YMMV / Himala

• Alas, Poor Scrappy:
  • There are quite an amount of assholes in the film that the movie begs of you to hate, but once you see them in the middle of the ensuing chaos and stampede as Elsa was shot, and greatly distraught at what happened afterwards, it's the only redeeming moment from them as it showed the townspeople's humanity.
  • The beggar had it earlier when she bawls in front of Elsa's house, begging for her to revive her child. Her "go to hell" rant is justified right then as it's implied that she once lost everything and the child was the only family she had left.
• Alternative Character Interpretation: If one was to strip down the vague urge of someone shooting Elsa it could be out of rage and disbelief because it seemed to implicate to them that every miracle they witnessed was all a hoax. She did after all say, "there are no miracles!" and that could have pissed off some of the devotees.
• It Was His Sled: Unless you're not Filipino, good luck finding some who doesn't know how things turn out in this film. Whether they're the old folks who were there as the movie was released or the young ones who are hip enough to know the plot, even if they've just seen a glimpse of it. There are books and other publications about Philippine cinema which spoil it on the cover.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: Three decades later and a film with another Elsa bearing supernatural powers was released. This image macro explains it all.
• Just Here for Godzilla: Whether it's Elsa's famous lines about no miracles or Nora Aunor herself.
• Memetic Mutation: People tend to reenact the 'Walang himala' scene—as in saying the dialogue word per word—just for the heck of it. It's also becoming a running gag or some sort of test for actors to show their acting prowess by saying the speech while conveying as much emotion to it as possible.
• Moral Event Horizon:
  • The rape of Elsa and Chayong and Orly just stood there, filming it all. And then it leads to Chayong's suicide later on.
  • And even MUCH later, the reveal that some unknown jerk had the gall to vandalize Chayong's grave with "CHAYONG SIRA" ("Crazy Chayong") as some petty attempt for a word against her extreme piousness.
  • The fact that someone shot Elsa mid-speech, causing mass hysteria and the old, disabled, and children were trampled in the stampede. Some being critically injured or knocked unconscious (or possibly dying).
• Nightmare Fuel:
  • The violent stampede that ensued after the shot was fired to Elsa and the old and infirm who came to be healed, including children were trampled upon the mass hysteria. You can't help but cringe at that one moment when a woman falls out of her wheelchair, people in crutches just falling, helpless because they cannot run and one scene of a man (who is actually Lolo Hugo) being visibly trampled and is later on coughing up blood.
  • The rape scene. Sure it's faraway and it's in grainy quality but still...
• Signature Scene: Again, the "Walang himala (no miracles)" scene up to her being shot.
• Tear Jerker:
  • Elsa's death and the sorrow of the people around who have witnessed it.
  • Her speech counts as well as she is confessing that there were no miracles. The look on some of the people show clear disappointment.
  • Shots of the elderly, disabled, and children in the middle of the stampede. Particularly, a child crying beside his unconscious mother.
• The Woobie: Elsa. Her status as a famous faith healer has made her life much more complex than it already is. Not even mentioning the coming atrocities.

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