Review: Posthouse (Netflix) – Great Acting, Messy Plot

Posthouse (2025)

Platform: Netflix
Cast: Sid Lucero, Bea Binene, Ryza Cenon
Genre: Horror/Thriller

The Yawn Meter: Struggled

I watched this around 1 AM alone so the atmosphere was set. However, I really had a hard time finishing this one. It started with some promise but eventually became a chore to sit through.

The Breakdown

1. 🎭 Acting & Cast: [ 3 / 5 ]

The highlight of this film is definitely the dialogue. The "batuhan ng linya" felt great because it sounded like a typical, real-life conversation. I appreciated the small gestures and the moments where characters would cut each other off naturally. More Filipino films need to understand that this is how acting should look.

Sid Lucero is excellent as usual. He can show five different emotions in a single scene effortlessly. Bea Binene also delivered a raw performance. Her fear looked genuine and natural, though she isn't quite on par with Sid’s level yet.

Unfortunately, the supporting cast felt bland and one-dimensional. Cy's male assistant and Rea's mother (Ryza Cenon) lacked depth entirely. It felt like Ryza Cenon just showed up to die. They could have cut her scenes out and nothing would change; they just needed a head for a prop. The story really just revolved around Rea and Cy, so the others felt like unnecessary filler.

2. 🔊 Audiovisuals & Production: [ 2.5 / 5 ]

Since this is a horror movie set in the film industry, I was expecting a step up in production value. However, they didn't really sustain the scope of the plot. The scenes were mostly confined to the moviehouse which made the world feel small.

In fairness, the production elements regarding the "old cinema" vibe were consistent. The film rolls and the vintage projectors looked convincing enough even if I am not an expert in filmmaking. The intro and early parts had a creepy "The Grudge" vibe which I liked. Sadly, the visual quality went downhill from the middle towards the climax.

3. ✂️ Editing & Sequencing: [ 2 / 5 ]

The sequencing was not that challenging to follow. The film focuses Cy trying to restore the old reel but happens that the final scene is missing. Along the film, when they played the old reels, I expected those clips to provide a backstory or a resolution, or probably some clues. Instead, the reels were just used to scare the viewers without adding narrative value.

It did give me goosebumps in some scenes, mostly because I was watching alone in the dark. But looking back at the editing choices, the "film within a film" concept took up a lot of screen time for very little payoff.

4. 📜 Plot & Direction: [ 1.5 / 5 ]

This is where the movie really struggled. I got confused about the premise and why the tension was building the way it did. Another thing that made me go "wtf" was the timeline. Cy wanted to restore these delicate old reels overnight? So all of this chaos happened in just one night? It felt incredibly unrealistic.

The character arc of Sid gave the story a bit of a twist, which was interesting, but there wasn't enough buildup to justify his actions. The subplot about his father's death was also left unexplained (or at least you would have to stitch your own explanation).

The biggest issue was the film's identity crisis. It didn't know if it wanted to be a psychological horror or a supernatural one. By the end, it seemed like the haunting was all in Sid's head (psychological), but in the early parts, Rea and the assistant were experiencing supernatural events too. This inconsistency made the direction very confusing. I have a lot more to say, but it is not worth the energy. It lacks that "chilling to the bones" factor that leaves you thinking after the credits roll.

FINAL VERDICT 🎬

"Great acting stuck in a confused story."

Posthouse has a strong lead performance from Sid Lucero and some genuinely natural dialogue that is rare in local cinema. However, the film collapses under a confusing plot that cannot decide what kind of horror movie it wants to be.

The production design offers a nice vintage aesthetic, but the narrative fails to justify the scares. It is a messy mix of psychological trauma and ghost story tropes that leaves you with more questions than fear.

OVERALL RATING: 2.25 / 5 ⭐️