An undocumented Filipino immigrant finds the ideal job: caring for a terminally ill old man. Although this opportunity is supposed to give her and her daughter a better life, things turn sour when she finds out the man’s family has sinister ties to the Philippines. Gothic horror cleverly meets corrosive anticolonial critique in this spine-tingling tale…

What could possibly be more horrifying than Joy’s precarious situation and the despicable way a system geared toward exploiting the weak treats her mercilessly? Perhaps just the secrets hidden in this house and the dismay stirred up by their revelation. The ways this film connects and asks those questions have earned it a Grand Jury Award and a Thunderbird Rising Award at South by Southwest earlier this year.

British-Filipino writer-director Paris Zarcilla’s feature debut brings together personal themes and a confident grasp on the gothic tradition. He earned his stripes by directing many music videos and short films, including the much-discussed Pommel (2018). He has also worked for British and Singaporean television.