A deadly plant, a school lockdown, and 15 hours to survive.

Those are the chilling elements at the center of “Roots of Contagion,” the upcoming Filipino suspense-thriller directed by Jose “JR” Olinares, which aims to combine edge-of-your-seat horror with public awareness on disease prevention.

Presented by Pinoyflix Films, the movie follows students of Colegio de San Juan de Letran-Calamba as they become trapped inside their campus after exposure to a dangerous hallucinogenic botanical substance triggers chaos and mass hysteria.

Olinares described the project as his “most ambitious” film to date.

“It is a suspense thriller that promises edge-of-your-seat entertainment but also serves as a critical awareness campaign to promote disease prevention and essential hygiene practices among students and the wider community,” he said.

The screenplay was written by Prim Lamaroza and SMPI.

To make the story feel authentic, production for “Roots of Contagion” was held inside Colegio de San Juan de Letran-Calamba, which also allowed the filmmakers to use its actual facilities and school uniforms.

“They believed in the project,” Olinares shared. “They saw its potential in educating people.”

According to the director, collaborating with a real academic institution added realism to the film’s portrayal of student life and heightened the urgency of its message about public health preparedness.

The narrative was crafted to reflect how communities, especially schools, could respond to unexpected biological threats, emphasizing rapid response, hygiene awareness, and disease prevention measures.

The film stars young actors Althea Ablan, Kate Yalung, John Arcenas, and Abdul Raman.

They are joined by veteran actors Valerie Concepcion, Jeffrey Santos, Dindo Arroyo, Lovely Rivero, Sharmaine Suarez, Rob Sy, and Ramon Christopher Gutierrez.

In the movie, students are exposed to a substance similar to the toxic compounds found in the hallucinogenic Trumpet Plant, more commonly known as Angel’s Trumpet or Devil’s Trumpet.

The plant, scientifically identified as Brugmansia or Datura and locally known in the Philippines as Talampunay or Katsubong, contains highly toxic tropane alkaloids such as scopolamine and atropine.

Health experts and authorities have long warned that ingesting, smoking, or brewing parts of the plant may cause hallucinations, delirium, paralysis, and even death.

“So, in the film, our cast will be exposed to something similar, so there will be chaos in the school and it will be on lockdown. They will have 15 hours to survive the ordeal,” Olinares explained.

Several cast members admitted they were previously unaware of the dangers posed by the plant, making the story even more frightening for them.

“What’s scary is that something so seemingly harmless could be fatal,” Raman said.

Ablan echoed the same concern, saying she hopes the movie will educate viewers about the dangers of toxic plants.

“It would be nice to have this film viewed by the public to raise awareness that there are such plants and it could be very dangerous,” she said.

Concepcion said she agreed to join the project because of its educational value and relevance to today’s generation.

“Films are a powerful tool for education, so I think this film is quite relevant in this day and age where experimentation among the youth is rampant,” she said.

Olinares stressed that “Roots of Contagion” aims to go beyond entertainment.

“This is not just entertainment; this film is designed to be a powerful tool for awareness,” he said.