The Returning

Short Synopsis

Mitsuo, a middle-aged Japanese man living on the streets of Manila, joins an environmental charity in hopes of earning his way back to Japan. He travels to a remote compound on Palawan Island, where he is welcomed into a community dedicated to environmental restoration by planting trees in deforested parts of the island. 

Upon arriving at the charity’s compound, Mitsuo initially finds solace in the community’s camaraderie and their environmental mission. However, as he integrates more deeply, he uncovers unsettling rituals and mysterious disappearances among the members. Drawn to Amara, the enigmatic leader who preaches peace through nature, Mitsuo becomes increasingly entangled in their dark practices. Despite his growing unease, Mitsuo's desire for belonging and Amara's approval prevents him from attempting to escape. 

Amara instructs Mitsuo to return to Japan and reconcile with his family, knowing full well that he would come back to her. He returns to Japan, only to face ridicule and rejection. Feeling even more isolated than when he left, Mitsuo returns to his one true ‘family’—the cult of Amara. As soon as he stands before her, he breaks down in tears. Amara slowly embraces him and whispers mysterious chants into his ear. Her ritual-like embrace ignites Mitsuo’s carnal desire, and she takes him lustfully. Mitsuo is now trapped in Amara’s web, convinced that this is where he truly belongs. 

The cult’s escalating demands and Mitsuo’s moral turmoil reach their peak when he encounters the malevolent Diwata, the Forest Spirit—the true force behind the cult’s rituals. Horrified by their plan to sacrifice an entire group of illegal loggers, Mitsuo grapples with the choice to flee, submit, or sabotage the cult. Discovering the fate of disloyal cult members, who have been transformed into living trees, shocks him into action. He plots an escape with other disillusioned members, but at the last minute, they betray him and reveal their loyalty to the cult. 

Mitsuo faces Amara’s judgment, where his defiance clashes with her conviction. Confronted with his imminent transformation into a tree, Mitsuo seeks solace in Amara’s embrace, choosing to merge with nature rather than resist. In his final moments, he asks Amara for one last embrace—a final wish she grants. As they embrace, the transformation consumes them both, and they are locked together in a frozen embrace. 

As the credits roll, cracks form in the tree's trunk, and a naked Amara emerges, even more youthful than before, suggesting her rebirth and the cult's continuing dark cycle.