Dacre Montgomery Cements His Horror Legacy in ‘Faces of Death’

Spoilers afoot!

Dacre Montgomery is at his most frightening when he effortlessly switches between the socially awkward Francis and the bloodcurdling psychopath Arthur Spevak. In Daniel Goldhaber’s Faces of Death reimagining (don’t call it a remake!), Montgomery slips into the mental derangement of a serial killer and stalks, torments, and murders innocent people in the name of artistic expression. He joins the ranks of Jack Nicholson in The Shining, Michael Rooker in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, and Elijah Wood in 2012’s Maniac remake. His performance is so beautifully unhinged and raw that Arthur Spevak also feels sketched from real-life killers such as Ted Bundy and Richard Ramirez. Arthur not only wears the skin of his victims but bathes in their blood, metaphorically speaking.

We’re introduced to Arthur Spevak 12 minutes into the film. He’s wiping the steam from his bathroom mirror and pulling back his wet hair. He purses his lips and stares into his own dead eyes. His expression is both of pure adoration and chilling menace, and a slight smirk colors his mouth’s edges. He relishes his violent, heinous crimes, finding orgasmic pleasure in brutal authority. Arthur Spevak’s entrance feels reminiscent of Rooker’s soul-mangling stare in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer or Rohan Campbell’s in Halloween Ends. In each instance, the actors strike like hot iron to the core of what makes serial killers so damn frightening: it’s the men whom everyone adores and claims they “seemed so nice.”

Montgomery’s performance is particularly special. As the film guides us into his hypnotically sinister world, we get a front-row seat to the loose wiring and damaged hardware that make up his mind. We don’t get explicit explanations for his motivations, but there are subtle clues, such as his hunger for constant validation, fed through his disturbing video uploads. His alter ego, Francis B. Gröss, a direct reference to the original Faces of Death, permits him to dress himself up as the friendly, guy-next-door type. He seems innocent enough, but he methodically calculates the perfect time to let the facade slip and for Arthur Spevak to emerge. His crimes consist of recreating many of the most memorable scenes from the 1978 film (e.g., the monkey bashing and the firing squad), but he takes significant creative liberties through the setup and execution. Murderous impulses are best served when you mix things up a bit, or so he believes.

When Margot Romero (Barbie Ferreira), a content moderator at a popular video site called KINO, finds herself desperately searching for a serial killer, Arthur Spevak tracks her down to her apartment. Her roommate Ryan (Aaron Holliday) comes into his crosshairs and meets a grisly end (Ryan didn’t deserve such a tragic masochistic display…). Arthur later uses Ryan’s severed limbs, torso, and head for a viral stream, as he pours acid over the body parts and looks on through red eyes and a cold white mask. The internet eats it up. Particularly in the age of AI, it’s difficult to discern what’s real and what’s a sick fantasy. The likes and views fuel Arthur Spevak’s twisted delight. He craves the attention, and the more people watch, the more his sadism grows.

Dacre Montgomery consumes the role. There are moments when it all feels too real, too visceral, and too penetrating. In the finale, Margot returns to his home to kill him and save influencer Samantha (Josie Totah) and another victim from becoming just another statistic. But she’s far too late. The big reveal (of Samantha’s and the other prisoner’s heads being stapled to mannequin bodies) nearly knocked me over. The smug look on Arthur Spevak’s face is enough to make you visibly nauseous. It’s absolutely sickening (complementary) and a pretty wicked image now forever seared onto my brain. As Margot turns the tables, she makes an exhibit of Arthur Spevak’s suffering—flipping on his camera and live-streaming his death for his adoring fans. Her boss wouldn’t listen to her. The cops wouldn’t listen to her. But maybe the internet might. Maybe.

Through Dacre Montgomery’s life-shattering portrayal, it’s as though the audience has become Arthur Spevak’s newest victim, and all we can do is fall to our knees and beg for mercy. Faces of Death may not get the credit it deserves right now, but it has “cult classic” written all over it. I know how this’ll go. The film will largely be overlooked by general horror audiences, but make no mistake: Dacre Montgomery gives a performance for the ages. We’re just lucky enough to witness it in real time.

Faces of Death is out now on VOD.