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Horror is a genre that runs the risk of overexplaining and losing the fear factor of it. In turn, that makes it an ideal genre to explore in short films. And FACES is a remarkably effective short horror film. It follows a group of college students set upon by a dangerous Entity at a frat party.
FACES is written and directed by Blake Simon. Simon has created a few other short films such as Goldilocks and Velvet. More recently, he served as a producer on Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. FACES stars Cailyn Rice as Judy, Ethan Daniel Corbett as Brad, Emily Gateway as Bridget, Hanna Eisenbath as Margaret, Natalie De Vincentis as Samantha and Olivia Lee as Jess.
Identity
At its core, FACES is all about exploring identity and whether or not we can actually become whole or fulfilled. The Entity takes up the forms of three different people throughout the film. This very much mirrors the way individuals reflect the people around them in order to better fit in. Or how people will occasionally steal aspects from their favorite characters in movies and television shows, assuming those personalities. The Entity also seems like a reflection of the current era where everyone is so connected through social media, yet no one really knows anyone. People show glimmers and hints of who they are through posts and videos, but that presentation is often a facade of what people actually are: lonely and scared.
The Entity is truly a creature that is alone. There’s no real indication of what it actually is. There are hints of course, it’s seemingly more feminine presenting, it enjoys to dance, and the thrill of the hunt. However, beyond that, The Entity is unknowable. Perhaps, it is because it doesn’t take the time to know itself or actually take the time to know others. It merely takes what it thinks will be appealing, without actually examining why.
It’s also possible to extrapolate that beyond just “identity” in general, The Entity is a representation of gender fluidity. It expresses itself in both male- and female-coded ways. The Entity’s unhappiness could come from living in a world where this fluidity between genders is not accepted at large. Additionally, this anger and sadness could stem from the Entity being unwilling to accept itself. Or maybe the creature isn’t fluid at all. After all, college is a natural time for one to begin questioning their identity. And that questioning and reckoning with one’s self can be violent and difficult much like The Entity.
FACES Performances
Despite its short runtime, FACES makes a big impact with its cast. The smaller roles played by Emily Gateley, Hanna Eisenbath, Natalie De Vincentiis, and Olivia Lee don’t get much to do. Yet, they do all nail their parts in making this an unnerving experience. Particularly, Gateley is the first look we get at The Entity. She makes a strong first impression in this role and sets the tone easily.
The real star is Cailyn Rice as Judy. Rice portrays Judy’s innocence and naivety convincingly, and then very quickly transitions to The Entity through uncertainty but also its unusualness. She does a fantastic job of embodying the Entity’s physicality. Acting like a predator on the prowl, Rice moves quickly and with purpose through crowds at a party. During the film’s unsettling climax, she really uses that physicality to create a sense of dread, confusion, and overall, unease.
Of course, no horror film is complete without its victim. In a somewhat non-standard approach, the target of The Entity is a man, Brad (Corbett). The actor is extremely believable as frat boy Brad. Even before he speaks, he just has the look nailed down. He’s instantly unlikeable and you want to see The Entity kill him. Eventually, The Entity takes on Brad’s form. Once that happens Corbett transforms similarly to Rice. However, this time we see a lot more vulnerability from The Entity. Corbett creates this sympathy for The Entity with such ease and so quickly. It changes the entire perception of it. The film’s final sequence with Corbett as The Entity is very arresting and oddly beautiful in the way that only horror can be.
Major props to Gateway, Rice, and Corbett as they all give The Entity a unique flavor but still maintain a sense of continuity making it easy to believe it’s the same creature.
Behind the Scenes of FACES
While there is a tremendous amount of talent on screen, FACES has a great deal of talent behind the camera as well. Music composer Daniel Ciurrlizza’s score sets the tone of the piece and keeps things unsettling the whole time. Director of Photography Andrew Fronczak’s camera work is very striking and crisp. Every frame has something interesting going on. Lastly, as the director, Simon welds all the elements together to create a truly cohesive and unnerving atmosphere.
Conclusion
Anchored by two great lead performances along with a wealth of behind-the-scenes talent, FACES demonstrates a great understanding of horror and its tropes. Simon uses these conventional genre tropes very effectively while also subverting some. This short film successfully keeps viewers on the edge of their seats the whole time. Simon is a name that genre fans should be paying attention to. FACES is one of the better horror films this year and will leave you wanting more.
Score: 4/5 stars
FACES made its U.S. premiere earlier this week as part of the Short Fuse block at Fantastic Fest 2024. You can also read our interview with director-write Simon Blake here!
Be sure to check back with The Cinema Spot for the rest of our Fantastic Fest coverage and for more horror and short film reviews! And check out our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd!
This article was edited by John Tangalin.