Remaking Faces of Death is a hell of a move in 2026. Although, this movie doesn’t really remake that diabolical film from 1978, it instead takes inspiration from it and it even exists in the universe that this film takes place in. So getting that out of the way so that the horror “diehards” who scream like banshees whenever any sort of remake or reimagining is announced, how is Faces of Death?
Well, the film stars Barbie Ferreira (Euphoria) and Dacre Montgomery (Stranger Things), who are on the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to people, but there’s actually more in common for both of them than you’d think. Ferreira plays Margot, who works for a TikTok-like social media company as a content moderator. She comes across a series of violent videos that reproduce death scenes from the original Faces of Death. As it unfolds, she finds out who’s behind the videos and gets into a cat-and-mouse game with the killer played by Dacre Montgomery.
Daniel Goldhaber directs the film with a script from him and Isa Mazzei. It also features Charli XCX, Josie Totah, and Jermaine Fowler. To preface all of this, this film was shot in 2023 and is releasing now. So while it might be a bit older, the commentary here on display is eerily on point for 2026 life.
So, for a movie like this, there are several factors that horror hounds are going to look for: gore, kills, performances, and commentary.
Gore, Effects, Kills, And Ingenuity In Faces Of Death
Off the bat, using the Faces of Death legacy, no matter if you enjoy that original film or not, is a touchy thing. This movie uses actual footage from that original film, which is already disturbing enough as is. The gore and effects here are top-notch. It’s a movie about a killer reenacting scenes from that movie, so they have to look good. There are several scenes where I was close to covering my eyes, but for the most part, they equal the original film, but don’t go over the top of it.
The kills are part of that equation for sure, with the finale being the highlight of the bunch. Without spoiling too much, Barbie Ferreira and Dacre Montgomery are put through the wringer in this movie. It’s brutal, hard-hitting, and satisfying all in one. The way Montgomery slinks around in the other scenes, especially while he’s wearing the killer getup, is a highlight as well. Between an influencer getting her face smashed into a door or jabbing someone with a needle to knock them out, he’s easily the best part of the film.
However scary Montgomery is when he’s playing the killer, when he has to act like a “normal” member of society is even better. It’s maddening when he’s dealing with police, using his status as a well-off caucasian man to get around the accusations of Margot, and even baiting her into looking like a hysterical stalker.
Barbie Ferreira plays a fascinating character as well, because she’s the victim of online infamy after an accident filming a video. The way she latches on and sinks her teeth into the case of these videos is just what anyone else would do these days. The physicality and emotion she gives to the role really make the movie.
The Commentary On Modern Social Media Slop
Through the 98-minute runtime, Faces of Death transcends the simple premise and becomes something more about how and why the internet, social media, and particularly the amount of violence and stupidity that we see on a daily basis. It has plenty to say about the TikTok generation and how those vertical videos and their content make us no different than the smut-filmmakers of the 70s.
Are there things in Faces of Death that don’t work? Sure. I don’t see how or why Charli XCX was in this movie besides someone to market it or she was friends with someone who was making it. Her character is completely ancillary and doesn’t change or affect the outcome of the movie in any way. For people looking for a gore-fest that will give you nightmares, this isn’t the horror movie for you either.
But if you’re looking for something that’ll entertain, and give you some great commentary on the modern obesssion with violence and social media, this is great.
Faces of Death releases in theaters on April 10th, 2026.
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