Deleter

Deleter is a movie that unfortunately falls short in terms of plot, acting, and scares. The plot of the movie is not well-developed and lacks coherence, making it difficult to follow and engage with.

The acting is also not up to par, with the performances feeling wooden and unconvincing.

Additionally, the movie fails to deliver any real scares, with even the most supposedly suspenseful moments feeling flat and uninspired.

In fact, some of the horror videos on Tiktok are more frightening and effective at creating a sense of dread.

Overall, Deleter is not worth watching due to its shortcomings in plot, acting, and scares. It is better to save your time and energy for a movie that is more engaging and well-made.

What initially seemed like a fresh and innovative take on Philippine horror turned out to be yet another cliché supernatural revenge story. Deleter had all the makings of something unique-a psychological horror centered on the eerie and disturbing world of content moderation, an industry that exposes real-life workers to some of the darkest corners of the internet. The premise alone had the potential to explore paranoia, detachment, and the psychological toll of filtering out humanity's worst impulses online. Unfortunately, the film never fully commits to this idea, instead falling back on tired horror tropes that undermine what could have been a truly unsettling experience.

One of the biggest disappointments is how Deleter wastes its most intriguing element-its protagonist's profession. The job of content moderation itself is already horrifying in its own way, but rather than leaning into that psychological horror, the film takes a predictable route, introducing yet another vengeful spirit. There's nothing particularly compelling about Nadine Lustre's character, Lyra, aside from her being introverted and seemingly desensitized to disturbing content due to past trauma. But the film never allows us to truly understand her beyond that. She is written as an enigma, but not in a way that invites curiosity-rather, she feels like an incomplete character whose backstory is only vaguely hinted at.

Horror, at its best, is not just about ghosts and jump scares-it's about confronting deeper fears, exposing societal truths, and making audiences uncomfortable with realities they might prefer to ignore. Deleter had the perfect setup to explore themes of desensitization, digital morality, and the psychological decay that comes with constant exposure to horrifying online content. It could have examined the horror of the unknown-not in the form of a vengeful ghost, but in the way the internet warps our perception of reality, blurs the line between normal and depraved, and leaves lasting scars on those tasked with moderating it. Instead, the film takes the easy way out, using supernatural elements as a crutch rather than trusting the strength of its original premise.

Ultimately, Deleter feels like a missed opportunity. It had the chance to be a thought-provoking, psychological horror film-one that could have stood out in Philippine cinema as something truly different. Instead, it settles for familiar territory, offering surface-level scares rather than diving into the truly disturbing potential of its concept. If it had dared to push further, to trust its own premise instead of retreating into ghost story clichés, it could have been something far more memorable.

Having won the most major awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Sound, etc) and a number 1 Box Office spot in local and international Film Festivals are already enough reasons to watch this most talked about film of the year. It was so good that it reached international audiences and was extended to still be shown in cinemas the following year.

The plot was thought-provoking, catches everyone's interest, original and believable. What made it enjoyable to watch was the unexpected jump-scares & gripping scenes that turned the cinemas into a scary roller-coaster ride.

The themes and tone really matched the film with symbolism used in good taste.

The acting of the leading actress Nadine Lustre was outstanding breaking the mould of relying on love teams for a film's success, she surprised everyone with her acting chops displaying a different side of her in this movie. She had the challenges of having computer screens as her co-actors and carrying the entire film by herself.

The Direction, Score, Cinematography, Production Design, Special Effects and Editing were all world-class. It was indeed a masterpiece by the Red Brothers and Nadine Lustre.

The film is about a content moderator named Lyra who begins to experience strange things at work after her colleague commits suicide.

The movie explores the work life of a content moderator. What they do alone is terrifying, I would've quit immediately if I even start to work in such job.

Anyway Nadine Lustre is really great in portraying the introverted Lyra, but her character isn't really explored much so I didn't really care much about her. Louise de los Reyes and McCoy de Leon are good as well. The other cast members could've acted better.

I was expecting a good movie after seeing the trailer.

The story started out good and interesting, with a few tired cliches here and there, but it later became dull to watch. The very slow pace makes it quite boring. The whole movie itself isn't very scary, except maybe for a very few scenes. The climax is really underwhelming, and the ending is unsatisfying.

In Deleter, Mikhail Red delivers a decent horror that's both familiar and accessible. At its core is Nadine Lustre, whose magnetic presence keeps you engaged throughout. She's has a great register on cam and is clearly the film's focal point, and it's no surprise she's becoming Red's muse with another horror follow up, Nokturno.

The movie feels like late '90s and early '00s Japanese horror films like Ringu and Kairo, using glitchy CCTV and webcam footages. What sets Deleter apart is how it captures the everyday anxieties of office life in the Philippines-from the toxic co workers and low wages to the darker realities of exploitation and workplace assault-all within the high-stress backdrop of a BPO environment.

Red has a knack for storytelling given limited characters and locations. Be it in a vast Philippine forest or in a clasutrophobic Manila concrete jungle.

Ultimately, Deleter offers a fun, fleeting horror experience, delivering exactly what it promises: jump scares, stylized visuals, and over 90 minutes of Nadine Lustre - all we need for a li'l Netflix and chill, only time it is only streaming at Amazon Prime.