Faceless

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.

The low rating is one big joke. We're talking one of the best horror/thriller films I've seen in years. Excellent story-telling/writing, poignant atmospheric production design/photography, great acting, incredibly well-done practical special make-up and wonderful direction.

The film was obviously inspired by Adrian Lyne's Jacob's Ladder (1990), one of the best films ever made in film history.

Also what you need to know is that Faceless comes from Marcel Sarmiento, who earlier shot the absolutely phenomenal Deadgirl (2008) and who also served as an executive producer for The Exorcist: Legion VR video game (for me, the scariest VR game ever), just to highlight that this guy has a lot of passion and creativity for the genre. I only hope he continues expanding his horror legacy.

As for Faceless, it's a must-see.

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.

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.

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.