Pagpag: Siyam na Buhay (officially translated as Pagpag: Nine Lives in English) is a 2013 Philippine supernatural horror film directed by Frasco S. Mortiz. The film was released on December 25, 2013 at the Metro Manila Film Festival and stars Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla with Paulo Avelino and Shaina Magdayao. The movie follows a group of teenagers that are terrorized by an evil spirit.
The word "pagpag" in its title refers to the traditional Filipino belief that one should never go home directly after visiting a wake since it risks bringing evil spirits or the deceased to one's home. The spirit's targets each violated a funeral superstition, and the spirit attempts to collect their lives in ways relating to the rule they broke. Beware of spoilers.
Pagpag: Siyam na Buhay provides examples of the following tropes:
- Agent Scully: Between the two main characters, the kindhearted Leni is surprisingly the skeptical one. Troubled, but Cute bad boy Cedric believes in the spirit quicker — because he personally witnesses Hannah get murdered by Roman.
- Clear My Name: Cedric finds himself at the wrong place, at the wrong time when the corrupted spirit of Roman murders Hannah. Pretty much everybody, including his friends, soon think he was the culprit.
- Creepy Good: The spirit's victims manifest as pallid, monstrous ghosts to a terrified Mac-mac. They explain to the child that they do not bring harm, just a warning to save Leni from Lucy and Roman.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Roman murders his victims in accordance with the superstitious rule they broke.
- Deal with the Devil: Lucy and Roman made a deal with some demons, because they were so desperate to revive their infant child.
- Evil Makes You Ugly: As a living human, Roman has the famously good-looking Paulo Avelino
's face. As an evil spirit, his face is now badly disfigured and bright red. Played with post-resurrection: his handsome face is restored; but he comes across as even more vicious somehow, maybe because he's a lot more expressive and conscious-seeming than when he was a spirit, and still wants to murder innocent kids. - Harmful to Minors: Mac-mac, a little boy, and a bunch of teenagers are exposed to lots of gore and violence. Naturally.
- I See Dead People: Mac-mac, due to the fact that he is Lucy and Roman's son.
- Karmic Death: After selling their souls and murdering a whole string of innocents because they could not cope with their own despair, Lucy and Roman die in a fire together.
- Leave Me Alone!: Leni takes this stance, until she and Cedric grow fond of each other. Then she tells him that she believes in him, letting him help her during the climax.
- Love Makes You Evil: Applies to both Lucy and Roman. Their love for each other and their child leads them to making a pact with some demons. It doesn't end well for either of them.
- Redemption Equals Death: Lucy's Mama Bear moment is what kills her.
- Would Hurt a Child:
- Lucy is willing to kill Mac-mac until she's informed that he's her kid.
- Roman's spirit kills various people, including teenagers. The resurrected Roman isn't much better; he tries to murder teenagers again (Leni and Cedric).
