Faces (2014)

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

going to see friends at a horror convention, came to a table where friends were talking and looking at the films that were on the table, i picked up Faces and the gentleman behind the table explained the film to me ....seeing that a few friends of mine were actually in the film. i was intrigued. So i bought my copy and then it went to everyone and got signed ... went home and watched it... TOTALLY enjoyed the film...

This is an awesome flick! I highly recommend it! Props to Tom Ryan and all who were involved! The camera work was great, the creepy music was awesome, and the performances were top of the line. I especially liked seeing Joe Parascand who I'm familiar with from his work from Ryan Scott Weber's films.

"Faces" takes a dark, emotional journey into the personal life of a serial killer with intense, dramatic story telling. Ryan frames a his horror story with a heartfelt approach that creates a personal connection to his protagonist/antagonist Frank Walker. The acting is above par for low budget indie cinema which allows for the story to captivate the audience. The characters are believable, well developed and intensely animated. The lead character/serial killer is both relatable and terrifying. The special effects used in "Faces" is more classic, practical effects which make the scenes believable. The angles, camera shifts create a suggestive horror that I found more invoking than straight on gore-effect splatter. Although there are definite moments of splatter fest present in "Faces". The blood and gore is crafted to be convincing, and they work. The creature effect/make-up used in the more dark humor elements of the film are a nice balance against the more intense, serious horror that "Faces" gives us. The soundtrack and music score help to create a chilling atmosphere reminiscent of classic spaghetti thrillers of the late 70's and early 80's. The sounds combine with the character driven story to create a deeply emotive nightmare both entertaining, and thrilling. Overall "Faces" is a nice, well written and directed indie horror film worthy of watching. It is an impressive attempt by Tom Ryan to bring a more personable vision of the dark companion of humanity, the psychopath/serial killer, to the screen.

Frank Walker is on the edge. He hasn't had a job in a long time. He's behind on his rent, and he is starved for female attention. He spends his nights alone in his shabby apartment, or getting drunk (and failing with women) at a local bar. When Charlie, a fellow drunk, follows him home one night to share a few beers, and starts badgering Frank about his life and his behavior, anything, anything at all is bound to happen....This is the setup for "Faces", the latest indie horror/thriller from writer/director/star Tom Ryan, and Theatre of Terror productions. As we follow the events of Frank's life over the course of a few days, we see a desperate man, spiraling out of control, but trying to keep some semblance of order, with the help of some new "friends" who come into his life. Who these people are, I will not say. You will have to see for yourself, but it all builds to a startling climax.In 2009, New Jersey native Tom Ryan unleashed "Day 9" on the world, which was a decent, low-budget zombie short film, with a surprisingly powerful ending. With "Faces", Ryan has taken his game to a completely different level. The Horror Nerd has seen a lot of indie films, with all kinds of budgets. Some are good, many are bad, but with a budget of around only $1,000, "Faces" is one of the best.The writing is tight and efficient, and there are very few "throwaway" lines or scenes. Sometimes, what happens in a low budget indie film is that everything suffers because of the lack of funds. I'm OK with minimal effects due to budget limitations, but you can still have a good script and good direction and thankfully, "Faces" has both.I need to make special mention of the acting performances that Tom was able to pull out of his cast. Indie horror veterans such as Edward X Young, Deana Demko, Joe Parascand and Bradley Creanzo all play their roles to perfection. Relative newcomers Paul Gmitter, Tom Schorr and Caroline Pozycki also turn in excellent performances, and I hope to see more of them in the very near future. The rest of the cast does a great job as well.In closing, "Faces" is one of the best indie films I have seen this year, and the crowd which attended the world premiere at the historic Landmark Lowes Theater in Jersey City, NJ shared the same opinion. When I spoke to several of the attendees, many of them filmmakers themselves, every single person had good things to say about the film.This is one indie horror film you NEED to check out!