With the supernatural horror movies “Clarita” and “U-Turn” and soon, the serial killer mystery thriller “Mallari” in his filmography, it seems Derick Cabrido is intent on creating a niche in the horror genre.
Last Tuesday, he was introduced as the director of “Deadly Love,” Vive One and Viva Studio’s horror series that is part of a genre – domestic murder mystery – that has seen a growth in its popularity in streaming platforms such as Prime and Netflix.
It’s all coincidental, said Cabrido at the press con of the limited series “Deadly Love” at Botejyu in Gateway Araneta City.
“Deadly Love” was pitched to him by writer Joaquin Enrico Santos, who, incidentally, also penned “Mallari” of Mentorque Production Inc. And he found the domestic murder mystery genre too hard to resist as it delves into the dark recesses of human relationships within the home.
“This is not inspired by a real story pero sikat na sikat ang genre na ‘yan ngayon sa US. Most of their content right now sa Netflix, Amazon Prime, sa iba pang mga streaming sites, isa [ang domestic murder msytery] sa mga genre na iniintroduce and this is going to be the first time it’s going to be made here.”
Knowing just how complex and enmeshed filial relationships are in the local setting, Cabrido said “Deadly Love” will be unique as it explores the psychology of a whole family who commits murder. By focusing on domestic settings, the director taps into the relatability of the genre, as audiences can easily connect with the notion that no one truly knows what happens behind closed doors.
“Kasi ‘di ba iba ang buhay ng isang killer, ng isang serial killer? Ang alam lang natin kontrabida ‘yan, pero ‘di natin sila kilala as a family,” he explained.
Cabrido was weaned on horror films. He spent weekends watching hair-raising movies like “Friday the 13th,” “Bram Stroker’s Dracula,” “The Return of the Living Dead,” and “The Evil Dead” with his lolo and lola who are horror film buffs.
“Nasanay na lang ako because I was introduced by my grandparents to horror nung bata pa ako,” he related, “Favorite nilang magrent ng VHS sa Videocity pag weekend tapos manonood lang kami.
“Bihira sila manood ng love story and romance kaya siguro nasanay na ako at hanggang paglaki nakahiligan ko na ang horror.”
“Deadly Love” stars Jaclyn Jose, Louise delos Reyes, Marco Gumabao, McCoy De Leon, and Raffy Tejada. It will start streaming on VivaOne on July 10.
