Introduction: Reimagining a Shocking Legacy
A glut of films explores how the internet is slowly (or quickly) killing us, getting an unexpected standout in this clever meta slasher remake/reboot/retooling of the cult classic "Faces of Death". Director Daniel Goldhaber, known for the cyber-thriller "Cam," takes the reins of this legendary horror IP to create something far more profound than a simple cash grab. Instead of just replicating the gore that made the original 1978 film viral, this version creates a haunting commentary on the modern age of digital voyeurism.
(Include basic info here: Genre: Horror | Director: Daniel Goldhaber | Runtime: ~100 minutes)
The Plot: From Shaky Cam to Split Screens
The story centers around Margot (played by "Euphoria" star Barbie Ferreira), a young, burnt-out moderator for a fictionalized TikTok-esque company called Kino. Her days are filled with trauma, having to sift through a seemingly endless river of violent, dehumanizing content—flagging videos, approving others, or tagging them for algorithm consumption.
Being herself a victim of a horrible death that she witnessed going viral—she’s often called “Train Girl”—Margot is naturally more desensitized, yet perhaps more vigilant. Her life takes a dark turn when she discovers a series of disturbing videos inspired by the 1978 original film, "Faces of Death," featuring alleged real-life beheadings and other grisly acts. She flags them to her dismissive boss (Jermaine Fowler), assuming they are just clever fakes. But as the videos persist, Margot's suspicion grows. When no one seems to care, she decides to track down the source, a journey that leads her to Arthur (played with chilling intensity by Dacre Montgomery), a charismatic yet terrifying serial killer who is weaponizing the digital age for his play.
Performance: Montgomery's Menace
What really sparks "Faces of Death" to life is the duality between its lead performers. Dacre Montgomery is a chilling villain, leaning into a different portrayal of a serial killer than we’ve seen lately, coming off far more terrifying through his ability to almost shapeshift to the scenario. Montgomery can pivot from someone who appears to be awkwardly harmless into someone Ted Bundy would fear with a shift of his body language. He seems like thousands of people who doomscroll themselves to sleep, which makes him all the more terrifying.
Barbie Ferreira is also effective, though her character details are sometimes thin beyond her job and past trauma. However, she brilliantly portrays the fatigue of a modern digital worker, a woman forced to be "numb" to the violence that eventually becomes a weapon against her.
Technical Excellence: The Visuals of Violence
Technically, "Faces of Death" is a masterclass in tension. It becomes more of a writer/director showcase than a performance piece, really sparking to life in a phenomenal centerpiece scene done via split-screen. In this sequence, our heroine thinks she’s getting closer to the villain, but we see alongside her image how he’s using her online activity to find her at the same time. This is just one of several scenes that possess an immediate urgency that horror often lacks.
Goldhaber excels at forced POV, particularly when Arthur is hunting his victims. He uses the back of the frame, the edges of the Kino user interface, and split-screen feeds to point our eyes to the menace waiting to attack. It actually got me thinking that Goldhaber and co-writer Isa Mazzei understand how to make the invasive nature of tech feel claustrophobic.
Conclusion: A Bloody and Timely Reinvention
Goldhaber and Mazzei have a few surprises up their sleeves, including a showdown at Arthur’s house that feels like an ending but only opens the door to a bloodier, unforgettable final act. And, without the common moralization and over-explanation that derails so many “Internet Bad” movies of the current horror age, "Faces of Death" reaches its intense endpoint with two people, forever warped by the tech era, facing off.
It becomes a heady swirl of themes and ideas: the moderator of the online age fighting back against what this dark time has birthed. If you are looking for what Scream 7 could have or should have been, "Faces of Death" effectively digs deeper into the themes that the Ghostface franchise has only been flirting with recently.
Film Archive Verdict: 3.5/4 Stars. This is a must-see for MonsterVerse (and Horror) fans.
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