Outside, a recent addition to Netflix might seem like another zombie apocalypse movie at first, however, the director Carlo Ledesma offers a fresh perspective focusing on family drama set with impending apocalypse in the backdrop. This Filipino horror film has a haunting, thought-provoking story with themes of trauma, moral decay, and familial disintegration.
The film centers on Francis (Sid Lucero), a troubled man seeking refuge from the zombie outbreak at his family’s ancestral home with his wife, Iris (Beauty Gonzalez), and their two sons, Joshua (Marco Masa) and Lucas (Aiden Tyler Patdu). As chaos escalates outside, the seemingly safe farmhouse becomes a microcosm of society’s collapse, reflecting the family’s own disintegration. Ledesma avoids the usual apocalyptic cliché by creating a restrained atmosphere that focused on the characters’ cognitions; that led to their actions. It engaged the audience deeper as the terror unfolded.
The plot is subtle and without flashbacks it slowly revealed layers of trauma through the characters’ interactions. Hints of Francis’ troubled past and the discovery of his wife’s affair with his brother created the existing sense of mistrust and resentment. It still haunts Francis as he becomes agitated and controlling, thus isolating his family under the guise of protection. His need to maintain control make him lie, be violent and display other obsessive behaviours. Sid Lucero’s portrayal of Francis is powerful, capturing the fragility of the human psyche in crisis. As he slips further into madness, Lucero’s performance put effects of unhealed wounds on the individual and his family on display.
Beauty Gonzalez‘s performance of Iris was compelling as a desperate mother trying to hold her family together, despite her flaws and regrets. The performances of Marco Masa and Aiden Tyler Patdu added another layer of poignancy; they portrayed children caught in a nightmare. Masa’s character, Joshua, struggled with his father’s favouritism to Lucas and the resentment it festered—a childhood similar to Francis’. Francis’ repeating the familial neglect he experienced showed how misery and trauma are passed down. It comes full circle when Joshua leaves just as Francis painfully left his family years earlier.
The film’s most intriguing elements is its use of foreshadowing with subtle symbolic details; like the “Home is wherever your heart is” keychain which hinted the fractured family. Another fascinating element was the zombies having traces of their humanity repeating phrases that was haunting, thus adding a unique detail to the undead. These elevated the movie above the standard horror tropes, with the suggestion that the family/group’s internal struggles are as tragic as the apocalypse itself.
Ledesma’s direction balances the drama and horror, stuck to tension over gore, and he captured the oppressive experience at the farmhouse and the bleak beauty of the rural environment with excellent cinematography. The slow-burn pace builds claustrophobia and unease, mirroring the family’s internal decay. This restrained pace, while effective in immersing viewers, may feel overly drawn-out to some, as the three-hour runtime occasionally becomes excessive. Still, the deliberate pace allows each theme to breathe, weaving a harrowing psychological narrative that challenges traditional horror expectations.
Outside also leaves much open to interpretation, which some viewers may find frustrating. The lack of clear explanations about the family’s history or the ultimate resolution creates an atmosphere of lingering ambiguity. Additionally, the film’s portrayal of Francis as the antagonist risks appearing one-sided. Though Francis’s actions are damaging, Iris’s role in the family’s turmoil is only lightly explored, leaving her contribution to the family’s disintegration somewhat underexamined.
The film’s climactic ending, in which Joshua kills Francis just as he seems on the verge of self-awareness and redemption, feels intentionally abrupt and dark. Francis’s sudden death denies him the opportunity for reconciliation, reinforcing the film’s bleak outlook. This conclusion can feel unfair, solidifying Francis as the antagonist and underscoring the tragic inevitability of their fractured family bonds.
Despite these criticisms, Outside is an extraordinary film that captivates with its psychological depth and haunting portrayal of a family in crisis. Its themes of trauma, moral decay, and the fragile nature of human connection linger long after the credits roll. While not everyone may appreciate the slow-burn approach or the layered storytelling, Outside offers a refreshingly unconventional take on the zombie genre, making it a must-watch for fans of psychological horror and those seeking a chilling, thought-provoking cinematic experience.
