Opening night of the Overlook Film Festival 2026 kicked off with some exciting new films. Writers Daniel Goldhaber (How to Blow Up a Pipeline, 50 States of Fright) and Isa Mazzei (Cam, 50 States of Fright) have teamed up to write an exciting new horror film, Faces of Death. Directed by Goldhaber, the film follows a woman working as a content moderator for a TikTok-like company. When she comes across a series of disturbing videos that seem to depict real murders, she becomes determined to investigate and stop the masked killer.

The original Faces of Death film came out in 1978 and was a controversial underground cult classic. While the title of this film might suggest it’s a remake, Faces of Death is anything but. It follows more in the narrative foot steps of Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, in which the original film exists and the characters discuss it, and some are even fans. Audiences watch the content moderator look through video after video to determine if it should be allowed or if it should be taken off the app. When she first comes across one of the killer’s videos, she assumes it’s fake. As more similar videos begin to show up, she notices details that might indicate these killings are real. What’s even more sinister is that the killer appears to be recreating death scenes from the original Faces of Death. The moderator becomes obsessed, believing it’s her moral obligation to find out who is making these videos so they can be stopped. Yet the closer she gets to the truth, the more the killer begins to take notice of her. The plot is suspenseful, surprising, and likely to exceed expectations for many audiences. While the pacing can meander a bit, and there is a shift in tone from putting various themes under a microscope to a more traditional cat-and-mouse thriller, it’s impossible to deny the raw intensity of Faces of Death.

Not having seen the original Faces of Death, I didn’t know quite what to expect with this film. Audiences don’t need to worry if they haven’t seen the original either. The filmmakers provide enough information and show scenes from the 70s film to add enough context for everything to make sense. What has ultimately been created here is a fascinating work providing commentary on human consumption of disturbing media and censorship. Some might be surprised at what videos the moderator allows compared to the ones marked for removal. What isn’t all that surprising is how the viewers of this content react. These days, it’s impossible to avoid seeing horrific, graphic videos of murder, genocide, and war, yet some people even seek violent videos out. In the case of Faces of Death, people using the app become obsessed with the killer’s video content, some believing the videos are real while others are convinced they’re just high-quality fakes. There is also important commentary on how the apps censor videos, or don’t, allowing this content to go up. While it’s clear they will remove extreme cases of violence, these companies also do their best to get away with keeping as many of the more ambiguous videos up because they know it gives the viewers what they want, which ultimately helps them to make more money. It’s a fascinating moral quandary that places blame both on the companies allowing these videos to stay up, as well as the individuals who seek them out.

The performances throughout Faces of Death are incredibly well done. Barbie Ferreira (Euphoria, House of Spoils) stars as the content moderator, Margot. Ferreira makes it immediately apparent that Margot takes great pride in the work she’s doing, believing she’s making a difference in the world by removing any bad video content. We learn much of this is due to a traumatic incident from her past that was caught on video and shared online. It explains why she becomes obsessed with the killer’s videos. Ferreira shows Margot going from hard-working employee to a dedicated, and sometimes manic, investigator determined to solve the mystery of these strange videos she’s found. It’s a wonderfully layered performance that really allows Ferreira to show her range. Dacre Montgomery (Stranger Things, Power Rangers) plays the killer recreating scenes from the original Faces of Death. This is a truly disturbing, complex performance from Montgomery unlike anything he’s done before. He’s able to convey both the killer’s ability to be extremely calculated, planning every last detail from kidnapping his victims to orchestrating the elaborate kills themselves, while also showing the strange quirks and cracks in this man’s psyche. It’s a truly horrifying performance audiences won’t soon forget.

The visual elements throughout Faces of Death are both striking and disturbing. Everything from the lighting to the production design was clearly painstakingly planned to bring this film to life. Some of the best production design revolves around the kill videos. Because recreating the scenes from the original Faces of Death usually involves many people, the killer sets up mannequins with various mechanisms allowing them to do the killing. Mannequins are already quite creepy, but in this situation they’re so much more terrifying. The killer also wears a very simple white mask to hide his face, but the addition of vibrant red contacts helps to create an iconic, horrifying appearance. If you’re looking for gore, you’ll certainly get it here. The practical effects for the various murders are very well done. While some horror fans might wish there was more blood and viscera, what does make it on screen looks great. Adding to the imagery on screen is a great 80s-style, synth and keyboard heavy score composed by Gavin Brivik (Cam, How to Blow Up a Pipeline).

Faces of Death is a fascinating and suspenseful horror film honoring the original as it delivers modern social commentary. Goldhaber and Mazzei once again prove they are a skilled filmmaking duo, creating complex stories that shine a light on the darker sides of society. They were smart to not go the straight remake direction, instead creating a film universe in which the original Faces of Death exists and plays a major part in the plot. Both Ferreira and Montgomery give iconic performances as they completely embody these two very different and very disturbed characters. Along with well-crafted practical effects and a great musical score, there is a lot to enjoy with this film. Faces of Death is in theaters now, so don’t miss it.

OVERALL RATING: 8/10