While working as a content moderator, a woman uncovers a disturbing series of videos recreating grisly death scenes from an old movie.A film by Daniel Goldhaber, starring Barbie Ferreira, Dacre Montgomery, Josie Totah, Aaron Holliday, Kurt Yue, Jermaine Fowler, Sam Malone, Tiffany Colin, Tadasay Young, Jared Bankens, Aria Jackson, Betsy Borrego, Jonathan Shores, Matt Story, Casey Ferrand, Paris Peterson, Isa Mazzei, Kyle Nordby, Nathaniel Woolsey, Trenise Gray, Anja Avsharian, Anne Nichols Brown, Brandon Sutton, Britton Webb, Michael Yahn, Walker Babington, and Charli XCX.
FACES of DEATH
Daniel Goldhaber
(2026)
Margot Romero (Barbie Ferreira) works as a content moderator for a short-form video platform called Kino. Her day-to-day job involves watching user uploads and deciding their fate: approve them, flag them for deletion, or slap a content warning on them.
She checks for a strict list of violations like graphic violence, hate speech, harassment, drug use, and self-harm. Whenever she flags a video, she also has the ability to add her own comments explaining why.
One day, she comes across a disturbing video resembling a snuff film, featuring several unsettling mannequins and a tied-up victim struggling to escape. She pauses the video just as her manager, Josh (Jermaine Fowler), drops by her desk. He asks if she can cover the company’s new team orientation the next day, explaining he’s supposed to walk the new hires through it, but he’s completely swamped. Margot agrees to step in and lead the session for him.
Their conversation is interrupted by a sharp beep from her computer; the system displays an idle timer counting down, prompting Margot to confirm she is still active. She turns back to her screen and resumes the video, watching as the victim is decapitated by a mannequin wielding a sword. Assuming it to be staged, she approves the video, leaving a comment that the footage is likely fake.
After her shift, Margot returns to the apartment she shares with her best friend, an artist named Ryan (Aaron Holliday). Ryan invites her to Cassidy’s housewarming party, but Margot tries to back out, using laundry as an excuse. However, she eventually caves when Ryan reminds her of her promise to start living her life and socializing again. Changing the subject, Ryan shows her a new gadget: a seemingly normal lipstick that pulls apart to reveal a hidden knife. Throughout the scene, it becomes apparent that Margot is actively avoiding social media, though the film has yet to reveal why.
On their way to the party, the pair stops at a local bodega, where Margot catches the attention of two girls (Anja Avsharian & Anne Nichols Brown). Overhearing them whispering and debating whether she is “the train girl,” Margot begins to panic. The moment one of the girls approaches to ask if she is the person from the viral video, Margot abruptly flees the store, leaving Ryan behind. The encounter implies that her strict avoidance of social media stems from being the subject of an infamous, and likely traumatic, viral video.
The algorithm knew you'd watch.
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A film by Daniel Goldhaber, starring Barbie Ferreira, Dacre Montgomery, Josie Totah, Aaron Holliday, Kurt Yue, Jermaine Fowler, Sam Malone, Tiffany Colin, Tadasay Young, Jared Bankens, Aria Jackson, Betsy Borrego, Jonathan Shores, Matt Story, Casey Ferrand, Paris Peterson, Isa Mazzei, Kyle Nordby, Nathaniel Woolsey, Trenise Gray, Anja Avsharian, Anne Nichols Brown, Brandon Sutton, Britton Webb, Michael Yahn, Walker Babington, and Charli XCX.
Directed by American filmmaker Daniel Goldhaber and co-written with Isa Mazzei, FACES OF DEATH is a horror film about a serial killer who recreates the infamous death scenes from the notorious 1978 cult film of the same name.
Faces of Death is a controversial horror film franchise that began with a 1978 movie presented like a documentary about death and gore. Directed by John Alan Schwartz, the original became infamous because it blurred the line between real footage and staged scenes, and it developed a cult reputation on VHS.
FACES of DEATH premiered at Beyond Fest on 5 April 2026. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 10 April.
Beyond Fest is a major genre film festival in Los Angeles, focused on horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and other fan-driven cinema. It’s known as the highest-attended genre film festival in the U.S. and is run in partnership with the American Cinematheque. It typically features new premieres, rare repertory screenings, restorations, live events, and filmmaker appearances.
