Kenneth Dagatan has received high acclaim for his fantasy horror film, In My Mother’s Skin (2023), at Sundance 2023. The film brilliantly balances the historical events of late World War II and the resulting tension between the Philippines and Japan. It also showcases a classy horror that is very rare to find nowadays. Set in the backdrop of the waning days of World War II in the Philippines, the film follows a family that is kept in the land, terrorized by Japanese mercenaries. Can they escape their fate amidst the chaos? A flesh-eating fairy comes to the rescue. Or does she? Spoilers Ahead!
In My Mother’s Skin (2023) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
The film starts with a scene where, in the dense forests of the Philippines, a soldier is eating the flesh of his comrades. He has a long tongue that is helping him in the process. When he is done eating, he struggles with his breathing. Later, he vomits a little bird. As it seems like the soldier finally comes to his senses, the noise of multiple women laughing is heard.
Why is the family of Romualdo kept as hostages by Antonio?
Later, we meet a family of four. Romualdo, a merchant rumored to have stolen gold from the Japanese, and his wife Ligaya live in this big house amidst the forest with their daughter Tala and son Bayani. They have a maid named Amor. Antonio knows about the gold that Romualdo has stolen and wants to have that. Romualdo denies having any possession of that gold. Ligaya is in a delicate position as she is a mother of two, and she is foreseeing from the situation that their future is in deep trouble. Tala is a bright young girl who finds it odd to see a Japanese man feeding the Filipinos. She knows that Japan and the Philippines are not allies, so she finds it very fishy seeing Antonio offering them food amidst such chaotic moments. She doesn’t know Antonio’s real intention of feeding them.
What happens after Romualdo leaves?
Later that night, Romualdo decides that he must make a deal with the Americans to protect his family, as they are the only hope. So, he talks to his family about holding it together until he returns. He leaves at night, and Ligaya continues to hope that Romualdo will return home safely. However, Tala is very doubtful about his father even being alive.
Two weeks have passed, and there is no news of Romualdo. Ligaya’s health is deteriorating with each passing day, and not much food remains in the house. Tala has had enough, and she goes out with her brother, Bayani, to seek help. Amor sees them going into the forest, and she takes advantage of the situation. Since Romualdo has left the house, Antonio has cut a deal with Amor. He tells her that if she finds the whereabouts of the gold, he will talk to his contacts in Japan and help her locate her husband, Lando. By this time, it is sure that Romualdo has the gold, and he betrays everyone for that. Amor is also struggling, caring for Ligaya and the two kids on her own. So, she agrees to help Antonio in finding the gold.
How does Tala meet with the Fairy?
While searching for help, Tala hears the voice of Romualdo in the forest. Also, Bayani stops in front of a bush, hearing someone calling him by his name. Both of them follow their sounds, and Tala finds an old place after a while. The place is covered with big windows. A fairy comes to her dressed exactly like the Mother Mary they have in their house. She tells her that only the purest soul can find her, and since Tala has one, she agrees to help her.
Tala wants to know about her father and brother, and the fairy says both are safe. She will help Tala with whatever she needs. Later that night, when Tala is asleep, she suddenly sees the Fairy standing in her bedroom. She gives her a bottle that has a cicada in it. She tells her that if Tala wants her mother to get rid of the illness, she must place it on her.
What happens after Tala places the Cicada on Ligaya?
One night, Tala sees her mother, Ligaya, bleeding badly while coughing in the bathroom. She cannot bear to see it anymore, so she goes to her room, brings the bottle, and places the cicada on Ligaya. The cicada enters through Ligaya’s mouth, and suddenly, she sits on her bed. She looks at Tala in a bizarre way, and some blood comes out of her mouth.
The following day, when they are sitting at the table, Ligaya looks like she is gaining strength, and her illness is almost gone. Unbeknown to her, the cicada has found itself a new home and is transforming Ligaya from within. Later that day, when Tala goes to meet with the Fairy, the house of Romualdo witnesses the horror that she brought unknowingly. Ligaya has become something we have seen earlier in the film, and she starts attacking every creature. Amor locks her in the room and leaves the house. Bayani sees Amor running away from something, so he opens the door. He sees Ligaya in such a horrific condition and closes the door. He sits outside the room, waiting for Tala’s return.
Tala returns home with a basket filled with food. She has asked the fairy for food as they have none in their house. So, the fairy gave her a lot of food, which she brought home. But when she offers the food to Bayani, he screams at her, saying that whatever has happened to Ligaya, only Tala and her fairy friend are responsible for that. Tala has no clue whatsoever, but she faces the horror later that night, too. That night, Tala sees Ligaya running around the room; she even moves her bed once.
Tala is in so much terror, but soon after, she hears their pet dog barking at something. She follows it, and soon, the barking turns into crying, and as she moves closer, the crying melts away into thin air. Tala sees Ligaya eating their dog ruthlessly. She now understands her mistake and promises Bayani that she will take care of everything.
What happens to Bayani?
Tala screams for the Fairy to show up, and when she does, Tala asks her why she did all this. The Fairy tells her that she only gave her a choice; it was Tala’s decision to place the cicada on Ligaya. Tala knows that the Fairy has deceived her. The following day, Antonio comes to the house in search of the gold along with Amor. He goes through everywhere but is unable to find any sign of the gold. Later, he grabs Tala and asks where the gold is. In the meantime, Bayani comes with his father’s gun in his hand. He threatens Antonio to leave his sister. But Antonio fires his gun at him, leaving Bayani terribly injured.
Then he asks Tala again about the gold, and this time, she says that the gold is hidden in her mother’s bedroom. Amor and Antonio go inside Ligaya’s house while Tala waits outside the door holding her father’s gun. Tala knows that Ligaya will eat them alive, and she does so. But Amor runs away in fear, and just when she comes outside, Tala fires with her eyes closed. She doesn’t want to kill Amor, but accidentally, she kills her anyway. Later, she tries to run away with Bayani, but it is too late for her. Bayani has already lost so much blood, and he dies in her arms. Tala then screams furiously and goes to see the Fairy again.
In My Mother’s Skin (2023) Movie Ending, Explained:
Does Tala eat the Glowing Sphere that the Fairy gives her?
There are a few things that need a bit more explanation, which we will address at the end. First, let’s witness the faceoff between Tala and the Fairy. When Tala visits the Fairy and seeks her help, the Fairy offers her a glowing sphere. She tells her that all her troubles will be gone if she eats it. But Tala doesn’t allow the Fairy to deceive her once again. She runs away from her, and the Fairy doesn’t cope with the refusal. She screams at her, and when Tala returns home, she finds that Ligaya has eaten Bayani’s whole body, leaving only his head behind.
Later, the Fairy again comes to Tala and asks whether she wants her help. Tala admits that she wants everything to stop. Then, she comes outside of a room and finds Ligaya on the floor. The cicada that entered her body previously has not come out from her spine. Ligaya looks at Tala one last time as she breathes her last. The Fairy tells Tala to eat the golden sphere, and everything will come to an end. When Tala receives the sphere, Ligaya’s body vanishes along with the Fairy.
The following day, Romualdo arrives with a Japanese man. Romualdo finds that his whole family has been shattered into pieces while we see that the Japanese man opens up a drawer and brings out the gold. It proves that Romualdo submits to the Japanese authority and agrees to the stealing of the gold. The Japanese man ignores Tala, who is inside a room. He kills Romualdo and leaves the house with the gold.
Later that night, Tala lights up a candle in front of Mother Mary and leaves the house with a lamp in her hand. She doesn’t know where she is going. In her subconscious, she is still talking to her mother, letting her know that she depends on her for the rest of her journey. She definitely doesn’t eat the sphere, as knowing how ruthless the Fairy has been, she will not let Tala live. She leaves the golden sphere, which turns out to be a rotten potato, inside the house. So, if Tala had eaten the golden sphere, she would have died at that moment.
Now, the two questions that need answering:
What is going on with the Little Birds?
Every time Ligaya eats someone, a little bird comes out of her mouth. Well, this perhaps means the part of the soul that leaves the host with each killing. We see the Fairy eating the little birds later. This particularly indicates that the Fairy is a soul-eater who doesn’t allow any soul to roam around freely. Since it was a blackbird, it can also be assumed that it is the birth of the devil itself, and by eating it, the Fairy consumes the energy of the devil.
Why does the Fairy choose Tala?
The Fairy is a soul-eater, and this kind of evil entity always looks for naivety. Since Tala is going through a lot of troublesome situations, she sort of lost her conscious mind to think. She is in a situation where she will trust any tender gesture. So, for the Fairy, it is very easy to occupy her mind with provocation and mischief. She assures her mother will be cured, one of the most satisfying things a kid wants to hear. So, Tala has always been the easiest target among all for the Fairy.
