Have you ever imagined what a technicolour, mediaeval, horror-comedy would look like? No? Well, this is it.
Following her cult classic, The Love Witch, Anna Biller returns with The Face of Horror. Just as visually striking as her previous film, The Face of Horror follows Eleanor (Kristine Froseth) as she marries the adulterous knight Edward Carnifex (Jonah Hauer-King). When Eleanor is struck by an illness that dims her beauty, Edward quickly finds a new woman to pine after and plans to rid himself of Eleanor...though this plan has dire consequences.
Anna Biller's films are immediately recognisable. Her visual ode to technicolour proves that movies can still look like this, even though the original technology is no longer in use. The vibrant colours, stunning costumes, and location shooting create a film that could easily be mistaken for a genuine 70s flick – I mean it took me years to find out The Love Witch released in 2016 and not 1976. And, for all the camera nerds, there's a beautiful split-diopter shot in this movie.
There are many curious characters in The Face of Horror, but Edward's character is especially interesting. He starts off the film plundering a village and killing his soon-to-be father-in-law, yet he believes himself to be a chivalrous knight. In actuality, Edward is a whiny loser with anger management issues. He is unable to see women as complete human beings, and while misogyny was a common sentiment during that time, Edward takes it a little further than most. This inability to comprehend that women are actual people inevitably leads to his downfall. Jonah Hauer-King completely sells Edward's hypocritical worldview and also delivers some great comedic moments.
The special-effects makeup in the final act is another standout aspect of the film. Though mentioning this does veer into spoiler territory, so I won't elaborate further.
Sadly, the plot doesn't live up to its potential. The idea is fun and very reminiscent of the era of film the movie is trying to reproduce, but after the first 20 minutes it becomes disappointingly predictable.
The Face of Horror is a tribute to 70s genre films that fully delivers on that promise. It's intentionally cheesy in the best way possible and just looks absolutely breathtaking. While the plot may not be as gripping as it could be, the film makes up for it in style. In a way it's style over substance, done right. The Face of Horror momentarily transports you to the technicolour worlds of The Red Shoes or Singin' in the Rain, and for that alone it deserves to be seen on the big screen.
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