1) Watch it without reading anything about this movie. There are no mind-blowing twists but you will enjoy it more if you don't know anything about the plot. Some things that happened are not difficult to predict, but still, their reveal is shocking.

2) During the first 10-ish minutes, i thought that this was going to be a mediocre to bad movie. I was wrong. This is getting better by the minute. The ending is shattering, i liked it very much.

3) Stil, it's flawed. Green and Strong are very good actors but i didn't love the acting here. Definitely not bad though. Chai Fonacier steals the show, she was amazing. Furthermore, this is a forgettable movie, not exactly formulaic and predictable but definitely not groundbreaking and original either. In any case, I believe it's better than the average movie of this genre.

4) So, if you wanna watch a good psychological-drama horror movie, watch NOCEBO. Not scary, not mindless fun, but a nice movie to spent 96 minutes. I would even call it daring for an American movie, due to its script.

I like this film.

Right from the start you can tell that real time and effort has been put in to creating a well rounded and immersive story - something adults will appreciate.

The acting by Eva Green and Chai Fonacier is superb in realising wholly believable characters you can relate to right from the start.

Unfortunately, and this is my only slight criticism, is. Mark Strong's character seemed very one dimensional and wooden. It didn't gel well with the rest of talent displayed by Green and Fonacier and stood out as being under par in the face of their skill.

You may well guess what the general plot is quite early on in the film, but perhaps that is by design and adds to the connection with the characters.

All in all worth watching, and I will certainly watch it again in the future.

In the supernaturally-tinged "Nocebo" creepy Philippine housemaid Chai Fonacier (good on her English language debut) arrives at the London home of upper middle-class Eva Green & Mark Strong who're struggling to parent young Billie Gasdson as Green re-launches her clothing design career AND struggles with a debilitating sickness' various dramatic symptoms (inc nightmarish 'hallucinations'). Fonacier helps, though Strong suspects something sinister's afoot (as is gradually shown thru Fonacier's flashbacks). While writer / director team Garrett Shanley & Lorca Finnegan's third collaboration may not top the horror thriller genre, it is a decently solid entry into it.

The plot is not that clever - it's simply a revenge movie with some elements of the horror business and a rather obvious and predictable "twist". All in all not too bad but not that good either. Acting and production are solid, but I dare to say, that at least for the horror crowd this one is too tame on the horror-o-meter and the thrilling and creepy parts are too few (for my taste). Anyway, if you like to watch Eva Green or Mark Strong you may dare to take this one on your menu, there are far worse flicks around that you can waste your lifetime on. Nocebo - somewhat dancing on the border of Okayland.

Eva Green is a top of the range children's fashion designer suffering from a bizarre psychological complaint that flummoxes doctors. Into her life comes Chai Fonacier, a shaman from the Philippines who manages to improve Green's health immeasurably. Her husband, played by Mark Strong is not so sure neither is her feisty young daughter.

Strong performances all around make for an interesting and rather different horror / thriller which features a good deal of icky, though sometimes unconvincing, effects. Overall though this is a fascinating effort which gets you about 20 minutes from the end and then spells out quite disturbingly, which is actually quite hard to watch in places, exactly what's going on and why Green is ill and why Fonacier is there - quite chilling.

The beginning is unnecessarily suspenseful. Almost to the point of being forced. There is no proper explanation of anything and it just continues on till the end when you see some correlation. Usually when you hire house help from overseas there is an agency involved, background checks, onboarding etc. All of that has been brushed under the carpet. No doctors involved at any point to help the main character. Just too many plot holes. Then there is the cinematography which is again unnecessarily ominous. Once the movie finishes, you do feel a bit cheated. The best movies are ones which are at least slightly tethered to some form of believability. This one unfortunately is far from any.

This is a film that will sneaks up on you with how good and effective it is as horror mystery. The central relationship in this film is between Christine (Eva Green) a fashion designer who suddenly falls to a mysterious and debilitating illness, and her Filipino helper Diana (played by the wonderful discovery Chai Fonacier) who appears from nowhere and starts taking care of Christine using unorthodox methods that alarms Christine's husband Felix (Mark Strong). Diana has drive and determination, but her motives and agendas are mysterious, is she a snake-oil salesman taking advantage of Christine? Or is she un altruistic healer who wants to take care of her? By the end of the film, you will realize this is a horror film that delivers the goods, and it all ties up its threads logically. It's not a very scary horror film, but it's thoughtful and it's cathartic. I really like this one and I highly recommend it.

Nocebo is a bit low budget but certainly not bad as a thriller. And even if my first guess turned out to be the correct answer to the mystery it was still an enjoyable story to follow. There was enough tension building to keep you guessing. Mark Strong and Eva Green played husband and wife whilst Chai Fonacier played the mysterious guest from The Philippines. Overall decent acting from the cast but nothing award-winning in my opinion. In the thriller genre Nocebo is worth watching, just don't expect outstanding cinematography as the budget for that was just not there. But for a low budget it was decent.

The 'horrifying' twist was predictable within the set-up (if you understand the agenda - see below) the only remaining question being how subtle the whole thing would play out, the answer to that being 'not very'.

Eva Green and Mark Strong play Christine and Felix, a couple of wealthy white Londoners living the supposedly idyllic life, albeit with some cracks in the surface.

They don't appear to be great parents - taking their child to school is presented as a chore they fight amongst themselves to avoid - but Christine and Felix's 'sins' go far deeper than this. Things start to go seriously wrong following a phone call, after which Christine starts to show signs of delusion or mental illness, or is something else going on....?!

I won't spoil the plot for those who want to enjoy this.

For me, the 'scares' were absent, the ending laughably overworked, the characters implausible and some huge plot holes remain. It was (unintentionally) laugh-out-loud funny in places, but thankfully I watched this at home - had I been forced to endure it in silence in a cinema I might dock a couple more 'points'.

None of this would be a problem if 'Nocebo' was fully aware that it was utter nonsense, but I fear the makers of this film were aiming for something more.

Some people balk at the inclusion of ideological critiques in movie reviews, but the politicising is so apparent here and the intended 'message' so glaring I would be shocked if anybody failed to see it.

The aforementioned 'whiteness' of Felix and Christine is significant, by the way, as the entire premise is a play on 'white guilt' and the injustices of 'capitalism'. If you think I'm projecting my own ideological presuppositions onto the film here, I'm not - the whole thing is utterly blatant.

To be clear, there is nothing wrong with B-Movie, silly escapism. Nor is there anything wrong with movies tackling serious political issues (if they're capable of nuance). It is the juxtaposition of genuinely problematic real-life issues worthy of serious attention with schlock-Horror cliche, overacting and totally unbelievable characters that is a bit bizarre and, I would suggest, inept and counter-productive.

In the first fifteen minutes you know all you will need to know about where this movie is going and where it will end up. There are no surprises at all, other than showing the Phillipines as a backwards. Third world nation full of sweat shops and military takeovers.

I wanted to see this because of Eva Green, and Mark Strong was a plus, but this could have starred anyone at all and it would still be the same movie; the big names were just a draw to a very predictable and ultimately mediocre story. There are no scares and a very few good FX scenes, but that's about it.

If you have ever seen a movie before, you don't need to see this one, unless you want to see how right you are about predicting how each scene will end.

Had no expectations of this when I found it on Netflix. Mark Strong and Eva Green starring was enough for me to choose it. Good story. The one thing that stood out for me was the overall feel of the film. If you changed the font on the opening credits to yellow gothic it would have looked just like old Hammer horror films. Suitably creepy in places and Greens descent into madness is an acting masterclass of how to completely lose it with a hint of flair!! Mark Strong as stoic as ever and the little girl was deliciously obnoxious. First time I have seen Chai Fonacier but very menacing, for a little thing haha. Worth watching.

Nocebo was different, almost jarring at first. It felt really weird at the start and my wife and I both looked at each other in wonder, both of us unsure whether to keep going or quit early doors.

I am glad we stuck with it, the story seeps through in flashbacks and the movie just keeps getting better and more sinister as the layers unfold.

The cast were all brilliant and the underlying horror just bubbles along nicely before it fully comes to light. I didn't find the story too difficult to figure out as each piece of it became clearer, but it didn't matter that the foreshadowing made it easier to see coming. It worked really well.

Certainly worth a watch 7/10.

I was attracted by Mark Strong and Eva Green, plus the idea of something a little different to my usual choices. Once the first plot device was revealed I decided to stay in case it was interesting. It wasn't. Without giving anything away, it's unbelievable from the moment Diana arrives. Eva Green is suitably demented, and Chai Fonacier suitably evil. Mark Strong gave a somewhat hammy performance, sadly, though he was constrained by the script and plot. There was a point to be made about fashion's abuse and exploitation of sweatshop labour, but this was a ham-fisted and ridiculous way to depict it. I try to stick with a film once I've got to the point, but I may have to alter my rule. I watch a lot of films, so expect a few bad ones, but this was an unexpected failure.

This one is simple. Basic plot is - Rich always exploit the poor. Nothing new about that. It is not that I am socialist, I am not fond of those ideas, but still, at least to some extent, I can relate, since we all, at least most of us go through life while working for someone or some company that doesn't give rats a** about you. It is a world we live in. Simple as that. We can all babble our heds of about how we need to change society, but we will NEVER do it. We are materialist, evil, fake-kind and only spicies on the face of this earth with such combination of traits. Even more, we are becoming worse with old bad stuff remaining while we add new ways to make society a living hell. It is human nature. We are what we are. Either a slave or a master. But always selfish. Either as a master or as a victim looking for vengance. No middle ground. We are what we are.

Although the begining of this piece was promissing and well casted, the further I watched the worst it became. Finally, the plot has turned from acceptable to unbearable. The political agenda relating to sweatshops in Phillipines would hit you suddenly and leave with disgust.

Another great accomplishment by people who blame all the bad in the world on white people from civilised countries.

You will find number of annoying scenes showing the incapability of the main characters to think and act rationally, thus making it yet another -Behind you!- movies, already ridiculed in numerous comedies, like Scream.

Wasted potential here is a shame.

This was surprisingly good for a movie I didn't expect much out of or care too much about the characters, the protagonist does a great job of appearing to have the best intentions and but if you look back after can see there were obvious signs, Christine not remembering she hired Diana (because she didn't) the husband accusing Diana of practicing something that uses fingernails, hair and blood, yep, pretty obvious if you have ever seen similar movies that it never ends up well, good job of redirection though lol, that's what made it interesting and watchable, good for a rainy day or if nothing is on the tv. Not too long or short and a decent ending that ends up being a two-fer lol.

Nocebo: Filipino Folk Horror, though this is an Irish/Filipino Co-Production and was shot in Dublin and the Philippines the Western parts of the film are set in London. Christine (Eva Green), is a fashion designer who is suffering from a strange illness for which she has to take multiple pills. We see how it started when she had a vision of a wild dog covered in ticks, one of the ticks bites her, perhaps it's all in her mind but her work is suffering as is her relationship with her husband Felix (Mark Strong) and daughter Bobs (Billie Gadsdon). A woman named Diana (Chai Fonacier), turns up claiming that Christine has hired her a carer/housekeeper, by this stage Christine had been subject to serious memory failures so she accepts it. Diana helps Christine with massages and exercises, she then moves on to to use Filipino folk healing techniques. However things take a darker turn after Diana sets up an altar in the fireplace in her room. There are parallel narratives at play in Nocebo, we also see Diana's life from childhood onward, how she developed folk healing skills and the many traumatic events which befell her. The switch from folk healing to folk magic is sharply portrayed, the stronger powers are used to torture and inflict. Pain. There are some really disturbing scenes, both everyday violence and suffering as well as that inflicted through supernatural means. Intricate rituals based on a syncretic religion are carried out. Not so many jump shocks but terror gradually builds up in front of your eyes, The split narrative is confusing at times but all coalesces for the finale. There are some plot twists but you'll have to watch Nocebo if you want to know about them. Directed by Lorcan Finnegan from a screenplay by Garret Shanley. 8/10.

Moral of the story is never trust a Filipino if you're white and they say "Trust me. I can help you." Also we are encouraged to eat Filipino cuisine. (It's the latest fad, move over Indian).

Also, when a servant thinks that they own the room in your house, fire them and show them the exit door immediately.

When your child allies with a new international nanny against you, then you really have issues.

Don't keep little birds in a cage. It's just cruel, and if they try to kill you, you deserve it.

If you intend to work in a sweatshop with your daughter, might be a good idea to take a bottle of water with you, especially if that factory is in Philippines.

This is one of those white-people-are-evil movies that seem to be the norm these days. It seems you have to put that kind of storyline in your movie if you want it to get greenlit and funded. But too bad the story is not even executed in a good way. It is very predictable and you can probably guess what is happening before the movie is even half over. It doesn't really qualify as a horror movie either. I suppose it would be a suspense movie, but if you already figure out the story there isn't much suspense to it. This movie gets a one star for me, but maybe it would be a 3 or 4 if it didn't have all the anti-white racism nonsense in it.

Let me be clear, no, the movie isn't predictable after the first 15 minutes, you can say this only if you have seen it to the end, or maybe, if you have read about it too much.

I didn't read much about it, and I am not quite a big fan of such movies, but I just wanted to watch Eva Green again. It turns out, the real stars here are Chai Fornacier and the Philippine culture, but I got enough of Eva Green artistry to be satisfied for that part.

This movie is very well filmed and paced (I appreciate also slower pacing if it makes sense), it has some mystery and supernatural in it though, and I would have appreciated if that Idea had been abandoned by the writers, to let the forgotten tragedy here settle in more depth, create more impact, since a story may last longer and deeper in the audiences' mind, when it's totally in the real world. And yes, the story ends with all lines being connected after it had given its secrets away only piecewise. But to be fair, it misses its point, since it is more of a punishment to live in constant pain and disturbance, than to die.

While the female cast is given all the opportunities to shine, I am a bit sad for Mark Strong, whose character is just a stooge. The little girl Roberta/Bobs is also not much better elaborated, though she has more screen time.

But still, the movie is entertaining and interesting enough for my seven stars.