Plot: A woman (Barbie Ferreira), employed as a website content moderator, comes across a series of violent videos reproducing death scenes from a film.
What Are We Reproducing Here?
To be completely frank and brutally honest, I felt this movie was much better suited to casual online viewing than to a paid experience. I struggled to find any significant point to this film; it left me unimpressed throughout. The presence of close-up brutal killings and attacks does not, in my opinion, qualify it as a horror film. Although I haven’t seen the original film, I’ve heard from others that it was a tedious experience, lacking in quality and substance. While I didn’t think the film was terrible or that I fell asleep during it, I felt it fell short of the horror expectations that many, including myself, had.
Faces of Death
This film can be described as a cyberbullying-themed horror, primarily due to the character of Arthur, portrayed brilliantly by Darce Montgomery. His performance as the serial killer is outstanding, as he targets specific online followers on his platform, seeking comments or feedback that provoke him. The motivations behind his choice of victims remain perplexing, yet the recreation of the killings is both gruesome and exaggerated. Montgomery skillfully embodies the antagonist, earning a standing ovation for his performance. However, aside from him, I did not recognize any other well-known actors or actresses in the film, except for Jermaine Fowler.
Kino & Margot
Where Margot worked, as a moderator on a TikTok platform, she was tasked with filtering out offensive or violent content. This role highlighted her greatest vulnerability, which many in working-class America often face: the accusation of caring too much. Margot couldn’t simply ignore the reality of the violent content she encountered, knowing that real lives were being lost on camera, and it was not staged or fake.
Despite her concerns, when she approached her local police authorities and even her boss, they dismissed her worries. Undeterred, she took it upon herself to investigate further, determined to unmask the killer and seek justice for the victims who had suffered before. While her dedication is commendable, pursuing a masked serial killer alone is a daunting and dangerous endeavor that I would hesitate to undertake.
If I were in her position and everyone I sought help from dismissed my concerns, I would likely choose to step back and not take on such a potentially lethal burden. I would find solace in knowing I did what I could to help and would have to accept that. However, Margot’s character embodies a relentless spirit; she could not simply walk away. Her desire to save lives and protect others is admirable.
I have immense respect for individuals like Margot, who are willing to risk their own safety for the sake of others. This selflessness is what defines a hero—a survivor and a living testament to fearless bravery.
This was definitely NOT a movie I would’ve run to see. It didn’t make me want to walk out, but it could’ve been released straight to streaming. P.S. I did doze off for a few minutes.
Absolutely! If I nod off during a horror movie, that’s my way of saying it’s a snooze fest! Trust me, I’ve seen enough of those to want to erase them from my memory, long or short!
Thank you for thoughts. I agree with the flaws in this flick. I didn’t think about the cyberbullying perspective. Dacre’s performance was great and creepy. Overall, we enjoyed it.
As always, I sincerely appreciate your feedback and the time you dedicate to reading all of my reviews. I have genuinely come to anticipate your insights and whether you align with my perspectives on various films. It appears that you consistently resonate with my viewpoints, agreeing with nearly every review I write. This reinforces the saying that “great minds think alike,” which seems to hold true in our discussions. Your engagement adds depth to our conversations, and I look forward to continuing this exchange of thoughts and opinions on cinema.
I never saw the original and after watching this one, I still won’t 😂. Dacre played his role well, maybe a little too well. Overall it was ok and at least better than last weeks scream unseen.
I agree with you about Darce. He really did a good job in his role, and it’s a shame that his villainous role would have been better in a bigger movie where he could have shown off his full potential instead of being wasted on this low-budget one-time disaster. I didn’t go to the Hunting Matthew Nichols because it looked terrible!