While we’ve seen plenty of big-name franchises get a reboot, remake, or requel in this age of horror, writer/director Daniel Goldhaber (Cam, How to Blow Up a Pipeline) resurrects a cursed cult classic with his latest film, Faces of Death. And with it, Goldhaber and frequent collaborator Isa Mazzei inject the visceral nature of John Alan Schwartz’s 1978 mondo classic into a tale of modern internet fame dipping into disturbing territory.
Honestly, it’s hard to think of anyone better to tackle a modern reimagining of Faces of Death than Goldhaber and Mazzei. These two clearly love digging into the dark corners of the social world and using every terrifying thing they find to get right under your skin. And, that’s exactly what they do with Faces of Death as it follows Margot (Barbie Ferreira), an online moderator who stumbles upon videos from a serial killer (Dacre Montgomery) recreating death scenes from the original Faces of Death.
The first big hook definitely comes from peeking over the shoulder of an online moderator at work. Just watching Margot sort through videos ranging from hilarious fails to provocative sex content is fascinating and immediately creates a cathartic impact. It’s interesting to watch what she “allows” to move forward, what gets blocked and why. These early scenes perfectly set up this intriguing view of our internet consumption and give us a glimpse behind the curtain that’s entertaining albeit a tad one-note.
Faces of Death is far from the first horror film to turn our obsession with social media into nightmare fuel, following the footsteps of films like Spree, Scream (2022), and, frankly, Cam. While it builds an interesting world as Margot drifts closer to this killer’s territory, Goldhaber and Mazzei don’t break far past the surface. In general, they make you think about the almost irresistible pull disturbing content has on us.
It’s about that strange attraction we have to disaster or the disturbed and how the internet creates blurred lines that can be more dangerous than we realize. Goldhaber and Mazzei definitely cook up some solid food for thought, but nothing that stands out or pushes beyond anything already done in the genre. Thankfully though, this thematic weight (or lack thereof) is only a small part of what makes Faces of Death a compelling thrill ride.
In reality, Margot’s moderating is only a small set-up for the anxiety-stabbing cat-and-mouse game that follows. The mystery Margot slowly entrenches herself in is full of tense scares, irresistible breadcrumbs, and a looming sense of danger that Goldhaber’s filmmaking elevates. Honestly, Goldhaber is quickly building himself into a must-watch filmmaker with his vision for tense atmospheres and compelling storytelling. It’s awesome how he showcases a seemingly mundane antagonist as an underlying evil force who’s horrifying to see out and about.
There’s a one-shot sequence of this killer stalking and moving toward his prey that’s breathtaking and wildly impressive for Goldhaber to pull off. Throughout the film, the way Margot and this killer inch closer to crossing paths is palpable and comes to a head in a stunning split-perspective scene. It’s legitimately gut-wrenching to see how alarmingly vulnerable our personal information is and to watch this killer get the upper hand in one sickening scene. It’s just plain masterful from Goldhaber and his build-up of this killer is even better.
The film’s central threat, Arthur, is easily one of the best killers in modern horror, with all-time potential. The mannequin-clad kill scenarios he makes are immensely creepy, cold, and calculated – always eliciting the most disgusting chills. It perfectly matches Goldhaber and Mazzei’s vision to create horror that’s strikingly close to reality and his attire, specifically those red eyes, can’t be unseen. Goldhaber also creates sequences for Arthur that turn him into a true predator stalking prey from the shadows that instantly strike fear. And, at the center of it all, is Montgomery delivering sheer, must-see terror at every turn. He’s sinisterly slick in ways that’ll make you despise him, especially with how he maintains power, and is just as intellectually compelling as he is physically dominating.
He even gets a meta line about remakes that gives total Ghostface vibes, and it’s hard not to see him as a great spiritual successor to that iconic killer. In short, he’s perfect and makes Arthur’s vision for death even scarier. Now, the deaths don’t exactly leave the same impact as the original does, which isn’t a surprise. After all, Schwartz’s documentary approach for his Faces of Death tapped into a dark realism that this reimagining simply isn’t going to match. But, this film will certainly please gore hounds and is chock-full of bloody dismemberment and “artistic” cruelty that leaves viewers in shock and awe.
Even with some shaky themes though, Goldhaber and Mazzei concoct a strong narrative that not only contains some exciting and unexpectedly emotional beats, but captures the underground spirit of the original excellently. It’s great how small and personal the experience is as it ups the terror and realism of Margot becoming ensnared in Arthur’s twisted vision. Margot, as a character, is really great as she boasts capable instincts driven by empathy and leans into the mindset of a determined detective.
It’s a genuine blast to see Margot become compelled to stop Arthur’s plans as it unearths a tragic backstory for her that Ferreira works off of well, creating an irresistible energy to want to see Margot and Arthur’s tension come to blows. Honestly, in her first big role post-Euphoria, Ferreira is excellent at bringing a range of laughs, fears, and heart-cutting emotion into this story. Best of all, Goldhaber and Mazzei perfectly understand how to utilize the original for their new vision – leaning into continued impact over nostalgia. The original film’s role here intertwines perfectly with this film’s exploration of internet culture and extends its legacy into modern horror incredibly well. It’s the fuel for all the thrills Arthur provides and the atmosphere of tapping into horror that isn’t far from reality.
Faces of Death undoubtedly stands (currently) as the best horror film of 2026 with strong legs that could carry its own legacy as a distinct, terrifying offering for the social media generation. Ferreira and Montgomery are flawless within Goldhaber and Mazzei’s thrills and chills that cut deep, fully disturb, and simply can’t be missed. With three excellent and unique films under his belt, we really need to start talking about Goldhaber more as a filmmaker because Faces of Death elevates his stock even higher.
Faces of Death is now playing in theaters.
 starring Dacre Montgomery, Barbie Ferreira and Charli XCX is one of the best movies of 2026.){kind=link}