Original subtitles

My father told me

not to be afraid of ghosts.

Seeing ghosts is proof that there is an afterlife.

That there is a god, good, and evil.

Because of this,

I would understand every cruel thing that happens in the world.

I was just a kid when he told me that.

Now, I'm still searching for ghosts.

What did HR say?

Nothing. There's no news about her.

They tried calling her, but she's not picking up.

I want to know how she's doing.

Shirlee said she saw her at her condo.

Spaced out. Not talking.

It seems like she's going through something.

- Poor girl. - You should've been there.

If you'd seen her then… It still creeps me out.

You could hear her scream throughout the office.

- Her eyes looked like she'd seen a ghost. - You'll be dozing off again later.

- What do you think happened? - It's still early.

She probably got triggered by a video she was moderating.

Don't doze off again later!

She's not the type who gets along with people, though.

That's why she doesn't have any friends in the office.

- Isn't Lyra her friend? - I don't think they're close.

I don't know. It's not like Lyra's any different.

Hey, Lyra. How are you?

We're going to the rooftop to vape. You want to come?

I'll pass.

Delete.

Delete.

Delete.

Lyra?

Delete.

Sorry, sir.

This was taken from afar.

There's not much blood.

Actually, it doesn't even look like a dog at first glance.

But why did you delete this,

and let the others get through?

It was just a mistake, sir.

A misclick.

I've always been consistent with the others.

We only monitor 3% of your output.

You know,

if we're talking about consistency,

I'm really worried about the 97%.

Like this one.

- Lyra! - Sir--

Starting today,

we'll be having weekly evaluations, okay?

Okay?

Sir.

Do you have some on you?

Why?

Don't the ones I gave you work?

I've run out.

Here, try this.

Take it easy on these.

Thank you, sir.

You know, Lyra…

It seems I made a mistake in my assessment of you.

You're not as numb as I thought you were.

We all have problems.

But it's important

that we don't bring them to work.

My shift is starting.

Sure, Lyra.

Just remind the others, okay?

We have a meeting in the war room.

And your weekly assessment.

Same time.

Lyra.

Sir?

You can talk to me, okay?

I just want you to be efficient.

Sir, maybe you can finally give me a raise?

Next week.

Same time.

Don't forget.

Delete.

Ignore.

Ignore.

Ignore.

Delete.

Fucking smurfs!

What?

Delete.

You're wasting the bar chow.

Boom, motherfucker! Wasted!

Wasted idiot!

Ignore.

Delete.

- Yay, you're so good! - Happy birthday!

Don't come near us!

- Stay away! - Sir!

Sir! Let's talk about this.

Again.

Context is the name of the game.

Is the content sexual?

Is there a minor involved?

I've been in this industry long enough

to know to "always base it on context."

Hey, Lyra.

- Other examples of context to consider… - Do you have any news about Aileen?

- War coverage? - How is she?

- What kind of war is it? - I haven't seen her.

Do our clients want the world to see this?

- When you do… - That's why research is important.

…tell her that we're inviting her next week.

Just for a couple of drinks.

We haven't hung out with her yet.

We're all devastated by what happened to Aileen.

But given our line of work, it's kind of expected.

We can use this as an opportunity to learn.

It's okay to take a break occasionally.

Okay?

Check it.

Yeah, I know, but…

I know. I need time.

I'm already doing what I can.

Babe.

I'm at my limit.

But I'm trying my best to hold it together.

Don't worry. I'll call back okay?

Babe, please.

Babe.

YOU CAN'T ESCAPE HERE.

I hope you're listening.

I hope someone finds out about my situation.

I can't handle this anymore.

My work visa has expired.

I have no money.

I'm done with my quota.

See you.

Miss.

Do you have a lighter on you?

The cashier won't let me borrow hers.

Sorry, I quit smoking.

Why don't you just buy one? They're pretty cheap.

No offense,

but switching to vaping isn't actually quitting.

Both will kill you soon enough.

Okay, sorry. I appear to be giving off a stalker vibe.

Okay.

Miss, you look familiar.

H. Smith?

Concorde Ventures, 22nd floor?

Can you help me?

My officemates and I have been debating

about what you guys actually do in your department.

Actually,

we have a bet going on--

What do you think we do?

This is just my theory.

Scam center?

You guys wouldn't be so covert if you weren't hiding anything.

Or are you guys

phone sex operators?

I'm not judging you or anything.

We all have our own way of earning a living.

How about you?

What stressful job do you have, to dump your shit on me?

I'm in IT on the 4th floor.

I started last month.

My name's Jace.

I hope your whole floor's internet shuts down.

Do you mind? I'm trying to catch some sleep.

Why are you sleeping here?

The trains are closed.

Don't you have sleeping quarters on your floor?

The jail cell?

Jail cell?

We call our sleeping quarters the "jail cell."

They're dark. Cramped.

As if you're in prison.

But at least here, there's air conditioning.

You should try sleeping there.

Fuck no. I'm afraid I won't wake up.

You should be grateful that your shifts are easy.

So,

you'll help me win the bet?

Will you stop bothering me if I tell you what our job is?

Promise.

I'll even buy you pods.

I'm the reason why you can sleep soundly at night.

Fuck, I knew it! You're a phone sex operator.

Asshole…

Fine. Okay. I was just kidding. I'll leave you alone now.

I'll give you the pods when we see each other again.

What flavor do you want? Mint?

Fresh red.

I hang out on the rooftop during break time.

You can give it to me there.

Okay, fresh red.

Rooftop.

I don't know what happened. They said she jumped.

Hey, you two! Get down from there!

Sorry.

Lyra.

You're next.

Fix yourself up.

You look like shit.

Lyra, I need to talk to you.

Are we on the same page with this?

Do you know how hard I worked to fix this setup?

Be mindful of what you say.

One slip of the tongue, and you'll ruin all the work I've done here.

Remember.

Your job…

Our jobs…

That is what's at stake.

Lyra…

I talked to HR.

I'll take care of your raise.

Don't worry.

Lyra.

Are you okay?

Miss, did you notice anything when Aileen entered the building?

I didn't.

Did you notice anything strange about her behavior

during the past few days

before she killed herself?

Lyra?

Miss, are you okay?

Yes. I'm fine.

Sir, I deleted everything.

But the investigators are asking for a copy.

Just take care of it.

We're looking for Aileen's cell phone.

We're hoping you have any information that will help our investigation.

It would help us if you could give us an idea of the work that you do here.

So we can have a clear picture of the victim's profile.

Most of us are in customer support.

Didn't Sir Simon brief you about it?

Ah… yes, he mentioned that.

We did a background check on the employees here.

We're aware of your mother's missing person case.

I know this is hard on you, but,

you know, I'm a father too.

I have a daughter.

I'm sure they're doing the best they can to find your mother.

Lyra… maybe you can help us with this case?

They're wasting their time.

What?

My mother isn't missing.

She abandoned us.

She left me and Papa.

Ma'am?

Ma'am?

You can call me Tess.

Ma'am Tess…

I didn't know Aileen that well.

I can't help you.

But if you gain any information, please contact us.

I left my number with your supervisor.

Lyra…

I understand.

You know, our jobs make us crazy sometimes.

But…

are they paying you enough?

It's enough to get by.

We only do customer support anyway.

Lyra, where are you? We're here already. - Armi

What? Why is no one drinking yet?

I'll drink in a bit.

Me too.

Come on! We rarely get to do this.

Word on the street is that there's an opening in CGB.

I might apply.

I thought of applying too. But the commute is such a hassle.

What are the benefits like?

Just enough.

What about the pay?

That's the problem…

We're done for, guys.

Let's just accept that

we'll be stuck in that office forever until we're insane.

God, I keep getting dick videos every day. It's fucking disgusting.

I thought you liked dick videos?

I'm this close to fucking resigning!

Hey, stop that already.

We're out of the office.

I should've deleted this.

Whatever.

Come on, guys! Let's have a shot.

You know, I've been feeling disgusted with myself since I accepted the raise.

Doesn't it bother you?

If people had found out that Aileen died because of work-related stress,

all of us would have been sacked.

I love Aileen, but…

did you guys hear about it?

Did you know?

She was swimming in debt.

Couldn't that be the reason why she killed herself?

Why does she have to worry about money when she has a sugar daddy?

Sugar daddy?

Yeah.

Who else could it be?

Boss Simon.

Well…

He is kind of creepy.

And too touchy.

Aileen lets him have his way with her though.

You guys didn't know Aileen.

She's not here to defend herself.

She's dead, okay?

How about you, Lyra?

Did you know Aileen?

None of us knew Aileen.

That's dark.

What?

I said you're dark.

Sorry, I couldn't hear you over the noise.

Shit! Lyra, sorry.

I left my wallet at the apartment.

Can you take care of the bill?

I'll pay you back next week. Promise.

And…

thank you for hanging out with me.

I don't exactly have anyone else to talk to.

And word in the office is,

you're the best employee there.

I'm not the best.

They're all just lazy. That's why they can't meet their quotas.

Don't worry.

You'll get used to it.

You just need a bit of training.

Well, I think it's kind of obvious

that I'm not right for this job.

It's hard to get used to.

Even if it's only a job, those videos…

Those are real people in them.

Don't think about it too much.

Ignore.

Delete. Ignore. Delete.

Until you get the pulse of it.

This one moderates like it's a piece of cake.

She's my idol.

How do you do it, Lyra?

Do what?

You act as if the job isn't affecting you.

Like it's nothing.

I've been observing you.

Right, Lyra. What's your secret?

Share it with us.

Do you know this saying?

"One death is a tragedy.

A million, a statistic."

In layman's terms, please.

The individuals you see on screen

are not people anymore.

Data.

We handle data, not people.

It's that simple.

Hey! What's up?

Check out these worms!

I picked them up from there.

This one has carabao shit on it.

Look!

Fuck.

Are you okay?

What happened to Armi?

Check it. What did she see?

This is a cool spot.

Not crowded at all.

Wait…

I still don't know your name.

Miss, is it okay to ask?

Depends.

Did you bring it?

You know what? You're a scammer.

You're not really a phone sex operator.

Lyra.

Lyra.

Lyra…

Can I smoke, Lyra?

So, you guys are content moderators?

I'm sorry about Aileen.

Your job must be tough.

How are you not traumatized yet?

How are you handling it?

Listen to this.

This sounds different.

The tempo is crazy.

I listen to that after moderating.

To calm myself down.

Weirdo.

Don't you get more stressed out when you listen to this?

The beat's too fast.

It has a different effect when you watch what I watch.

Have you seen a beheading video?

How the head gets slowly decapitated?

Beheading videos?

I'll pass.

But, you know, it depends.

Sometimes, when they use a blunt knife,

it gets messy.

Other times,

they just need one clean slice to remove the head.

But get this. Sometimes…

they use a sawing motion.

And when they do,

most of the time,

the people squeal like animals.

Fuck.

When I was younger,

we had a pet dog.

My dad butchered her because she'd keep howling.

In our province…

there's a superstition that if a dog keeps howling every night,

that means someone in your family is going to die.

My dad believes in those things, so he got scared.

He killed our dog.

Did you see it?

Yes.

Even now, I can still hear it whimpering.

Isn't that kind of a silver lining though?

Because of it, you're tough as steel now.

What are you doing?

Do you know why I always come here?

Why?

Because when you look below,

people seem like ants.

Like they're just moving dots.

If one of those dots disappears or stops moving,

you won't feel anything.

There's no weight to carry.

It'd be easier that way, Aileen.

If we saw people as that. Just dots.

Maybe that's just how the world really is.

Full of dots.

Lyra!

Lyra!

Lyra?

Lyra, open the door!

Lyra!

Lyra, what the hell's happening to you?

Lyra!

Lyra?

You really don't believe in an afterlife?

Then where do we end up after we die?

I don't know, Aileen.

When I die first, I'll let you know.

YOU CAN'T ESCAPE HERE.

Hey!

Are you okay?

Have you heard?

Armi resigned.

She already sent Sir Simon her letter.

Benru?

Yes?

Can you help me with my backlog?

I'm starting to feel sick.

Is that all?

Okay, let me think about it.

You wish.

I'm leaving.

Simon: Are you done with your backlog?

You have a new batch to finish by tonight. I'm still at the office.

Asshole. You're just watching porn.

Benru, you left your bag again?

I don't want to see them anymore.

I don't want this anymore.

I don't want to see them anymore. I want to get out of here.

I don't want this anymore.

This is your fault!

This is your fault.

This is your fault.

This is your fault!

This is your fault.

Lyra.

What are you doing here?

Don't you need to work on your backlog?

- Sir? - Are you finished?

There's something you need to see.

What is it?

It was forwarded to my queue.

I tried tracing its metadata, but it's not from our QA site.

I don't want to see them anymore. I want to get out of here.

Ma'am Tess said they haven't found Aileen's phone.

Who the fuck sent this?

This is all your fault!

This is all your fault!

This is your fault!

This is your fault!

Delete that.

Someone else might see.

Make sure it's wiped from the server.

Sir?

It's from the same uploader.

Tag ID#1216.

It was just uploaded.

Fuck!

Delete that too.

Hello?

Axel, can you check the reception area?

The main entrance is closed.

The employee's exit is the only one open, sir.

Are you sure?

Someone uploaded a video to our server.

It was recorded in the reception area.

Yes, sir. I'm looking at the CCTV right now.

I don't know how, but there must be someone there!

Can you check, please?

Who are you calling?

That's okay.

Lyra.

Jace, I need your help.

Do you still have the video?

What are you talking about?

You told me to delete it and now you're asking for it?

Jace, this is important.

Lyra, to be honest, I'm still pissed at you.

I looked for you all over the club.

Can you just listen, please?

The video you took of Aileen,

is it still with you?

Aileen?

Yes, I have it. Why?

I don't have time to explain. Just send it to me now, please.

Lyra…

What the hell is going on?

Please, Jace! Just send it to me!

I think I know her.

She jumped!

- This is…? - Aileen's death.

You guys know her?

Look! He snatched her phone.

Motherfucker.

It's that thief!

I'll call Aileen's phone.

That asshole. He's fucking with us.

We need to call Ma'am Tess.

We don't need to. I can handle this.

Shit. Axel isn't answering his phone.

If someone uploads another video, just delete it, okay?

I'll come back.

Sir!

Sir Simon, answer the phone.

- Lyra? - Hello, Jace!

Can you hear me?

Lyra, I can't understand you.

Jace, I'm still at the office.

The power's out. I can't get out.

Yes, I can see that. Just wait for the generator, okay?

- Hello, Lyra? - Jace?

- Hello? - Lyra.

Hello!

I don't know what's happening anymore.

Someone killed Sir Simon. I need to get out of here.

Lyra, what are you saying? Someone's killing who?

Hello?

Jace? Hello!

Fuck!

- Boss! Help! - What is it, sir?

There's someone trapped up there! Come with me.

Okay, let's go.

YOU CAN'T ESCAPE HERE.

Help me!

Help! Help!

Here.

Drink this.

What's that, sir?

It's for your nerves.

I'm okay, sir.

You don't have to hide your situation.

Admit it. You need help.

Okay?

Here.

I'm sorry, Aileen.

I know that sometimes,

I don't take care of my employees enough.

But you know,

you guys aren't the only ones I have to deal with.

Sir.

Maybe you need to take one too.

This job makes us crazy.

Doesn't this work for you too, Aileen?

Sir…

I don't feel well.

I don't feel well, sir.

You're just stressed, Aileen.

Relax.

Just relax.

Relax…

Sir…

No.

Just relax.

Let's make this easy like last time.

Stop it…

Let go of me!

You want to leave?

There's the door.

Go on.

Try to escape.

You're really leaving?

What?

After giving me a hard-on?

I don't want to. Stop it, sir!

Don't resist it.

Look at me.

Open your eyes!

You whore!

You're playing with me, aren't you?

You're all the same.

I'm sorry.

Sorry.

I wasn't able to help you.

I was afraid.

That's the truth. I was afraid.

My whole life feels like a nightmare.

I can't wake up.

I want to wake up.

I don't want this anymore.

I want this to stop.

Sorry…

What's the status upstairs? Did you find the girl?

Negative on the 21st, sir. We're searching on the 22nd.

Lyra?

Lyra…

Lyra, what happened to you?

Sir, help!

We found the girl.

We're on the 22nd floor.

All right, we can start with the interview whenever you're ready.

Can I smoke here?

After the interview.

Please put on the mask.

We can start. Please look at the camera.

I'm a content moderator.

I've been in the company for three years.

Are you a part-time employee?

Full time.

How would you describe content moderation?

It states in our training manual,

we review videos

and photos

that shouldn't be seen on social media platforms.

Can you explain further about the content you moderate?

It's content that is…

violent…

sexual…

exploitative…

What's the most disturbing thing you've ever seen while moderating?

Something that scarred you.

Have you seen…

a six-year-old get sexually assaulted?

The videos you censor are real people.

Doesn't it weigh on your conscience?

I only handle data.

That's my job.

Fuck… I just want to wake up.

Lyra, are you even awake?

Excuse me?

Are you awake or are you in a nightmare?

Help! Help!