Faces

Director - Tom Ryan
Starring - Tom Ryan, Paul Gmitter (Baggage), and Edward X. Young (Burn in Hell, Bite School)
Release Date - 2014
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Sometimes all you need is a friend and a little good advice"
Format - Streaming (Online screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     It is an amazing time we live in.  We have so many exciting and original indie horror films being released or going to be released very soon.  Sadly, so many horror fans would rather flood to theaters to watch a big budget horror film with no soul and heart leaving this indie flicks to go unnoticed and unwatched.  A few days ago director Tom Ryan reached out to me to view his flick Faces.  I am always up to watch a new movie especially if I have never heard of it before.  However, work and my personal life has been a little hectic and prevented me from seeing the film until now.  I wish I would have watched this film earlier because it was a damn good film.  Thanks Tom!
     The film follows Frank Walker (Ryan).  Frank is a man with a troubled past that served some time in prison before he was heavily medicated.  However, the medication does not stop people from acknowledging his past.  He is denied a job because he was once in prison.  He returns home heartbroken and decides to stop taking his meds.  He hits the local bar where he grabs a sixer to take back to his place.  A regular at the bar follows him home and asks to share the six pack and Frank agrees.  They drink a few beers and his house guest becomes belligerent resulting in Frank becoming angry and killing him.  His guest's face becomes implanted on the wall where he starts giving him advice on how to gain friends.  Frank listens and heads out to the home of the guy that denied him a job.  He kills him where his face becomes embedded on the wall with the other.  Now, he has his very own expert to tell him how to get the job.  This leads to him getting a job.  He heads back out to the bar for a few drinks and the bartender gives him advice on how to pick up a lady.  Later that night he kills him so he can have his own personal wingman on his wall.  He helps him get the girl but he kills her when she becomes nervous as he talks to a wall with nothing on it.  This all comes together as he is about to be kicked out of his apartment for not paying his rent.  He asks his new boss for an advance on his pay but is denied.  He kills him with an axe and is caught on camera committing the act.  The police is now looking for him so he hides out in his apartment until the landlord kicks the door down resulting in the girl down the hall stepping in.  The landlord snaps her neck and Frank kills him before hitting the road.
     I'm going to be honest and admit that I thought Faces was going to suck dog ass.  The title was bland and the indie community is so tight knit right now that it is hard for a title to go unnoticed.  However, I think I have learned to not judge a film by title or poster artwork.  The acting in this film is great.  The entire cast was amazing but the breakout star is director Tom Ryan.  He is very believable in his role and showcases a range of emotions that we rarely get to see in a horror film.  This is a man that needs to be cast in more indie productions.  We also get some great acting from Horror Society favorites Bradley Creanzo and Edward X. Young. This film has a great cast that really makes the film enjoyable.  The story for this one is more of the same but with a very clever and enjoyable spin.  We have seen countless horror films where someone snaps and kills for various reasons.  However, we have never had a film where someone kills so he can add that person to his wall so he could better himself in more than one way.  The film felt like a mixture of American Psycho meets the end scene of 8 Heads in a Duffle Bag and I loved it!  This goes to show how creative the indie scene can be.  Finally, the film has several death scenes.  Sadly, these kill scenes were rather bland and most had to actual kill off screen.  However, the special effects we do get more than make up for the below par kill scenes.  Overall, Faces is a bold indie outing that shows creativity is not dead.  This film has an amazing cast, a great story, and solid special effects.  Check it out!