“Faces of Death” (2026) Reinvents its Legacy
In 1978, what appeared to be a documentary, Faces of Death, was released. The host, pathologist Francis B. Gröss, tells the audience that what they are about to see is death in many forms. In the context of the film, the scenes of death are presented as true. In actuality, many were faked and the central pathologist is played by actor Michael Carr. Faces of Death was slammed by critics, but it was a box office smash. A cult following ensued, with official sequel follow-ups released in 1981, 1986, 1991, and 1999. Now, in 2026, a new take on the Faces of Death legacy has emerged.
Courtesy of Independent Film Company and Shudder. An Independent Film Company and Shudder Release.
Margot (Barbie Ferreira) works as a content moderator for a video-focused social media app that bears a strong resemblance to TikTok. All day long she sits at a computer in a drab office and watches violent, sexual, or distressing videos, determining whether they should remain online. She’s stopped in her tracks by a video that shows someone dying. Something about the way it’s presented and the creepy voiceover that accompanies it makes Margot believe the death in the clip is real. Even though it goes against all of her job training, she decides to take matters into her own hands and investigate.
In recent years, the job of content moderator has often found its way to the big screen. From last year’s American Sweatshop to Monitor, which premiered at SXSW last month, filmmakers are clearly intrigued by this profession. It’s hard not to be. Artificial intelligence and users may be able to flag unsavory videos, but it takes a human to make the final judgment call. What does it do to a person to spend eight hours a day, five days a week watching some of the worst videos imaginable? As the film points out, these examples of offensive content, while psychologically harmful, are good for the social media app. Horror, disgust, and repulsion may sound like negatives, but they keep users scrolling. As Margot’s boss (Jermaine Fowler) reminds her when she first flags the series of videos, “give the people what they want.”
Courtesy of Brian Roedel. An Independent Film Company and Shudder Release.
This updated Faces of Death finds an intriguing way to reference the original yet avoid being a remake. In fact, this new film feels critical of what came before. The 1978 film featured real deaths, and the subsequent sequels included even more violent videos to disturb the viewer. When is enough enough? If you ask Arthur (Dacre Montgomery) from the 2026 film, there is no limit to the depths of violence people want to experience. He recognizes that some humans get a thrill when they see sadistic ideas come to fruition, and Arthur is one of those people. Since the beginning of humanity, humans have been drawn to violence. The gladiator battles aren’t a far cry from the original release of Faces of Death. They’re grisly, gory, and real, which makes them all the more unsettling.
Montgomery’s performance as Arthur proves his dimensionality as an actor. You’ve seen him as the bully from Stranger Things, but his Arthur is menacing in a different, nuanced way. Contrast that with the gentleness he shows in Went Up the Hill, and Montgomery should be rocketing up your list of actors to watch. The 2026 Faces of Death allows him to be an unassuming, yet vicious character, someone who seeks out violence for no other reason than the thrill of it. Perhaps that’s the most unsettling realization. That the reason Arthur’s character and the original Faces of Death exist is because humans will always want more of this type of thrill. The 2026 Faces of Death is introspective and gnarly, making the viewer ask why they’re even watching in the first place.
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