Chai Fonacier, 25, stands out in the trailer of the upcoming horror thriller Nocebo.
Starring French actress Eva Green, Nocebo is reportedly a co-production between Ireland and the Philippines.
It tells the story of Christine (Green), a fashion designer who is plagued by a mysterious illness that her doctors can't solve.
To her and her husband's surprise, she begins to feel better after her Filipino nanny Diana (Fonacier) introduces her to traditional folk healing.
But things go awry when Diana takes control over Christine as they both become deeply involved in occultism.
With the release of Nocebo's full trailer earlier today, October 4, 2022, Chai's portrayal of the warm and trustworthy nanny and seemingly secretive and manipulative folk healer was lauded by Filipino netizens.
Her line, "I will be with you, always," although intended as some sort of assurance to her young ward, felt creepy because of the way she delivered it.
"PROUDLY FILIPINA BISAYA"
In the comments section of the trailer, netizens expressed their admiration for Chai's performance, and noted her Bisaya accent in the film. She happens to be a Bisaya born in Cagayan de Oro and raised in Cebu.
Netizens also pointed out that her character might be a mambabarang or mangkukulam—Filipino version of a practitioner of sorcery or witchcraft who makes use of rituals and insects.
EVA GREEN ON CHAI FONACIER
The 42-year-old lead star of Nocebo, Eva Green—known in Hollywood as a Bond girl and Tim Burton's muse—has nothing but praise for Chai.
Back in April 2021, Eva posted a photo of her and Chai taken from the set of Nocebo in Dublin.
Her caption read: "My fabulous co-star, @chaifonacier and I from the film we are shooting, NOCEBO directed by the amazing @lorcanfinnegan .
"Chai is truly a great actress with extraordinary depth and sensitivity and she was an incredible partner - she blew me away!"