11/28/2021 12:23:52 PM
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| John Arcilla as Sisoy Salas for On The Job: The Missing 8 (Photo credits: Reality MM Studios, Globe Studios, Variety) |
Eight years after releasing its maiden film, Reality MM Studios (formerly Reality Entertainment) completed the first sequel to Erik Matti's On The Job series. It was a long-time coming that went further prolonged due to the pandemic.
The catch, though, is that OTJ as a whole has become a part of a miniseries as part of the studio company's deal with HBO Asia along with Globe Studios. This move spliced the two films into six episodes (two episodes for the 2013 On The Job movie; and four for the 2021 release with a subhead called The Missing 8).
On The Job: The Missing 8 depicts the case of eight individuals—seven of them were workers of a media organization—that suddenly went missing amid the upcoming elections in the municipality of La Paz.
Despite the actual long rundown, On The Job has covered pretty much everything, from the under-the-table political transactions between the government and media, corruption among the correctional venues, and even how trivial the people are. Weaving numerous storylines into a megamovie would have its cons or downsides. But for OTJ2, it did help that they were cut into four chunks that viewers can digest because running them into one sitting can be challenging.
The Missing 8 proved how much of an actor John Arcilla has been. He certainly fits the bill of a provincial media man who found himself in the middle of the conflicts between his confidants in two contrasting fields. If this picture didn't warrant enough merits for him to be called Best Actor, try watching his other portrayal works such as Heneral Luna, Metro Manila, or even Ligaya Ang Itawag Mo Sa Akin.
Other than him, Dennis Trillo as Roman Rubio certainly had his strong showing as an assassin in prison, as well as Arcilla's foils in Christopher de Leon (Arnel Pangan), Dante Rivero (Pedring Eusebio), and Lotlot De Leon (Weng).
Is On The Job: The Missing 8 the "angriest work" Erik Matti has done? Yes. It looked like that, with a social commentary that unleashed attacks on all possible corners of the estate. Hell, there's even less exposure to fighting scenes than the first OTJ and Buybust. Still, the OTJ 2 had more drama than action, all while remaining gritty and violent with all the verbal jousting in those mentally-intense confrontation scenes.
Unless you're into activism, it has become a mirror that no one has dared to peek at. A hard look at wracking your nerves, if you may. On The Job: The Missing 8 has probably surpassed everything that the past poverty noir, political drama, and crime thrillers tried to grasp on, especially with the rich soundtrack.
Author: slickmaster | © 2021 The SlickMaster's Files
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