New Horror Movie With 'Euphoria' Star Is Far Creepier Than It Seems at First Glance

The long-awaited slasher reboot Faces of Death premiered on April 10th – a reimagining of the controversial 1978 mondo horror movie of the same name.

At first, it may seem like just another exploitation horror film relying on cheap shock tactics. However, Faces of Death, directed by Daniel Goldhaber, is much smarter and more terrifying than it appears.

Through witty commentary, this meta-slasher flick explores the current state of the media landscape, the blurring of reality and fiction, and how the internet has transformed death into content.

What Is 'Faces of Death' About?

The story centers on a serial killer who streams his murders and styles them to resemble scenes from the original 1978 Faces of Death. This allows him to deceive moderators and evade the law, turning death into a spectacle for thousands of viewers around the world.

The movie explores how the digital age has altered our perception of violence. If you scroll through your social media feed before bed, you will eventually come across a blurred screen with a sensitive content label.

'Faces of Death' Became a Legend Almost Half a Century Ago

The original 1978 Faces of Death was born out of director John Alan Schwartz's obsession. When Japanese producers approached him with a proposal to make a documentary about death, he suggested, "Why not make a film about how people die?"

He began actively collecting material from all available sources, including hospital autopsy records, poaching records, and news reports. However, the collected footage was not enough for a ninety-minute movie.

Schwartz then resorted to a trick, supplementing real-life footage of violence with fabricated scenes and building the on-screen narrative around a pathologist narrator named Francis B. Gröss.

This decision had interesting consequences – the movie took on features of two strands of exploitation cinema. On the one hand, it is an anthropological "study" of mortality through the lens of global tribalism.

On the other hand, it's a grindhouse horror story that plays on late 1970s phobias. The VHS boom was the perfect breeding ground for mystifying the subject and cultivating an aura of mystery around it.

The New 'Faces of Death' Continues the Tradition of Its Predecessor, Making Adjustments for Modern Times

Whether viewers intended it or not, Faces of Death became a hit, grossing tens of millions of dollars on a small budget. Later, the movie inspired the monkey-brain feast scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

The reboot of Faces of Death fits amusingly into this context. Almost immediately after filming wrapped in 2023, the MPAA ratings board gave the movie a hard time, preventing a planned 2024 release.

Despite major studio Legendary Entertainment acquiring the remake rights, the project was not saved from censorship. The film eventually found a distributor, debuted successfully at the Beyond Fes, and has a good chance of becoming a genre highlight.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Faces of Death'?

• Faces of Death has 68% from critics and 67% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.5/10.

• On Letterboxd, Faces of Death scored 3.1/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Faces of Death'?

Faces of Death is currently playing in theaters.