Maria Labo

The narrative unfolds in a contemporary era marked by overseas labor migration. It portrays the pressures of making ends meet through foreign work, and the emotional toll on families left behind. Events hinge on recent social phenomena surrounding OFWs, amnesia, and folklore-inspired curses, grounding the horror in a familiar modern context.

Dubai serves as the modern, bustling setting where Maria seeks employment as a domestic helper, highlighting the urban landscape many overseas Filipino workers navigate. Capiz anchors her family life in the Philippines, showing a quieter, provincial environment where danger and memories resurface. The story shifts between the glitzy, risky world abroad and the intimate, vulnerable home front at home.

👹 Monstrosity

A loving mother’s body becomes a site of transformation when the aswang curse takes hold, challenging viewers to question who is truly monstrous. The film uses the werewolf-like metamorphosis to explore the fragility of identity under external control. It also interrogates how fear, violence, and societal stigma accompany the appearance of the other.

✈️ Migration

The story centers on the pressures that drive Maria to seek work overseas, illustrating the precariousness of migrant labor. It highlights the emotional costs of leaving family behind and the risks workers face in foreign households. The setting abroad functions as a catalyst for the horror that unfolds at home and abroad.

❤️ Family

Family loyalty is tested as love collides with fate when the curse threatens Maria and her children. Ermin's attempts to protect and reconnect with his wife underscore the tension between devotion and the loss of control. The film uses domestic dynamics to deepen the horror, showing how a mother's transformation fractures the family bond.