This review contains spoilers.

If you have spent a significant amount of time at the movie theater the past few years, you most likely noticed the inordinate number of remakes, sequels and spinoffs being advertised. Remake fatigue is real, and I can confidently say that I’ve been experiencing it. 

Setting all of my personal biases aside, I made the decision to see director Daniel Goldhaber’s remake of the 1978 film “Faces of Death.” Surprisingly, “Faces of Death” is a masterclass in how to do a remake right, and one of the best films of the year so far. 

Released on April 10, the movie follows Margot (Barbie Ferreira), a content moderator for the social media platform Kino, a TikTok equivalent. While working, Margot encounters a series of videos that blur the lines between reality and fiction.

The videos are recreations of the deaths in the original “Faces of Death.” Margot soon realizes the authenticity of these videos, and when her pleas fall on deaf ears, Margot realizes she must stop the copycat killer herself before the situation gets out of hand. 

What’s particularly meta about this remake is that it is not a carbon copy of its predecessor. It seamlessly incorporates its inspiration into a wider plot, which has been substantially adjusted to modern-day audiences. 

The film overall comments on the dire lengths people are willing to go to for the sake of fame. “Faces of Death” argues that society equates self-value with algorithmic appeal and online buzz. The film’s antagonist, Arthur (Dacre Montgomery), is driven by clicks. As the person behind the “Faces of Death”-inspired Kino videos, the film links Arthur’s gratification and self-confidence with the audience engagement his account receives. 

While most aren’t willing to risk as much as Arthur for the sake of internet fame, the underlying message is still clear. The modern world is driven by monetary and personal gain, and in order to stay relevant, one must keep up with the trends. 

When Margot attempts to convince her boss the videos are real, he brushes her off. His reasoning? Gory horror is what is popular with audiences at the moment, and what’s popular with audiences is the best for business. Seeing how relevant the film’s messages were gave it a particularly powerful punch, further supplemented by the stellar actor performances.

I had been introduced to both Ferreira and Montgomery through their characters in streaming service originals. Needless to say, both “Euphoria” and “Stranger Things” were holding the two back from their full acting potential. 

Ferreira embodies a woman haunted by her past and the weight of knowing the truth despite no one else believing her. Part of Margot’s vested interest in curbing the spread of the graphic videos on Kino is because of a personal incident. 

When filming a Kino video on the train tracks with her younger sister, her sister fell backward and was killed by the oncoming train. This backstory gave Margot’s character an extra layer of nuance that separated her from the others. Unlike other characters motivated by greed, Margot is motivated by grief, and Ferreira conveys that perfectly.  

While Ferreria’s performance was exceptional, Montgomery’s was one of the best I’ve seen from an antagonist in recent memory. Arthur makes Montgomery’s “Stranger Things” villainous character Billy look like mincemeat. After getting his first taste of fame, Arthur becomes completely consumed by it. Montgomery portrayed a rapid decline into chaos, truly stoking fear in me every time he was on screen. 

I could not be happier for both Ferreira and Montgomery for breaking free from the shackles of streaming service television and moving on to more substantial projects. After seeing their performances in this film, I hope to see them everywhere. 

Reluctance about remakes is still appropriate. However, “Faces of Death” is the one-in-a-million remake done right. It complements — not copies — its predecessor, breathing new life into a film released nearly 50 years ago. If more remakes follow this formula, my remake fatigue just might end.

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