Anna Biller is known for her gorgeous attention to detail and exploration of retro aesthetics through a modern feminist lens. The Love Witch (2016) began this with a powerful woman seeking love and validation from men, which leads to her demise. Her third feature, The Face of Horror, with its world premiere at TIFF 2026, explores the more vengeful side of feminism.

Starring Kristine Frøseth and Jonah Hauer-King in the lead roles, The Face of Horror follows Eleanor and Edward, a doomed couple in 14th-century England, whose story ends in the wife’s disfigurement and suicide. In death, Eleanor’s spirit haunts Edward, reminding him of the evils he committed against her and driving him to madness. 

The film is adapted from a Japanese kabuki play titled Yotsuya Kaidan. Biller’s choice to move the film from Japan to England lets her signature aesthetic shine in all its Technicolor glory. Evoking 1960s horror films in form completely, the film is a true blast from the past, indistinguishable from its inspirations to the untrained eye. This level of commitment from the production design, cinematography, and costume design teams (the last of which Biller led) culminates in a masterclass of technical prowess. 

As with Biller’s previous films, the performances are fully committed but often too theatrical for some. Hauer-King in particular is comically misogynistic, and Frøseth has a blind, unrelenting love for her adulterous husband. The over-the-top performances aren’t for everyone, and Biller as a whole is an acquired taste. 

Speaking of things being too much in this film, the biggest problem I had with it was its lengthy runtime, clocking in at two hours flat. Normally, a film at that length can be manageable, but Biller is committed to fully immersing viewers in her wild, colorful, terrifying world, much to her own demise. The film takes its time bringing viewers in, but it can drag and overstay its welcome. 

When The Face of Horror shifts into a ghostly nightmare for Hauer-King’s Edward following Eleanor’s death, the film picks up immensely. True to its roots in 1960s cinema, and to its source material as a stage play, the audience gets wonderfully corny, wacky special effects that reinforce its theatrical nature. Smoke machines and dollies that wheel in the ghosts as if they are floating are the cherry on top for a film that already gives its source material immense respect. It truly is a time machine.

Biller calls into question the religious justification for misogyny and violence against women, which is as relevant as ever. 14th-century England considered women to be devils, sinners who are of Eve, the original sinner, and must repent and submit to men. The Face of Horror gives Eleanor an outlet to unleash vengeance and rage not just against the men who harmed her, but against the theocratic system that failed her and still leaves remnants in modern society. I’m a massive fan of films that critique institutional methods of discrimination, and this is one of the most compelling ways I’ve seen theocratic misogyny studied in English-speaking film.

The Face of Horror is not going to be for everybody, but it is an engaging time capsule that studies both modern and historical contexts for misogyny. If you watch this film for any reason, let it be for the impressive cinematography and general style of the film because it is something to behold. Biller’s unflinching commitment to retro filmmaking with modern feminist ideas has never been flawless for me, but it makes for a generally enjoyable watch either way.

Review Courtesy of Nadia Arain

Feature Image Credit to Bluebeard Pictures