Faceless

Grimmfest 2021

What we've got here is your standard unbalanced flick.

Fabulous make up FX (enhanced digitally) and solid performances are swamped by an amnesia/medical conspiracy plot line that bites off more than it can chew within its running time.

Kicking off with a Jacobs Ladder style 'is this real? ' strand that it abruptly drops to focus on the 'who am I? ' and 'what's going on? '.

Unfortunately, we then get a 'who's she? ', 'who's he? ' and 'WHO'S HE???' thrown into the mix and the whole thing goes off kilter.

A noble failure though, over ambition being its main issue.

It gets an extra star from me just because Alex Essoe is in it. What? I don't make the rules.

I must admit that I was intrigued by this 2021 movie's synopsis. And the movie's cover really helped win me over and made me want to sit down to watch it, despite of its relatively low rating on IMDb.

And while "Faceless" is a watchable movie, it wasn't by any means an outstanding or particularly interesting or entertaining movie. It proved enjoyable enough for what it was, but the movie just didn't manage to bring anything new to the thriller genre. So it was a little bit of a disappointment that three writers - Ed Dougherty, Marcel Sarmiento and Freddie Villacci - couldn't muster to make a more memorable storyline here.

What worked for "Faceless" was the special effects and the cast.

The special effects were really good in the movie, and I do like good visual and practical effects, as CGI tends to be a bit too over the top. And there just is something more satisfying in watching proper practical effects pulled off - no pun intended here. So, if for nothing else, then "Faceless" is watchable for the practical effects.

And the cast really pulled off their individual performances nicely and bringing their roles and characters to life on the screen - with or without faces. I am not familiar with Brendan Sexton III (playing George), but he carried the movie quite well with his performance. I do like actress Alex Essoe (playing Sophie), but it was a shame that she didn't have a larger role in the movie, because she would have spruced up the movie quite a bit.

Now, what didn't really work for the movie was the storyline. It was just too bland, generic and didn't really offer enough contents to live up to my expectations of the movie. It was watchable, yeah without a doubt, but it just didn't have that spark to it to make it memorable.

"Faceless" is a thriller that came and went without leaving a lasting impression for me. I sat through it, but I was only mildly entertained. There are far better thrillers out there, and also far more enthralling thrillers that brings you into the storyline and grows on you.

My rating of director Marcel Sarmiento's 2021 thriller "Faceless" lands on a less than mediocre four out of ten stars.

There is something about this film that has stayed with me. It's not a big budget production but the acting is very good, the lead actor is great and the movie is nicely filmed. I prefer indies and foreign films because Hollywood only seems to produce junk nowadays and this is a perfect example of how well made an indie can be. The story kept me guessing throughout and I did not see the ending coming at all. Loaded with gore and very realistic sickening make-up jobs. The people behind this need to applauded for getting so much right and keeping it entertaining.

This is a perfect fit for you if you like your thrillers to have a touch of horror and some good twists. Some scenes might make your stomach turn if you're a little squeamish when it comes to medical gore. I found the storyline keeping me on my toes and not seeing some of the turns. I like the uncertainty of George and the uncertainty he has if himself. He doesn't even really know what he's going to do or who he is. The ending was great with my husband and I throwing out our guesses as to what was going to happen. We both changed them about three times each in a matter of minutes. Ha! I definitely recommend this while you're trying to stay warm and 'rona free. Just don't watch it right before bed if you don't want the messed up dreams!

Low budget film, which are sometimes better, that leaves you wanting to keep watching to see what happens. Totally blown by ending...did not see that coming.