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Deleter
Deleter
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Deleter
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMikhail Red[1]
Written by
Produced by
Mikhail Red
  • Vicente G. del Rosario III
  • Veronique del Rosario-Corpus
  • Vicente Del Rosario Jr.
Starring
CinematographyIan Alexander Guevara
Edited byNikolas Red
Music by
  • Myka Magsaysay-Sigua
  • Paul Sigua
Production
companies
Distributed byViva Films
Release dates
  • December 25, 2022 (2022-12-25) (GRIMMFEST)
  • October 5, 2023 (2023-10-05) (Manchester)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryPhilippines
LanguageFilipino
Box office₱270 million[2]

Deleter is a 2022 Philippine screenlife psychological horror thriller film directed by Mikhail Red, starring Nadine Lustre, Louise delos Reyes, McCoy de Leon, and Jeffrey Hidalgo. It was released theatrically on December 25, 2022 as an entry to the 2022 Metro Manila Film Festival.[3]

Float parade

Plot summary

[edit]

The film follows Lyra, who works shifts at a shadowy online content moderation office where employees, known as deleters, are tasked with the process of filtering graphic uploads from reaching social media platforms. The responsibility of censorship proves bearable for Lyra, whom her co-workers, as well as her boss Simon, observe as a cold person unfazed by the disturbing imagery she sees on a daily basis. What they do not know is that Lyra hides a deep trauma. Lyra’s attempt to erase and forget her past has forced her to maintain an apathetic face to the horrors of the world.[4][5]

Cast

[edit]

Main

[edit]

Supporting

[edit]
  • Sarah Jane Abad as The Grey Woman
  • Billy Villeta as Axel
  • Madelaine Red as Gossiping Co-worker
  • Elia Ilano as young Lyra
  • Kedebon Colim as Store Attendant
  • Keiko Fox as Sheka
  • Charo Laude as Armi
  • Matthew Francisco as Benru
  • Nic Galvez as Gossiping Co-worker
  • Bombi Plata as Lyra's father
  • Erica Zerna as Lyra's mother / Crowd
  • JC Martin as Jace's Co-worker

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

Deleter was reported to be the first collaboration between Mikhail Red and Viva Films.[9] Red worked on the Philippines' reputation being the "content moderation capital of the world" as well as the mental health and working conditions of content moderators for the story of Deleter.[10]

Filming

[edit]

Filming began in July 2022[2] amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and hence the usual COVID-19 protocols was observed.[9] Only a few filming locations was utilized to simulate a "claustrophobic environment".[9]

Release

[edit]

Deleter premiered in cinemas in the Philippines on December 25, 2022 as one of the eight entries of the 2022 Metro Manila Film Festival.[11] However the film was not originally intended made specifically for the film festival.[2]

The film was also released internationally. It premiered in the United States on January 6, 2023 and is set to be released in the United Arab Emirates on January 12, 2023.[12][13]

Accolades

[edit]
Cast of Deleter at the Gabi ng Parangal of the 2022 Metro Manila Film Festival.
Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination
Award ceremony Year Category Nominee Result Ref.
Metro Manila Film Festival 2022 Best Picture Deleter Won [14]
Best Director Mikhail Red Won [15]
Best Actress Nadine Lustre Won [16]
Best Supporting Actress Louise delos Reyes Nominated [17]
Best Cinematography Ian Alexander Guevarra Won [18]
Best Editing Nikolas Red Won [19]
Best Production Design Mark Jayson Jose Nominated [17]
Best Sound Deleter Won [18]
Best Musical Score Myka Magsaysay-Sigua, Paul Sigua Nominated [17]
Best Visual Effects Gaspar Mangalin Won [18]
Star of the Night Nadine Lustre Won
Gender Sensitivity Award Deleter Nominated [17]
FAMAS Award 2023 Best Picture Deleter Nominated [20][21]
Best Director Mikhail Red Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Louise delos Reyes Nominated
Best Screenplay Mikhail Red, Nikolas Red Nominated
Best Editing Nikolas Red Nominated
Best Cinematography Ian Alexander Guevarra Nominated
Best Musical Score Myka Magsaysay-Sigua, Paul Sigua Nominated
Best Sound Deleter Nominated
Luna Award 2023 Best Director Mikhail Red Won [22]
Grimmfest Best Scare Award Deleter Won [23]

Reception

[edit]

Box office

[edit]

According to unofficial figures obtained by PEP.ph, Deleter has reportedly earned ₱10 million on the first day of the 2022 Metro Manila Film Festival, becoming the film with the second biggest opening for any entries that day.[24] Three days after its released, the film has grossed more than ₱58 million.[25] By the end of the year, Ogie Diaz, a showbiz columnist and talent manager reported that Deleter earned ₱126 million making it the top grossing film among the entries.[26] On January 8, 2023, the film maintained its top spot after already grossing ₱234 million.[27] The following day, this figure rose to ₱270 million.[2]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Deleter is a 2022 Philippine written and directed by , starring as , a jaded online tasked with filtering exploitative videos. The narrative follows Lyra as she deletes a video uploaded by her recently deceased coworker, only to encounter escalating disturbances that force her to confront suppressed guilt from her past. Premiering as an official entry in the (MMFF), the film explores the dehumanizing effects of work through a lens, blending digital interfaces with vengeful hauntings to critique the unseen psychological burdens on digital laborers. Deleter achieved significant recognition by dominating the MMFF awards with seven wins, including , for Red, and for Lustre, highlighting its technical achievements in , , sound, and . It later secured the Best Scare award at the 2023 Grimmfest film festival, affirming its impact in elevating Filipino horror on the international stage.

Synopsis

Plot summary

Deleter centers on , a desensitized online content moderator employed by a shadowy to remove graphic material from the during night shifts in a high-rise . After her co-worker dies by and uploads a disturbing video of the act, Lyra is tasked with deleting it, triggering a series of inexplicable digital disturbances on her devices. The story unfolds in screenlife format, presenting the narrative almost exclusively through computer screens, smartphones, and digital interfaces such as chat apps and video feeds, which heighten the intimacy of the encroaching horror. As anomalies escalate from subtle glitches to direct, menacing interactions, faces mounting psychological strain intertwined with elements of her personal history, building toward confrontations that reveal themes of guilt and retribution without resolving into conventional escape.

Cast and characters

Principal cast

Nadine Lustre portrays , the protagonist and an online content moderator tasked with removing graphic uploads, whose role involves grappling with psychological strain from repeated exposure to disturbing material. Lustre, recognized for prior lead roles in commercial films, was cast in this horror lead to leverage her screen presence in a character-driven thriller format. Louise delos Reyes plays Aileen, Lyra's co-worker whose recorded video deletion sets the narrative's central conflict in motion. Delos Reyes's selection emphasizes the interpersonal dynamics within the film's workplace setting. depicts Jace, a figure who connects with Lyra through both digital interactions and real-world encounters, contributing to the story's blend of tension. De Leon's casting draws on his experience in genre films, marking his involvement in a antagonistic capacity distinct from earlier works.

Supporting cast

Jeffrey Hidalgo portrays Simon, the supervisor who oversees the content moderation team and issues curt instructions to the , emphasizing the hierarchical detachment in the firm's operations. Billy Villeta plays Axel, a fellow moderator whose sparse on-screen presence underscores the impersonal camaraderie among night-shift workers, with interactions confined to workplace banalities. Sarah Jane Abad appears as the Grey Woman, a enigmatic figure in hallucinatory sequences that amplifies the psychological strain without direct exposition. Madeleine Red depicts a gossiping co-worker, whose fleeting chit-chat reveals office rumors but offers no substantive connection, heightening the solitude amid collective desensitization to graphic content. Elia Ilano briefly embodies young Lyra in flashback glimpses, providing contextual backstory through silent, evocative moments that tie personal trauma to professional isolation without verbose dialogue. These roles, marked by brevity and functional exchanges, collectively reinforce the film's portrayal of an emotionally barren work environment, where colleagues serve as peripheral echoes rather than anchors, pivotal to escalating the horror through their very absence of deeper engagement.

Production

Development

The script for Deleter was co-written by director and his brother Nikolas Red, centering on the psychological strains of online . drew inspiration from real-world accounts of moderators' traumas, including exposure to graphic material without sufficient mental health resources, as depicted in documentaries like The Cleaners (2018), which he viewed while promoting his prior film NeoManila at the . This foundation informed the film's vision as a narrative blending techniques—where action unfolds primarily through digital interfaces—with elements to examine desensitization and ethical ambiguities in the field. The project emphasized the ' role as a global outsourcing hub for , where an estimated 100,000 workers handle disturbing online material in often clandestine operations characterized by low pay and minimal psychological support. Red sought to illuminate these under-discussed realities, which are frequently offshored to developing nations due to efficiencies and linguistic capabilities, rather than sanitizing or evading the costs involved. Pre-production advanced through collaboration with , a Philippine studio with experience in genre projects such as Erik Matti's Buy Bust (2018), enabling logistical preparations ahead of principal photography. The development phase aligned with ambitions for the film's entry into the , prioritizing authentic depiction of industry shadows over conventional horror tropes.

Filming

Principal photography for Deleter commenced in August 2022 in , . The shoot emphasized contained setups to evoke the isolation of work, with actors performing interactions primarily through computer screens and minimal physical spaces to heighten the film's claustrophobic tension. Director identified the handling of diverse video formats as the production's primary difficulty, given the narrative's reliance on varied digital content streams simulating real online moderation workflows. Dark interior scenes further complicated filming, as the shallow demanded exact actor adherence to marks to avoid focus issues, a challenge navigated successfully by lead actress . These constraints aligned with the approach, prioritizing authentic screen-based performances over expansive location work to mirror the protagonist's confined digital existence.

Screenlife format and technical aspects

Deleter employs elements of the screenlife format, in which significant portions of the narrative unfold through simulated computer screens, including desktop windows, video review interfaces, and online platforms central to content moderation. This technique limits the visual field to digital artifacts, such as buffering videos and cursor navigation, to mirror the protagonist's isolated workflow and evoke the inescapability of online horrors invading personal space. Unlike purely desktop-bound predecessors like Unfriended (2014), the film integrates occasional real-world shots of the lead actress interacting with her monitor, blending screen simulation with psychological immersion to differentiate its techno-horror from conventional setups. Technical production emphasizes authentic replication of moderation software interfaces, achieved through layered digital compositing to depict multitasking across disturbing content streams. Cursor manipulations serve as a core device for tension-building, with deliberate hesitations and erratic movements signifying Lyra's growing unease and the blurring of virtual and real threats, heightening viewer anticipation without relying on jump cuts. Audio design complements this by incorporating sparse, pounding electronic scores and amplified interface sounds—like clicks, notifications, and distorted video audio—to induce digital unease, drawing parallels to J-horror aesthetics while grounding the horror in mundane tech artifacts. The format's claustrophobic effect stems from its empirical constraint to screen boundaries, forcing audiences into the same perceptual tunnel as the character, where external context is absent and threats emerge from within the interface itself; this has been observed to intensify desensitization themes by simulating the moderator's perpetual exposure to trauma without physical escape. Production drew from interviews with actual deleters to ensure interface realism, avoiding generic simulations in favor of workflow-specific details like rapid delete queues and effects for escalation.

Themes and analysis

Content moderation and real-world implications

In Deleter, content moderators, referred to as "deleters," routinely review and excise graphic videos—including suicides, violence, and exploitation—before they proliferate on platforms, fostering a culture of enforced desensitization amid relentless exposure to human depravity. This portrayal mirrors industry practices where moderators process thousands of disturbing items daily, often without adequate psychological safeguards, leading to symptoms of (PTSD), anxiety, and emotional numbing. The serves as a primary destination for such labor, with tech giants like Meta and contracting BPO firms there to handle at scale, capitalizing on lower wages—often around $10 per day—and a large English-proficient workforce. A 2025 correlational study of Philippine moderators found significant links between prolonged exposure to harmful content and diminished mental health outcomes, including heightened PTSD risk, exacerbated by platform-specific demands and demographic factors like . Reports document elevated attempts and among these workers, as seen in Meta's global operations where inadequate and non-disclosure agreements compound trauma, with one 2025 investigation revealing a tied to unchecked content overload. This model prioritizes and over employee resilience, resulting in high attrition and minimal in recovery programs, despite parallels to trauma in professions like emergency response. Beyond worker impacts, the film's emphasis on deletion processes highlights tensions between content removal and free speech principles, where platforms wield discretionary power to censor under vague harm-prevention guidelines, often without mechanisms or oversight. Such practices enable corporate gatekeeping of , as moderators' decisions—shaped by algorithmic quotas and liability fears—can suppress non-graphic but controversial expression, fostering deficits where platforms evade responsibility for enforced narratives. Empirical analyses indicate that opaque erodes user trust and amplifies , contrasting with commitments to open platforms while insulating firms from legal repercussions for overreach.

Psychological horror and desensitization

In Deleter, emerges from the Lyra's gradual unraveling, driven by the cumulative emotional numbing induced by her role as a content moderator exposed to relentless streams of , , and death footage. This desensitization mirrors empirical findings in , where repeated exposure to violent stimuli reduces physiological and , fostering a "conscience-numbing effect" that diminishes concern for victims over time. Lyra's initial detachment—evident in her routine deletion of disturbing videos without affective response—exemplifies this process, as studies on content moderators document to shocking material, leading to blunted emotional reactions and heightened risk of vicarious trauma. The film's horror mechanics pivot on trauma's causal origins in unresolved guilt rather than external forces, portraying Lyra's hallucinations and as direct psychological sequelae of her past decisions, including the deletion of a co-worker's video that implicates her own . This approach aligns with causal realism by tracing manifestations of dread to prior actions—such as suppressing memories of personal involvement in events depicted in moderated content—without invoking excuses, thereby emphasizing guilt's role in perpetuating internal torment. Critics note that Lyra's "troubled past" serves as the core horror driver, forcing confrontation with repressed that cumulative desensitization had previously masked. Real-world parallels abound in documented cases of moderator breakdowns, where prolonged exposure to unfiltered violence precipitates PTSD-like symptoms, including intrusive recollections and akin to Lyra's experiences; for instance, surveys of commercial content moderators reveal elevated rates of , , and empathy erosion from daily reviews of exploitative or lethal material. One study highlights how moderators preemptively view graphic content to self-desensitize, yet this strategy often exacerbates long-term numbing and psychological decay, echoing the film's depiction of professional detachment fracturing under personal guilt. Such data underscores the film's grounded portrayal, prioritizing observable causal chains from exposure and suppression to breakdown over speculative embellishments.

Release

Premiere and theatrical distribution

Deleter premiered as an official entry at the (MMFF) on December 25, 2022, marking its world debut in Philippine cinemas. The film was selected among eight entries for the festival, highlighting its focus on techno-horror themes relevant to contemporary digital issues. Distributed domestically by , it received a wide theatrical release across the coinciding with the festival's run, capitalizing on the holiday season audience. Following its MMFF premiere, Deleter saw limited international theatrical distribution in early 2023, with screenings in the United States starting January 6. Additional releases occurred in the on January 12 and shortly thereafter, reflecting initial targeted exposure beyond the rather than broad global rollout. These efforts were coordinated by in partnership with local distributors, prioritizing markets with Filipino communities.

International screenings and availability

Deleter screened internationally at the 15th Grimmfest in , , on October 7, 2023, where it received the Best Scare award for its horror elements centered on trauma. The film also appeared at Cine-Excess 2023 on October 27, further extending its festival circuit presence in . In early 2023, Deleter held limited screenings in the and , marking its initial expansion beyond the following the . These showings targeted audiences and horror enthusiasts, though no widespread theatrical release occurred outside . By March 2023, the film became available for digital streaming on in select international markets, facilitating broader access without physical home media releases such as DVD or Blu-ray documented to date. As of 2025, no major remasters or additional platform additions, including , have been announced, limiting availability primarily to on-demand services in regions like the and .

Commercial performance

Box office results

Deleter grossed ₱234 million at the Philippine box office during its run in the 2022 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), marking it as the top-earning entry among the eight official selections. This figure reflected strong performance amid competition from other festival films, such as Partners in Crime with ₱104 million and Family Matters placing third. The MMFF's overall gross reached ₱500 million, supported by the Christmas-New Year holiday period that traditionally boosts attendance for local releases. The film's earnings benefited from the 2022 MMFF's return to full theatrical capacity following pandemic restrictions, which had limited prior festivals to hybrid or reduced screenings. Initial daily figures included ₱10 million on its December 25, 2022, opening day, with cumulative totals climbing steadily through the extended festival period ending in early January 2023. International receipts were negligible, amounting to $12,379, primarily from limited overseas markets. No significant per-screen average data was publicly reported, though the film's lead position indicated robust occupancy across Philippine cinemas during the peak holiday window.

Reception

Critical response

Deleter received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its innovative format and exploration of content moderation's psychological toll while critiquing its pacing, underdeveloped horror elements, and narrative execution. On , the holds a 79% approval rating based on seven reviews, with critics noting its thought-provoking examination of extreme online content's impact despite occasional lulls in momentum. Aggregate user scores reflect greater division, with rating it at 5.2 out of 10 from over 650 votes and averaging 2.5 out of 5 stars across thousands of logs, underscoring variances in professional versus audience perceptions. Critics frequently commended lead actress Nadine Lustre's portrayal of the desensitized moderator , highlighting her ability to convey emotional isolation and mounting dread amid the film's digital confines. Reviews described her performance as "magnificent" for sustaining tension through subtle breakdowns and as "unparalleled" in building viewer investment despite script limitations. The premise, leveraging real-world horrors, was also lauded for its timeliness and immersive screen-based storytelling, positioning the film as a commentary on digital desensitization. However, detractors pointed to sluggish pacing and a failure to fully capitalize on its setup, with the narrative devolving into generic scares and murky nonlinear editing that diluted thematic depth. Some characterized the script as overly edgy to the point of cringe, marked by unrelenting somber tones without mood variation, resulting in "missed opportunities" for sharper social critique or intensified brutality. Others deemed the film "humdrum" overall, arguing it prioritized atmosphere over substantive payoff in horror delivery.

Audience reactions

Audience reception to Deleter was mixed, with viewers appreciating its innovative format and atmospheric tension while criticizing the slow pacing, predictable plot twists, and inconsistent scares. On , the film holds a 5.2/10 rating from 652 user votes as of late 2023, reflecting divided opinions where some lauded the psychological depth of content moderation's toll but others found the narrative underdeveloped and reliant on ineffective jump scares. Similarly, audience feedback highlighted praise for lead actress Nadine Lustre's performance in building unease through subtle expressions, yet frequent complaints emerged about "cringe" dialogue that disrupted the horror mood and failed to sustain dread beyond initial setup. In Filipino online forums and , particularly among Gen Z viewers, word-of-mouth drove strong domestic turnout, contributing to the film's status as the highest-grossing Filipino horror with ₱234 million in earnings during its 2022 Metro Manila Film Festival run, outperforming expectations for an R-rated entry. Local horror enthusiasts valued its relevance to digital-age fears like online anonymity and trauma from graphic content, often citing the eerie office isolation as a standout element that resonated culturally. However, global audiences unfamiliar with conventions—where action unfolds via computer screens—reported frustration with the format's constraints, perceiving it as gimmicky and limiting visual horror payoff compared to traditional tropes. Discussions on platforms like Reddit's r/FilmClubPH revealed polarized threads, with users debating whether the film's awards hype overstated its execution; some defended its subtlety against "spoon-fed" expectations, while others dismissed it as boring despite atmospheric promise, noting mood breaks from expository chats. This split underscored a demographic divide: Filipino fans embraced its topical critique of tech labor's psychic costs, boosting repeat viewings via peer recommendations, whereas international viewers often scored it lower, citing predictability and lack of visceral frights as barriers to engagement. Overall, empirical turnout data affirmed popularity among domestic youth, but qualitative feedback emphasized execution flaws tempering broader acclaim.

Awards and nominations

At the 48th (MMFF) held on December 27, 2022, Deleter won seven awards: Best Picture, Best Director for , Best Actress for , Best Cinematography for Ian Faustino, Best Editing for Kieran Enchong, Best Musical Score for Mikey Amighan, and Best Sound Design for Albert Deronz. The film received nominations for Best Editing and Best Cinematography at the 15th Grimmfest, an international festival of fantastic films in , . On November 3, 2023, Deleter won the Best Scare award at the same event. No additional awards or nominations for Deleter have been reported through October 2025.

Legacy

Influence and sequel discussions

Deleter has influenced the development of in Philippine cinema by foregrounding the psychological toll of online , an underrepresented subject drawn from the country's status as a major global center for such labor. The film illuminated the desensitization and trauma experienced by moderators reviewing graphic material, prompting discussions on the ramifications in an industry often overlooked in local narratives. In January 2023, director stated that the film's open-ended narrative was deliberately designed to accommodate potential sequels, allowing for narrative expansion based on audience reception and commercial viability. This approach stemmed from the story's unresolved elements, which Red highlighted as intentional to sustain intrigue beyond the initial release. Post-Deleter, Red's ongoing collaborations with lead actress on horror projects, such as the folk horror film Nokturno released on October 31, 2024, reflect continued momentum in genre production with , though no Deleter sequel has been greenlit as of October 2025. Red indicated in early 2023 discussions with Viva that the film's profitability opened avenues for larger-scale genre endeavors, signaling broader franchise potential within Philippine horror.

References

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