On the Job: The Missing 8

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On the Job: The Missing 8
On the Job The Missing 8 poster.jpg
Venice poster
Directed byErik Matti
Written byMichiko Yamamoto
Starring
CinematographyNeil Derrick Bion
Edited byJay Halili
Music by
  • Erwin Romulo
  • Malek Lopez
  • Arvin Nogueras
Production
companies
Release date
  • September 10, 2021 (2021-09-10) (Venice)
Running time
208 minutes
CountryPhilippines
LanguageFilipino

On the Job: The Missing 8 (also known as On the Job 2 or OTJ 2) is a Philippine crime thriller film directed by Erik Matti and written by Michiko Yamamoto. The sequel to the 2013 film On the Job, it tells the story of a journalist (played by John Arcilla) who investigates the mysterious disappearance of his colleagues, and a prisoner (played by Dennis Trillo) who is temporarily freed to carry out assassinations.[2]

The film premiered on September 10, 2021, at the 78th Venice International Film Festival, where it entered the Main Competition for the Golden Lion and won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for John Arcilla.[3] It was released as a miniseries for HBO Asia (alongside the first film as the first two episodes) called On the Job.

Plot summary[]

Sisoy Salas, a corrupt reporter for a local newspaper, is forced to start an investigation following the disappearance of his colleagues and pits him against his personal interests. Meanwhile, Roman Rubio, an inmate who is routinely released from prison to carry out assassinations, is sentenced to life in prison for a crime he did not commit and, not wanting to spend the rest of his life as a hitman, begins to plan ways to regain his freedom by any means necessary.

Cast[]

Wendell Ramos, Ricky Davao, William Martinez, Vandolph Quizon, Eric Fructuoso, Ina Feleo, Isabelle de Leon, Megan Young, and Soliman Cruz are all cast in undisclosed roles.

Production[]

Director Erik Matti had originally intended the On the Job sequel to be a web series, until it was reported in 2018 that he was making it a feature-length sequel instead.[5] With On the Job 2, Matti wanted to tackle corruption in the Philippine media and deliver a social commentary on the current state of the Philippine government.[2] According to Matti, the film will pick up where the original left off and will feature four interwoven storylines in "a three-hour and 28-minute movie".[2] Erwin Romulo, reprising his role from the first film as musical director, has said On the Job 2 is Matti's "angriest work".[5] Matti agreed, having told NME in a February 2021 interview:

I think for On The Job, I guess… yes, it's the angriest I've been. But what I do mostly in my films is to explore. I'm interested in processes: how does a newspaper get its news? How does one build a church in the guise of getting money from its parishioners? Those are things that matter to me. There's a lot of research that went into it. Of course, we found out that in small towns mainly you have politicians taking care of newspapers and radio stations, and that's where the problems with self-interest come in.[2]

Dennis Trillo, Lotlot de Leon, Ricky Davao, William Martinez, John Arcilla, Dante Rivero, Vandolph Quizon, and Eric Fructuoso were reported to have joined the cast in 2018.[5] In 2019, Rayver Cruz, Christopher de Leon, Soliman Cruz. Ina Feleo, Isabelle de Leon, and Andrea Brillantes were announced as co-stars.[6] Filming began that same year,[5] and was completed in August 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.[7] Post-production was completed in June 2021, lasting for "around seven months".[8]

Release[]

The film was screened for the main competition of the 78th Venice International Film Festival, with Matti and Trillo in attendance. It received a 5-minute standing ovation during the premiere. During the awards ceremony, John Arcilla won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor, with Arcilla (who didn't attend due to filming commitments in FPJ's Ang Probinsyano) giving his acceptance speech via online video call and Matti physically accepting the award on his behalf.[9]

The film has also been officially invited in 'Harbour' section at the 51st International Film Festival Rotterdam to be held from January 26 to February 6, 2022.[10]

Miniseries[]

Main article: On the Job (miniseries)

On the Job is a six-part Philippine miniseries created & developed by Erik Matti for HBO Asia Originals. It was adapted from the two On the Job films: the 2013 film and its sequel The Missing 8, both of which are directed by Matti. The first two episodes of the miniseries are a re-edited and remastered version of the first film.[11]

Reception[]

Critical response[]

Both the film and miniseries have received largely positive reviews from critics. Writing for Variety, Jessica Kiang called the film "a sprawling, satisfying big-screen binge."[12] Keith Uhlich, of The Hollywood Reporter, praised the film's set pieces but criticized some of the film's stylistic choices.[13] In a review of the HBO miniseries, Marcus Goh of Yahoo News praised the dramatic elements of the series and its handling of characters, concluding that "the Philippines can be a strong contender for Asian crime thrillers, rivalling that of more established places like Hong Kong."[14]

Accolades[]

John Arcilla won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on 11 September 2021 for his performance in this movie.

Sequel[]

Matti revealed that a second sequel is in the works, which will feature "characters from the first two [instalments]" and "might be the end of the franchise".[2]

References[]

  1. ^ Uhlich, Keith (September 10, 2021). "'On the Job: The Missing 8': Film Review | Venice 2021". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Palumar, Khyne (February 24, 2021). "Director Erik Matti on the sequel to 'On The Job': "Yes, it's an angry movie"". NME. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  3. ^ Ritman, Scott Roxborough,Alex; Roxborough, Scott; Ritman, Alex (September 11, 2021). "French Abortion Drama 'Happening' Wins Venice Film Festival". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  4. ^ "'On the Job: The Missing 8': Film Review | Venice 2021". September 10, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d "An 'On The Job 2' is in the works". Rappler. December 12, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  6. ^ Biong, Ian (January 21, 2020). "Erik Matti teases 'On the Job 2: The Missing 8' in post-production". Inquirer.net. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  7. ^ Arcadio, Ryan (September 1, 2020). "'It's a goddamn fu&#in' wrap!': Erik Matti finishes filming of 'On the Job 2'". Inquirer.net. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  8. ^ Biong, Ian (June 26, 2021). "Erik Matti says sound mixing for 'On the Job 2' done; film 'ready for the world' soon". Inquirer.net. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  9. ^ "'On the Job: The Missing 8' gets 5-minute standing ovation at 78th Venice Film Festival". September 12, 2021.
  10. ^ "In Harbour". International Film Festival Rotterdam. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  11. ^ "The 'director's cut' of 'On The Job' to premiere as a series on HBO GO". Rappler. August 1, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  12. ^ Kiang, Jessica (September 11, 2021). "'On the Job: The Missing 8' Review: Sprawling, Uneven but Gripping Thriller About Multi-Level Filipino Corruption". Variety. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  13. ^ Uhlich, Keith (September 10, 2021). "'On the Job: The Missing 8': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  14. ^ Goh, Marcus (September 12, 2021). "On The Job review: Filipino series matches Hong Kong's crime thrillers". Yahoo News. Retrieved September 13, 2021.

External links[]

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