Faces of Death (2026) is directed by Daniel Goldhaber, who also wrote the film alongside Isa Mazzei. It stars Barbie Ferreira, Dacre Montgomery, Josie Totah, Aaron Holliday, Jermaine Fowler, Charli XCX, Nathaniel Woolsey, Sarah Voight, Jared Bankens, JD Evermore, Britton Webb, Tadasay Young, Paris Peterson, and Ash Maeda. In this meta follow-up to the shock horror film of the same name, a social media content moderator named Margot (Ferreira) comes across a series of violent videos replicating death scenes from the 1978 cult classic. Despite her increasingly desperate pleas for authorities to investigate the videos, no one seems to take her seriously, believing they are nothing but convincing fakes. As the copycat killer (Montgomery) becomes more brazen, even targeting her friends and co-workers, Margot sets out to stop him on her own. However, the killer’s plan is more complicated than she could have ever imagined, forcing her into a twisted game of cat & mouse that’ll push them both to their absolute limits. 

In the lead role, Barbie Ferreira proves that she can lead this kind of film as effortlessly as any of her Euphoria co-stars. The traumatized protagonist trope is all too familiar, but it does feel uniquely suited to the story’s themes of perverse voyeurism. Society’s tendency to treat an individual’s horrific experience as simple entertainment feels particularly disturbing when we’re shown how this affects the victim. This becomes even more disturbing with the fact that the killer is more or less supported by the internet, which supports his delusion that he’s giving the people exactly what they want. 

As the film’s twisted killer, Dacre Montgomery gives what’s arguably the best performance of his career. He plays the kind of serial killer who’s flashy and wild, rather than quiet and mysterious, which adds a certain fun factor to this otherwise formulaic horror-thriller. The character’s tendency to implement various disguises allows Montgomery to show off his range, which is just one of the many reasons he’s so compelling when onscreen. He steals the show, but a part of me feels like the character would’ve been a lot more menacing if we didn’t spend so much time with him as he plans/executes his various crimes. This keeps the character more fun-scary instead of disturbing-scary, which some people may prefer. Personally, I would’ve liked it to lean a little more toward the scary side.

Despite reverting to a predictable hero-versus-killer climax in which the good character reigns supreme, the script stays true to the genre and offers chilling implications for the viewer to dwell on as the credits roll. The script definitely has its fair share of dumb character decisions and various other plot holes, but these are easily forgiven considering its fantastic pacing and sleek, throwback visual approach. More so than any other horror film I’ve seen in recent years, this feels like a true throwback to the slasher films of the 1980s. Casual horror fans may not notice, but this is a treat for true genre aficionados. 

Overall, this is one of the better meta horror sequels I’ve ever seen, and it features one of the best horror villains in recent years. Despite its handful of silly missteps, the experience flies by without shortchanging any of the characters. The formula here is a tad familiar, but it provides enough throwback style to feel like a fresh experience. If nothing else, this works as a compelling exploration of humanity’s perverse fascination with violence. It’s not one everyone will love, but it’s definitely a film genre fans should check out at least once. B