I love the Midnight Madness program at TIFF because it gives festivalgoers some of the most outlandish and unique takes on film you can find at the festival. This is the same program that gave us Color Out of Space and Obsession, so it has led to some pretty interesting works, and this year’s The Face of Horror definitely fits into that category.
Made as a throwback to the Hammer films of the 1960s, this is a film that captures the look and feel of those classics while subverting the genre in some interesting and unique ways. At around two hours, it is a slow burn, but for the right person, The Face of Horror is a film well worth seeking out.
Based on the famous Japanese ghost story Yotsuya Kaidan, The Face of Horror takes us to 14th-century England, where it transplants the core concepts to a time when the roles and treatment of men and women were very different from today. Starring Jonah Hauer-King (William Tell) as Edward, the film follows a knight who takes no issue with murdering and pillaging his way through the surrounding countryside to get what he wants.
The only problem is that one of the people he murders for defying him is the father of the woman he wants to marry. Eleanor (Kristine Froseth), blinded by the grief of losing her father to what she believes are bandits, accepts Edward’s hand and hopes to build a life with him on her family farm, only for his eyes to wander after a few short years to a slightly wealthier countess (Bella Heathcote). This leads to death, murder and a trail of blood and horror that would make the masters of the genre proud.
The Face of Horror embraces its subject and concept with open arms, emulating the look and feel of the classic horror films many grew up with and still love to this day. The oversaturated colours and look of the movie are truly remarkable, with the film wearing its retro influences on its sleeve. Even the sets, costumes and effects embrace this 1960s feel, using the look and concepts of campy movies to full effect to tell the tale it desperately wants to convey. At every turn, the film showcases just how misogynistic this period was and how, even in the films of the 1960s, that concept of chivalry was still alive and well despite how far we have come.
Yet, The Face of Horror never feels preachy or overbearing with its ideas and takes the time to show how silly some of these concepts are in a brilliant deconstruction of the medieval story tropes we all know and have accepted, even if they are ultimately silly or downright offensive at times. Director Anna Biller expertly crafts a story that could very well have been on screen back when the films of Hammer or Corman were showing as double features, wearing the same clothing as those films but telling a much more subversive and engaging tale.
The acting and story work hand in hand, letting the audience take in just how horrible Edward really is and how even people who show all the signs of being upstanding members of society will use their position to take everything they want, with no concern for the many people harmed along the way. Even the ostentatious ways the characters are shown to be duplicitous work, sometimes ridiculously so, lending a bit of levity to what could have been a much more dour tale in another director’s hands.
There is some fantastic effects work that harkens back to the ’60s, with prosthetics, superimposition for fire and even the way swords cut something off-screen all working as throwbacks to the B-movie tropes that made the genre so memorable. The effects work on Eleanor later in the film is particularly fantastic, calling back to all the monster makeup that helped define the genre. It is not horrifying by today’s standards, but it gives the entire ordeal an otherworldly quality that makes it feel oddly more authentic.
I will not lie, though, The Face of Horror is not for everyone, and the camp and callbacks could get tiring if you do not know the genres it is emulating. It stands on its own thanks to the acting and the look and feel the film evokes, but some of the nods and winks will be lost on viewers unfamiliar with its influences, taking away some of its charm. It is shot on 35 mm, so even if you do not connect with the concept it is trying to convey, there is no denying The Face of Horror is an absolutely stunning film to see on the big screen.
The Face of Horror is an odd film, but one that worked for me and felt like a solid addition to this year’s Midnight Madness lineup. While I do not see this being a breakout success like Obsession was last year, for anyone who wants to let the ’60s camp wash over them while experiencing a subversive take on the genre, this one is not to be missed. With fantastic visuals, great campy acting and a story that takes its time to build to a crescendo, The Face of Horror is a unique entry in the genre that I will not soon forget.
