The Faceless Man Stalks into Your Homes in this Latest Gory Ozploitation Flick

Full disclosure: My first impression was that this was a Slender Man gimmick; it is not.

The Faceless Man is an unassuming, rather crafty-yet-cheeky Ozploitation film that initially begins masquerading as a character-focused expository drama. The main chick, Emily, is a cancer survivor, as we are treated to a rather dramatic scene of escalating family outpouring in the beginning of the story, however, this is merely one of many throughlines running in this frenetic romp. The Faceless Man is a horrifying creature that periodically plagues our heroine throughout the film. There are times when you think you have it figured out - have it pegged as to just what the Faceless Man represents, then some little narrative twist occurs, and you are left guessing once more.

While being occasionally haunted by the Faceless Man, fearing a return of her cancer, Emily goes on a weekend getaway with five of her friends to a country home in order to party. From that point on, it is a smorgasbord, a "toss the kitchen sink at it" mentality, as we are then given crazy town denizens, murderous Russian henchmen, as well as the Faceless Man who also shows from time to time. There are humorous and gory nods to certain films, and I can certainly tell that the filmmaker loves Tarantino movies. The gore is mostly practical, lots of it, with light touches of CGI to help smooth some of the edges. 

The Faceless Man is menacing as hell when he shows up.

Sometimes horror, sometimes wacky, and sometimes downright gory, once you understand that this is an Aussie flick, it becomes more digestible. Having a style and competency in film all their own, not to mention inimitable styles of both humor and horror beats, Aussie films are testament to the adage "you never know what you are in for". This film embodies that statement, and while I am not here to criticize, I do feel it imperative to relay that information to anyone reading this before they delve into the film. Had I known this was an Ozploitation flick, perhaps the different styles introduced into the story would not have been so jarring (?) poor word choice, but I do not want to imply that is was bad, or poorly-made, just different; once again, it is the flourish of the Land Down Under, a flourish in which only someone from such a place can achieve.

Grounded, gory, and even funny at times, I was never bored, and the creature fx were awesome. Give The Faceless Man a try, and with so much happening in the film, you are certain to find something to enjoy. The Faceless Man is available right now on VoD; here is a link to Amazon where you can rent it.

Written and Directed By: James Di Martino

Starring:

Sophie Thurling, Lucas Pittaway, and Andy McPhee

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