Netflix’s New Under-the-Radar Horror Movie Will Creep You Out This August

This week, Netflix debuted the Filipino horror movie Untold. But if you’re looking for the next great ghost story, this isn’t it.

There are some genuinely creepy moments in Untold, and it’s not without some merits. It’s just not up to the standards we expect to see in a horror flick.

Of course, that doesn’t mean Untold can’t be enjoyable to watch with friends. Picking apart the movie with other people might actually be the most fun you’ll have all weekend.

If you’re looking for an excuse to put it on your watch list, these are the three reasons to watch Untold on Netflix.

Jodi Sta. Maria Is Very Believable as Vivian

In her native Philippines, Jodi Sta. Maria is well-known for her versatility as a performer. And she is by far the best part of this movie. Maria plays Vivian Vera, an unscrupulous journalist who has shot to fame because of her ability to break scandalous stories. Unfortunately for Vivian, she’s also being haunted by relentless ghosts and horrific visions that may drive her out of her mind.

Maria embodies the cool and professional front that Vivian puts on in front of other people, as well as the terror she feels when she’s confronted by supernatural events. In a better movie, Maria would have had a chance to become an even bigger star internationally.

The Film Isn’t Afraid to Make Vivian Unlikable

Without giving away too many spoilers about Untold, there’s something admirable about the way that the film goes out of its way to make Vivian completely unlikable. She also does unspeakably awful things in the name of fame, and she doesn’t seem to have much remorse about any of it.

In 2021, there was a film called The Worst Person in the World, and that title really should have been reserved for Vivian. She is the worst, and she has no bottom. Just when you think you’ve learned the darkest secret about Vivian’s past, there’s always something even more evil she’s already done. It’s an interesting strategy to build a story around someone who is truly the scum of the Earth.

It’s the Rare Horror Film Where You’re Rooting For the Ghosts

That’s the problem when the protagonist is such a hateful witch. Suddenly, the spirits seem completely justified for everything that they’ve put Vivian through. These very literal ghosts torment Vivian to the end and potentially beyond.

Everything that happens to Vivien in this movie was brought upon by her misguided desire to be famous as a journalist. Vivian’s sins belong to her alone. The greatest joy this movie has to offer is letting us watch as Vivian gets what’s coming to her.

Untold is streaming on Netflix.