The White Faced Man

Director - Luke Ramer (Under the Rainbow)
Starring - Gerald Prince (Beaster Day: Here Comes Peter Cottonhell), Norman Provost, and Jacinth Suthphin (Diary of a Badman)
Release Date - 2014
Genre - Horror/Fantasy
Tagline - "Destiny is death"
Format - Streaming (Online screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Horror is a truly amazing genre that can stand on its own or be meshed with another genre to create something fun and unique.  Horror often collides with sci-fi and comedies but rarely ventures into other genres but it does happen.  Hell, we even have romantic horror flicks so the versatility is obviously there.  However, very few filmmakers step out the comfort zone to deliver an entertaining film that offers up a little something out of the ordinary.  A few weeks ago I came across a post for Luke Ramer's Under the Rainbow.  The film looked fun but it also looked different. I reached out to Luke about reviewing the film where he informed me that he had also directed a short titled The White Faced Man.  The title intrigued me so I agreed to review it and I'm glad I did.  Thanks Luke for hooking me up with the review link!

     The film follows a married hit man that learns that his wife is pregnant and agrees to leave the life of crime behind in hopes of living the perfect life with his new family.  He tells his employer that he is leaving the game and the news does not sit well with him.  The man falls asleep and is sent into a dream world where his wife and unborn child is murdered due to his choice to leave organized crime behind.  He leaves his home and immediately runs into a junkie with a nosebleed who is trying to warn him about a psycho with a white face wielding a scythe.  He flees with the young girl where they are soon attacked by the white faced man and she is killed.  He is able to run away but he soon follows and they fight again where the hit man is able to get an upper hand and kill him.  After his death Satan appears and tells him how his wife was murdered and by who and asks him to be his new grim reaper.  

     Very few films try to venture into the fantasy style of cinema and even less than that is able to pull it off with the horror intact.  Lucky for us, the short The White Faced Man is able to dabble in the world of fantasy while keeping a small amount of horror.  The acting in this one is indie good but does show a lot of room for improvement.  Every cast member really gives it their all and work well with each other but some scenes are a little rough to watch due to volume control and other small things that they will learn with time.  With that being said, they all show a tremendous amount of talent so I am sure I will see them in more films in the future.  The story for this one is unique in the way that is takes a small horror element (being stalked by something sinister with a sharp object) and tosses it in a situation we would usually consider to be a fantasy film's plot device.  This worked very well together and offered the horror fan something a little different from the typical slash and hack horror flick.  The film also has a twist ending but if you have any sort of imagination you will see it coming.  Finally, the film does have a death scene or two but they lack on originality and the gore we would like to see.  When the baddie is wielding a scythe the viewer expects to see some blood and gore.  The effects for the few kills we do get are very minimal but they do work very well.  Overall, The White Faced Man is a very unique film that offers up the entertainment.  If you are looking for blood and boobs then you are barking up the wrong tree.  However, if you want a film with a strong story that goes against the norm then this one is for you!