Deleter

A content moderator experiences bizarre visions and nightmares after her co-worker dies. The aftermath of this death criss-crosses with the stress of her job and her own past. The first 30 minutes was good: dark subject matter, eerie atmosphere, appealing questions to answer. It was a fine setup. Sadly, the film went down from there but not so much as to call this film a failure.

The best part about this film is the rarely explored world of content moderation. We see here the trauma that workers in this field experience, how even though they try to disengage from the terrible videos they watch regularly, they can't. Watching just the snippets of these videos in the movie made me look away, and I can't imagine what these people go through. They tackled this well and that is the biggest reason why I gave this film 6 stars and not 5 or 4. I wish they explored and used this theme more than they did.

The acting, overall, was nice. There were scenes where I wanted more from the actors, but the positives outweigh the negatives. Also, I wish they used their characters more or gave viewers more information about them.

The atmosphere was creepy in the first half but downgraded from there. It would have been better if they went all-out and removed some background music. Also, the dark lighting of the film became tiring to the eyes as the film went on.

The biggest downside of this film is the mystery/reveal. That was a letdown considering the good setup from the beginning. They have something great and yet they chose a weak, uninventive answer to the mystery.

The ending was another letdown. It's open to interpretation but it was bad.

This film had an interesting subject, decent acting, and nice first-half atmosphere. But, the second half didn't hold up to the first one, especially with the weak mystery and bad ending. Still, I think it had some positives that Filipino horror filmmakers should build on.

I watched the movie at the last day of 2022 and it was worth the price. If you're in a dilemma whether to watch this or not, you should give it a go.

There were scenes that were really terrifying and it'll bring you to the edge of your seat. The first scenes will show you a background of their work and the terrible job of a content moderator. Also, you will be informed by how the job works and what are the psychological trauma it brings.

The plot was a bit slow and the movie all throughout was an OK but the ending really was ambiguous. To be honest, there were scenes that made me confused because of the flashbacks but the plot twist saved it. Wasn't expecting with the closings of the movie as I was wandering with so many questions. But I guess it was good to end that way to let the viewers interpret the plot.

Not to mention the professional cinematography and the transitions. Especially when Nadine was in that bar.

The age limit shouldn't be R-13 because there were absolutely scenes that were sexual, abusive, and can really start a trauma. So my best advice would be having a thick skin.

Overall for me, it was a bit cliché but I truly enjoyed the movie and it was worth the hype.

One of the most successful Horror films from the Philippines, "Deleter" takes on the rarely discussed life of the content moderator and expounds on the awful and grisly nature of the job with a corresponding tale of horror and revenge. A troubled, vape-imbibing young woman with a job as a "content moderator", someone who edits videos of all kinds (and the awfulness that implies) is haunted by her past and present which eventually catches up to her. Filmed in dark tones the corporate world of Metro Manila is the setting in this sordid tale of darkness and vengeance. With her exotic allure Nadine Lustre is the star as she ably leads and steals every scene with her portrayal of a disturbed and fundamentally unsympathetic young woman whose unpleasant and self-serving nature prove to be her undoing. The film shows the underlying hypocrisy and plasticity of human interaction in the capital and hence the world and is a representative work of the times. The movie sacrifices flash for reality by limiting the CGI / special effects and is a double-edged sword. While making the film less juvenile by limiting technology the film fails at times to convey the nightmarish scenarios it tries to convey by at times flat attempts at realistic real-time horror. The movie slips here and there in trying to get the right balance and the inconsistency marrs what could have been a topnotch film. Viewing this nonetheless it's good to see Philippine film finally catching up with international cinema by utilizing the strengths of Hollywood with good directing, sound casting, consistenly solid acting, seamless cinematography and a well-written, realistic script. While flawed this is worth watching for Nadine Lustre and for anyone who wants a good unsettling scare with a different slant to it.

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.

I get why there are mixed reviews about this movie. The concept is new, it is not everyday that we get to take a look at a life of a "content moderator" - and an industry that not everyone is aware of yet something relatable since everyone uses social media. This could be why the reviews are kind of extreme. Some people really love it and some hate it. As a horror fan, i find it disappointing. Given the new plot and concept, it really has great potential but it failed to deliver. The slow pace, the failed build up of characters, problematic and illogical timelines killed it. I've seen this type of genre where it banks on psychological and eerie ambience which should have worked for this type of story but it just didn't for me. Probably because there are too many unnecessary scenes. I have to give it to the main actress (Nadine) for her acting and I totally admire her portrayal of the protagonist. If you are looking for a jump scare or unexpected twist then this is also NOT for you. The story apart from the concept is also nothing new and is very predictable. A wasted opportunity for a promising concept.