Kampon – Netflix Review (2/5)

KAMPON on Netflix is a new Philippine horror movie with a creepy child plot and some sort of demonic force. It’s quite slow for a long time but intersects with eerie and scary moments. Read our full Kampon movie review here!

KAMPON is a new Netflix horror movie addition. This one has a runtime of just 1 hour and 31 minutes and is from the Philippines. If you’ve watched anything Phillippine, you’ll know that their speaking language is chockful of English and Spanish words.

For this horror movie, the plot unravels very slowly. And I do mean very slowly. Fortunately, we do get horror moments here and there from the beginning, but it also has a story that takes its sweet time getting there.

Continue reading our Kampon movie review below. Find it on Netflix in many countries from April 18, 2024. In the US it will be released on July 1, 2024.

A child shows up at night

As in many good horror movies, Kampon does open with a bang. A brutal scene where a woman dies and then appears to be resurrected. Well, sort of. She certainly isn’t what you would describe as dead any longer.

Then there’s a jump to a completely different place and time, where we meet the childless couple named Clark and Eileen. One rainy night, after 8 years of marriage and struggling to become parents, a little girl comes knocking on their door.

The little girl claims that she is Clark’s child and that her mother sent her to him.

Kampon, Eileen

While this is a very unexpected situation, it’s also a strangely welcomed one for Clark’s wife. She accepts the child into their home and can finally be a mother. Even if it’s only as a temporary foster situation until a paternity test can reveal if Clark is actually her father.

Clark, on the other hand, is not crazy about the situation. To be fair, he does also tend to get more of the creepy child situations. And as cute and sweet as the little girl Jade is, she can also say the strangest things. And do quite a lot of weird things.

Admittedly, I couldn’t help but giggle at the title of Kampon combined with how Eileen seems to accept strange events to continue being a mother. I found myself hearing the hit song “Come on, Eileen” and then it became “Kampon, Eileen”.

The ending of Kampon on Netflix

The Kampon ending isn’t a simple one. While Eileen’s relationship with the child, Jade, is odd and eerie, the ending is even more so. It will probably leave many viewers scratching their heads.

As a hint for the ending of Kampon, I can say that you need to pay attention to the constant flashbacks Clark has from his time as a police officer. Before he retired, he had a very odd experience with a human that did not seem human at all.

Not long thereafter, he met Jade’s mom and had a one-night stand. These two things are very much connected and that’s all I’ll say to avoid any further Kampon spoilers.

Watch Kampon on Netflix!

Kampon was directed by King Palisoc who also wrote the screenplay with Dodo Dayao. I can’t help but feel this movie had the potential to be better, but it would’ve required both some rewriting and tighter editing. The good story is there, but just not told in the best way. For me, anyway.

I was not crazy about this horror movie, but I do enjoy the whole creepy child vibe. Also, there are some scary moments and a very eerie vibe throughout. It’s too slow for me, and there’s too much wasted time on things that aren’t important for the horror plot.

Also, while the production is gorgeous, there are a few CGI moments that I could’ve done without. I will, however, say that the young Erin Espirity was amazing as little Jade. Also, Derek Ramsey and Beauty Gonzalez were very believable as Clark and Eileen respectively.

Kampon is on Netflix in some countries from April 18, 2024. In the US it will be out on July 1, 2024.

Details

Director: King Palisoc
Writers: King Palisoc, Dodo Dayao
Stars: Derek Ramsay, Beauty Gonzalez, Zeinab Harake, Erin Espiritu, Nico Antonio, Nor Domingo, Lui Manansala, Cai Cortez, Eunice Lagusad, Nour Hooshmand