Deleter

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.

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.

There were a lot of useless scenes and the few jumpscares weren't enjoyable to watch. Their intent to make this movie a slowburn wasn't achieved -- it's just plain and dry. There's no real climax. The storyline and scenes aren't even coherent at all. It's past an hour into the movie and still not one good scene.

Some lighting is good but the rest of the movie is just overly darkened to no purpose.

Overall, it's not worth the hype (if there ever is hype). No need to watch this if you are looking for some good horror. Maybe if they did another round of brainstorming in the writer's room, they can save this movie.

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.

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.