Most modern Internet-centric horror films significantly miss the mark. These result in out-of-touch attempts to relate to Gen Z, depicting inauthentic experiences of the first generation to grow up around the rise of technology. Combine the idea of Gen Z’s complicated relationship to the internet with arguably one of the first “viral videos,” Faces of Death (1978), and the result is one of, if not the most timely, meta-horror commentary in recent years. A reimagining of the 1978 viral snuff film of the same name, Daniel Goldhaber’s Faces of Death communes with the detrimental effects the Internet has on its users through a serial killer recreating the deaths from the original film.
At first glance, many young people would not have heard of the original unless they were active in horror communities, but the film shifts its perspective toward this audience to alleviate any confusion. Goldhaber explores the relentless nature of Internet users to find engaging content and the detrimental effects of that search. For example, lead actress Barbie Ferreira portrays Margot, a content moderator for a TikTok-style social media platform. She spends day after day watching disturbing content and flagging what she deems too graphic. At what point does the endless stream of content fully desensitize the viewer to violence? Goldhaber explores this idea in-depth through lengthy, voyeuristic shots and bold framing that refuses to let the viewer look away.
When Margot comes across what she initially believes is a fake video of a re-creation of a death from the original Faces of Death, the film kicks into high gear. The video is real, and more are popping up. Someone is recreating scenes from the original Faces of Death for real. The film’s existence in the remake’s universe is a hard trick to pull off, but franchises like Scream (1996) have successfully utilized a similar tactic. 2026’s Faces of Death works especially well by using the original as a background piece instead of placing it front and center so much that the audience is reminded that the film they’re watching is a remake. Clips are shown, but not to the extent that the remake’s story is drowned out – it is just a framing device.
Foiling Ferreira’s Margot is Dacre Montgomery as Arthur, the serial killer committing the murders. Once the film introduces this character, the unsettling nature is established, with Montgomery’s performance doing a large amount of the heavy lifting. He is easily the biggest standout, emitting a disturbing aura with every second of his presence. His performance seems especially informed by several real-life serial killers, depicting the intense social insecurity and personality changes that are associated with many of them. This is a performance that was clearly well-researched and well-thought-out, as Montgomery captures the disturbed persona we expect from seasoned killers.
While Montgomery’s Arthur simply recreates deaths to gain notoriety, there is a deep-rooted insecurity in his characterization that reflects how people engage with the Internet today. To some degree, we long to be loved by strangers online, to be validated by the number of likes or views on a post. There is a sense of satisfaction when posts go viral, and recapturing that virality becomes a chase to outsmart the algorithm and become famous online. This is a testament to Goldhaber and co-writer Isa Mazzei’s thoughtfully disturbing screenplay, which focuses on how we have become increasingly desensitized to what we see online in favor of 15 minutes of fame. Faces of Death reflects through several moments and characters that the Internet has created what Montgomery’s character himself calls an “attention economy,” which many horror films featuring the Internet have failed to capture.
The new Faces of Death is one of the first horror films able to capture just how unsettling our relationship with the Internet has become. Its ability to visualize the modern era of Internet culture, where terabytes of content are shoved in our faces that desensitizes us to the world around us, is a testament to Goldhaber’s direction and co-writing with Mazzei. The phrase “modern Scream” is not something I would say lightly about a horror film, but Faces of Death comes pretty close to capturing a similarly thoughtful and unsettling meta-commentary on the horror of what we can simply look up on our phones.
Review Courtesy of Nadia Arain
Feature Image Credit to IFC via IMDb