feeding his wife. But after witnessing the suffering of Father Severino and Dona Facunda, Johnrey refused to allow the curse to affect his family anymore. He was ready to accept the creature, and as soon as Dona transferred it to him, she dissolved into thin air. Johnrey transformed into a werewolf-like being after the monster passed to him, and he devoured Maria Capac and Conching. Johnrey begged his wife to bury him alive and raise their child away from Magalang. Felicity had no choice but to carry out the instruction; it was for the greater good. Johnrey wanted to protect Jonathan, and he sacrificed himself to safeguard the future of the Mallari family.
How was Lucas involved in the murders?
As soon as Jonathan moved to the Mallari house, the murders began. Someone was replicating the vigilante style of Father Severino. Jonathan’s fiancée, Agnes, found out that the man behind the killings was Lucas, a deacon and Jonathan’s childhood friend. Lucas was born into the Alarcon family, ancient practitioners of the dark arts. Maria Capac’s full name was Maria Capadocia Alarcon, and she was Lucas Alarcon Segundo’s ancestor. After finding out about Lucas’ family, Agnes decided to have a word with him. She was about to enter his room when she noticed him take a mask off his face. Agnes was shocked to see him in a blood-soaked robe, and it was evident that he was the killer the police were after.
Lucas kneeled before a statue of Father Severino and proceeded to perform self-flagellation. Lucas caught Agnes staring at him through the window. She tried to escape, but he managed to stop her. He was ready to let her go if she promised to remain silent. He also added that his family had plans for her as well. Before he could harm her, she managed to make a run for her life. Lucas followed her to the Mallari house. Agnes tried to seek Jonathan’s help, but he was time-traveling. By the time Jonathan came to his senses, Lucas had already struck Agnes. Lucas did not feel guilty about the killings; he believed they deserved to die because they were worthless and immoral. He was convinced that by killing them, he was protecting society from harm, and he begged Jonathan to accept his fate and become a serial killer/vigilante like Father Severino. Lucas was desperate to find the monster to perform the duty that was passed on to him by his family and restore the old vow. Lucas was certain that the monster was still alive because it would not disappear as long as there was evil in the world. Lucas was ready to kill Jonathan if he refused to revive the curse, but Jonathan overpowered him and shot him. Agnes was fatally wounded, and Jonathan was desperate to save her.
What happened to the monster?
The monster continued to live in Johnrey. He was alive and buried. Johnrey had accepted his fate, and even though it was immensely difficult for him, he refused to leave, knowing the danger that the monster could pose. Johnrey had sacrificed his life for the future, but Jonathan’s mentality was not the same. His sole purpose in visiting his ancestral house was to find the cure to his fiancee’s illness (a future he had foreseen). He could not imagine losing Agnes, and for that, he was ready to experiment with supernatural forces.
The ghosts of the monster’s victims tried to stop Johnathan, but he ignored them. As expected, Johnrey was alive when Johnathan dug his grave. He had lived for decades without his loved ones, and it was impossibly difficult, but he was convinced that his sacrifice was absolutely necessary. He could not risk letting the creature escape from his body. He begged Johnathan to not release the curse and make his sacrifice go to waste, but Johnathan was desperate to save Agnes. The spirit of Father Severino warned Johnathan that Agnes would turn into a monster once the creature entered her body, and he too would become evil because of it. The priest regretted the choice he once made because the life he offered his mother was far worse than death. Johnathan believed falling in love was his curse, and he was ready to do anything to save Agnes.
During Mallari‘s ending, Johnathan beheaded Johnrey and carried his severed head to the hospital, where Agnes was admitted. Agnes knew the history of the curse, and she begged Johnathan to let her die, but he refused. The creature was ultimately passed from Johnrey to Agnes.
What happened to Johnathan and Agnes?
In Mallari‘s ending, Johnathan bought the ancestral house and permanently shifted there. Agnes was alive and well, but she was no longer in love with Johnathan. He went against her wish to save her, and she was cursed to live forever. Johnathan’s decision was driven by selfish interest, and it was not an act of love; since he could not imagine his life without Agnes, he chose to turn her into a monster. Agnes refused to get married to him, and now that she had a monster living inside her, she could not start a family as well. Lucas’ nephew, Amal Alarcon, joined the couple to assist them and perform his duty. It was a full moon night in the final scene of Mallari, and Agnes advised Johnathan to prepare for his first kill. Johnathan did not regret the choice he made; he too had turned into a monster.
