Mikhail Red's latest supernatural horror film, Lilim, revolves around a brother and sister who ended up in an orphanage hidden in the woods during martial law in the Philippines. One day, Issa murdered her abusive father, and her brother, Tomas, was the only witness. He wasn't old enough to fully understand the torture his sister was subjected to daily, and he wondered if death was really the only solution. Issa and Tomas left the apartment before the police arrived.
Issa decided to drive to the woods and seek refuge there. She remembered her mother telling them stories from her past, where she used to play hide-and-seek, and before she died, she had told Issa that she had always wanted to run away with her children and find a place to live in the woods. Tomas couldn't forget that his sister had committed a crime, and he believed she wouldn't be able to take care of him.
Director: Mikhail Red
Writers: Mikhail Red, Nikolas Red
Stars: Heaven Peralejo, Eula Valdez, Ryza Cenon
When Issa stopped the car to explain the reason for her decision, Tomas opened the door and fled into the woods. Day turned into night, but Issa couldn't find her brother. She saw a woman dressed in black, with a shaved head, dragging a heavy bag through the woods. She suddenly disappeared before attacking Issa. When Issa awoke, she realized she had injured her head and suddenly saw a light coming from afar. She walked toward the building and realized it was an orphanage. Issa wasn't sure if what she saw in the woods was real or just a fragment of her imagination.
There was something unsettling about the paintings on the walls of the orphanage, especially those of the nuns and the children. Issa couldn't help but wonder what was hidden behind the shadows so prominent in the painting. Initially, she assumed it was a Christian orphanage, but she soon discovered that the nuns had not dedicated their lives to Christ; Instead, they were worshipers of Lilith. She was Adam's first wife and was said to symbolize the struggle of all women, and her independence from Adam was celebrated. But the nuns didn't tell Issa that Lilith also represented chaos, seduction, and wickedness. She is associated with demons and was said to steal babies in the darkness. In Lilim, Lilith's dark nature takes center stage, and her demonic wrath becomes the main threat the protagonists must face.
Issa was relieved to have found a refuge for herself and her brother, who also ended up in the orphanage. But she soon discovered that the orphanage's walls concealed several secrets. She was told that an elderly nun, Mother Mirasol, had locked herself in her room and dedicated her life to Lilith, but Issa sensed there was more to the story. When one of the orphans, Prinsipe, started causing trouble, she was told that a family had shown interest in adopting him, but before leaving, she had to say goodbye to Mother Mirasol. They pushed Prinsipe into the room and locked the door. Soon, a demon emerged from the bed, lured the child away, and devoured him. Issa realized that children were used as sacrifices and never adopted. The nuns worshipped Lilith because they believed that by giving their lives to her, they would one day be transported to a world without suffering.
Issa had seen Sister Marga bring a baby to the orphanage and realized that it was used to get rid of children without families. She decided it was time for her and Tomás to leave, but that same day, she was informed that Sister Marga had found a family willing to adopt Tomás. Issa informed the nun that she had decided to leave. She lied about finding temporary shelter. But Marga already knew Issa had nowhere else to go. She added that she knew a lot about Issa and handed her an old photograph. It was a picture of Issa's mother holding her daughter.
It turned out she was a nun at the orphanage and belonged to the cult. Issa recognized the pendant her mother wore in the photograph; after her death, Issa always kept it close. Marga explained that Issa's mother was her superior nun and that she abandoned her life in the orphanage because she felt empathy for a baby. Issa was the little girl Esther fell in love with and decided to leave the orphanage to raise her adopted daughter. Marga stated that from the moment Issa entered the orphanage, she knew she had a greater purpose: to serve Lilith. She added that their cult was known as "Lilim" and that they had dedicated their lives to Lilith.
Just as Marga claimed Issa wasn't allowed to leave the orphanage, Issa hit her with a candlestick. She tried to hide and ended up in Mother Mirasol's room. She noticed the nun's skeletal remains carefully hidden under a sheet and was horrified to see Prinsipe's dismembered arm lying on the floor. The police investigating her father's murder arrived at the orphanage. Issa tried to scream for help, but was silenced. The police refused to leave without speaking to the children, and when they discovered Tomas was living in the orphanage, the nuns tried to kill them. They had been waiting for the right moment to sacrifice Tomas, the youngest child in the orphanage, to Lilith, and they weren't going to let a pair of police officers ruin their plan. They killed one and held the other captive along with Issa.
The nuns prepared for the ritual, ready to summon Lilith's spirit. The police officer was taken to Mother Mirasol's room, which overlooked the underground lair where Lilith lived. Meanwhile, one of the nuns told Issa to surrender to Lilith. She added that at first she felt fearful upon learning that those who had dedicated their lives to Lilith were destined for hell, but the more she surrendered to her, the less she feared the flames of hell. She hoped Issa would also show courage and accept her, but Issa resisted. The nun was enraged; she always knew Marga was wrong. Issa wasn't destined to be one of them because of her weakness. She added that, unlike her, Tomas had something to offer Lilith, and that they would use his blood to mark her new beginning.
Presumably, Lilith preferred the blood of "pure" young men, and it possibly made her more powerful. After the nun's departure, one of the orphans, Gabriel, came to Issa's rescue. She freed her, and just as she was about to rescue her brother, Marga stopped her. She held a rifle in her hand and told Issa that she couldn't run away from her destiny. Her role was already written, and she was to play an important part in the cult. Marga pointed the rifle at herself and pulled the trigger; she believed she had fulfilled her purpose, so she had to leave. The sound of the shot created chaos, and the policeman pushed a nun into the cell, where she also fell. Tomás was also pushed into the chamber by the nuns, and when he opened his eyes, he saw skeletal remains on the floor. The policeman and Tomás watched as the demon devoured the nun, but she remained calm. She hoped that after enduring the pain, Lilith would take her to a place where there was no more suffering or agony. The policeman asked Tomás to hide while he prepared to confront Lilith.
It can be assumed that Lilith's spirit lived in Mother Mirasol's body, and that's why the room was always locked, and a fake body was kept under the sheet for show. Tomas saw the demon swallow the policeman's skull. During Lilim's final act, Issa entered the dungeon with a rifle in her hand. The nuns didn't protest, as if they already knew Issa had no way out. Issa asked Tomas to go up the ladder and leave, and he returned to the room. The moment Issa turned around and started up the ladder, Lilith attacked her. She scratched her leg, but Issa managed to kick her away. Issa managed to get out, and as soon as Tomas noticed Lilith also trying to leave the chamber, he pulled the trigger and shot her in the head. She collapsed and fell back into the dungeon. For a split second, Issa imagined her dead father's face instead of Lilith's: both were monsters. Tomas sometimes regretted not being able to protect his sister, but in the end, he showed that he was willing to do anything to protect Issa.
Just as Issa and Tomas were about to leave, Tomas asked Issa to go back and encourage the children to come with them. After all, they would be sacrificed one day or another, and their fear was what kept them locked there. Issa was reluctant at first, but eventually agreed. She, too, felt terrible for the children and thought about helping them. Suddenly, Tomas heard one of the children scream and went upstairs to see what was happening. He was petrified to see Issa's mouth dripping with blood. Her eyes turned demonic, and she seemed surprised at her own power. Lilith's spirit had entered Issa's body, and instead of saving the children, she was devouring them. The nuns knew Issa had a purpose, and were possibly pleased that everything went according to their plan. They handed Issa the baby they had recently taken into the orphanage, and she had a smile on her face. Suddenly, a dark image of Issa was added to the orphanage painting on the wall, suggesting that she would be forever trapped within the orphanage's walls.
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