Pagpag: Siyam na Buhay

Cedric, Daniel Padilla and his friends Hannah, Ashley, Rico, and Justin arrive at the wake of Roman, Lucy’s husband, organized by the local undertaker Leni and her colleagues Dencio and Marcelo. The scene is thick with superstition, and the group immediately breaks several unspoken rules. Hannah weeps on the coffin when Cedric briefly holds Leni’s hand; Rico uses a handkerchief to wipe the coffin; Justin pockets bread from the wake; Ashley catches her reflection in a mirror; Cedric bears a fresh wound as he attends; Dencio pockets money from beneath the coffin; and the group neglects to perform the traditional pagpag, an act meant to dust off the self after a funeral to keep hostile spirits away.

Back at home, Leni’s adopted brother Mac-Mac, portrayed by Clarence Delgado, experiences apparitions and sketches nine figures with an eight-like mark. The tension rises as Marcelo is suddenly killed by a malevolent force while sweeping outside. Dencio blames Leni for their misfortune, insisting that neglecting pagpag has invited retribution. He also divulges a chilling backstory: Roman and Lucy once had a son, Emmanuel, who died. Roman made a pact with the Devil to bring Emmanuel back, but it required him to kill nine people. After he completes the grim ritual, he discovers Emmanuel alive inside his own coffin. A firestorm nearly destroys the barrio when villagers attempt to burn Roman’s house, and in the chaos, Roman dies and Emmanuel vanishes.

As fear tightens its grip, Hannah’s dread intensifies into a plan of self-destruction when she senses a shadowy figure. A phone call from Cedric, who is on his way, sends her into a panic. A horrifying apparition emerges, gouges her eyes, and dumps her into a pool, leaving Cedric with the blame for her death. Rico meets a violent end when the spirit escapes from his handkerchief and hurls him against a shower wall. The surviving friends realize they must act and Cedric urges Justin and Ashley to burn the clothes they wore at the wake.

Cedric then decides to return to Lucy’s house to confront Eva. On the road, he saves Leni, who is being chased by Roman’s ghost in a market, and they join forces since they share a common goal of breaking the curse. The search leads them to Roman’s empty coffin; the walls reveal three blood-drawn figures, underscoring the supernatural danger looming over them. Leni seeks Mac-Mac in a church, and Dencio, together with Eva, arrives to warn them and reveal that Mac-Mac is Emmanuel, whom their parents tried to protect during the fire.

Eva informs Cedric and Leni that Roman’s body lies in their old house. In the church, Mac-Mac becomes trapped, and Eva is pulled into a tomb and killed. Meanwhile, Ashley takes photos at home and discovers a chilling image that bears Roman’s face; she is dragged into a mirror and then crushed by a falling chandelier. Justin witnesses her death and, in a frantic shout for Cedric, is crushed between two passing trucks.

Dencio finds himself trapped in his car while attempting to rescue Mac-Mac in the church. The vengeful spirit teases him as he struggles to return the stolen money; the windows fail and his neck is eventually pierced by shards of broken glass. Mac-Mac escapes and is warned by the spirits of Roman’s victims that Cedric and Leni are in imminent danger. He follows Roman’s ghost toward the old house.

Upon arriving, Cedric and Leni realize Lucy has been orchestrating the haunting, sending Roman’s restless spirit to slaughter those who stand in the way until nine lives are secured. Mac-Mac lunges in to help but is captured by Lucy. Cedric and Leni reveal the truth about Emmanuel to Lucy; Roman tries to kill them, but Lucy intervenes and is impaled by a girder. Roman reappears, furious, and learns that Lucy was pregnant and that Emmanuel still lives, a revelation that fuels his rage. Cedric defends Leni and lands a fatal stab, ending Roman’s threat.

In the wake of the catastrophe, Cedric visits Leni and Mac-Mac in the hospital. The pair are joined by the lingering visages of Lucy and Roman, who smile from beyond, a haunting reminder of the costs exacted by the unlawful pact. The final image lingers on the hospital corridor as the ghosts’ quiet, unsettling smiles echo, leaving the truth of what happened to inhabit the minds of the living.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:48