Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang

Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang

Year: 2012

Runtime: 101 mins

Language: English

Director: Richard Somes

HorrorDrama

Set during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, this film follows a married couple struggling to conceive a child. They participate in traditional fertility rites, and their prayers are seemingly answered. However, tragedy strikes with the death of their baby, leading to a series of unexpected and disturbing events that test their relationship and confront them with dark, supernatural forces.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang (2012)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang (2012). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1940s, World War II era

The events unfold in the 1940s Philippines, a period marked by wartime strain, societal upheaval, and rigid codes of morality. Fear and scarcity intensify suspicion, turning personal misfortune into communal peril. The era’s harsh judgments propel Corazon and Daniel toward isolation in the forest and into a tragic cycle of revenge.

Location

Magdalena, Philippines

Magdalena is a rural Philippine village anchored by a close-knit community and a nearby forest that becomes the setting for fear and rumor. The town’s life is shaped by faith healers, gossip, and wartime memories, turning personal tragedy into collective peril. As Corazon’s past and rumored transformation blur the line between victim and monster, the village increasingly acts on distrust and violence.

🏡 Rural village 🌳 Forested outskirts 🕯️ Supernatural folklore

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 09:56

Main Characters – Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang (2012)

Meet the key characters of Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang (2012), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Corazon (Erich Gonzales)

Corazon is a woman rumored to have been a prostitute during the Second World War, whose reputation subjects her to harsh stigma in Magdalena. After a stillborn birth, she undergoes a brutal shift that pushes her away from society and into a forest where her powers grow. Her transformation tests loyalty, love, and what it means to remain human when hunted by fear.

🌫️ Protagonist 🪄 Supernatural transformation 💔 Tragic love

Daniel (Derek Ramsay)

Daniel is Corazon's devoted husband who refuses to believe she is guilty; he is driven by memory of past abuse and love, and his loyalty is tested as the town closes in. He fights to protect Corazon, even as evidence and suspicion threaten their relationship, ultimately leading them toward a perilous escape into the forest.

🤝 Loyal partner 🌀 Conflict between love and doubt 🗺️ Flight and survival

Matias (Mark Gil)

Matias is the village landlord whose cruelty and pursuit of control ignite the town's fear and violence. His oppression heightens tensions and pushes the community toward drastic actions that escalate the tragedy surrounding Corazon and Daniel.

💢 Antagonist 🧱 Cruelty 🏚️ Oppressor

Naldo (Epy Quizon)

Naldo is Daniel's friend who recalls the abusive landlord and acts as a cautious confidant to Daniel. He weighs the risk of violence against loyalty and ultimately lets the lovers decide their fate, serving as a moral sounding board in a moment of crisis.

🗣️ Confidant 🧭 Moral dilemma 🕊️ Ambivalent ally

Nene (Sharlene San Pedro)

Nene is a young girl who befriends Corazon, reminding her of humanity. When Corazon briefly spares Nene, the moment underscores the fragile line between mercy and brutality that threads through the story.

👧 Child and witness 💡 Moral spark

Concha (Sue Prado)

Concha is a village resident whose presence reflects the community's shared fear and gossip. Her perspective illuminates how fear and rumor can bind people together or drive them to act against those who are different.

👥 Village insider 🗣️ Witness to stigma

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 09:56

Major Themes – Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang (2012)

Explore the central themes of Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang (2012), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🗣️ Stigma

Stigma drives the tragedy: Corazon's rumored past and her alleged link to prostitution mark her as an outsider in Magdalena. The town's fear of the unknown fuels gossip, suspicion, and collective punishment, turning private pain into public spectacle. The narrative shows how harsh judgments can sever human connections and intensify violence. Love and loyalty are tested as the community chooses certainty over compassion.

🌿 Transformation

The forest acts as a liminal space where Corazon's humanity is tested and her powers awaken. Her nocturnal rampages blur the line between victim and monster, reframing violence as a response to social oppression. The aswang stigma becomes a mask for the town’s fear of female sexuality and autonomy. The film uses transformation to explore how isolation can sharpen both empathy and danger.

🔥 Cycle of Violence

The narrative traces a cycle of fear, retaliation, and violence that engulfs the village. Matias's brutality and the mob's response culminate in a burning of Daniel's house and the lovers' flight into the forest. The ending offers no clear resolution, instead leaving Corazon and Daniel vanished and the town haunted by what they could not confront. The tragedy emerges from the era's cruelty and the inability of the community to heal through reconciliation.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 09:56

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about grief and monstrous transformation like Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang

Stories where profound loss twists characters into something terrifying.If you were affected by the tragic transformation in Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang, explore similar movies where grief and loss are the catalysts for horror. These films often blend heavy drama with supernatural or psychological elements, creating a deeply unsettling experience.

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Narrative Summary

This thread follows narratives that begin with a devastating personal loss, such as the death of a child. The protagonist's grief becomes all-consuming, leading them down a path of isolation and internal darkness. Their trauma manifests externally, often transforming them into a monster—either literally or through their actions—as they struggle with their shattered reality and the fear they now inspire in others.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on using horror as a metaphor for extreme psychological trauma. They share a heavy emotional core, a bleak outlook, and a central theme that the most terrifying monsters are born from human suffering.

Movies about societal hysteria and superstition like Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang

Tales where fear and superstition tear a community apart from within.Fans of the superstitious village atmosphere in Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang will appreciate these movies. Discover similar stories where community fear and wartime or historical settings create a pressure cooker of paranoia, leading to violence and persecution.

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Narrative Summary

The pattern involves a community, often in a historical or rural setting, governed by rigid traditions and beliefs. When something strange or tragic occurs, collective anxiety peaks. Instead of seeking rational explanations, the community succumbs to hysteria, projecting their fears onto an individual or family. The story becomes a grim examination of mob mentality, stigma, and the cruelty that emerges when people are driven by fear.

Why These Movies?

These films are connected by their oppressive atmosphere and the central conflict of an individual versus a hostile community. They share themes of social stigma, the danger of superstition, and a steady pacing that builds dread as the community's suspicion turns to violence.

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Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang Summary

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Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang Summary

Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang Timeline

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Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang Timeline

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