Faces of Death (2026) (Movie Review)
DIRECTED BY: Daniel Goldhaber
STARRING: Barbie Ferreira, Dacre Montgomery, Charli XCX
RATED: UR
AVAILABLE on Shudder
Remaking Faces of Death was always going to be a risky proposition. The original is one of those infamous cult oddities that’s been whispered about, debated, and passed around by horror fans for decades. So when I heard there was a remake, I immediately had one thought:
“Oh no… here we go again.”
To the film’s credit, it surprised me.
Instead of lazily photocopying the original scene-for-scene and calling it a day, the filmmakers take a much more meta approach, and honestly, it’s the smartest decision they could’ve made. They understand that you can’t shock modern audiences the same way the original tried to shock viewers in the late ’70s. The internet happened. We’ve all been online too long. The bar has been… unfortunately… raised.
Rather than pretending it’s still 1978, the movie plays with the legacy of Faces of Death itself. It’s self-aware without constantly winking at the audience, and it finds some genuinely fun ways to explore the mythology surrounding the original. That’s infinitely more interesting than simply recreating old scenes with a bigger budget.
So, props where props are due.
The horror elements work well enough, and the movie keeps you guessing because it’s never content to simply repeat history. There are moments where you think you know exactly where it’s headed, only for it to pull the rug out from under you. That’s refreshing in an era where so many remakes seem terrified of doing anything different.
The performances are solid, and everyone commits to the concept. Thankfully, nobody feels like they’re trying to imitate the original. That would’ve been a losing battle from the start.
Visually, the film is slick without feeling overproduced. It has a grimy edge that suits the subject matter while still looking like an actual movie instead of something filmed on someone’s security camera… which, considering the title, is probably for the best.
Does every idea land?
Not quite.
There are moments where the movie gets a little too clever for its own good, and a few scenes feel like they’re trying so hard to comment on the original that they momentarily forget to simply be entertaining.
Thankfully, those moments don’t stick around long.
What impressed me most is that the filmmakers clearly respected the original without being trapped by it. That’s the balancing act every remake should strive for. Honor the source, acknowledge its place in horror history, and then go do your own thing.
Imagine that—a remake with original ideas.
Hollywood should write this down.
Faces of Death (2026) may not replace the original in cult horror history, but it never tries to. Instead, it carves out its own identity with a clever meta angle, plenty of dark humor, and enough confidence to stand on its own two feet. In a world overflowing with unnecessary remakes, this is one that actually earns its existence… which is honestly more shocking than anything in the original movie ever was.
