Faces is the latest short film from director and writer Blake Simon. I had the opportunity to watch the film at Fantastic Fest this past week. It quickly became one of the films that I haven’t stopped thinking about. The film was a part of the Short Fuse Block program at Fantastic Fest, and you can find the synopsis below

Following the disappearance of a local girl on a dark October evening, Judy, a college student visiting for the weekend, is invited to a fraternity party. For Judy, what could have been a night of fun and drinking spirals out of control when she encounters a mysterious, deadly entity. As the night unfolds, the entity’s uncanny quest brings violent consequences to those who cross its path. 

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the short as it started. It looked like it could have gone in a ton of different paths. Faces surprised me however with the layers it had to it. You get some intriguing horror aspects to it with some teasing at body horror and also a mystery aspect. The film however at the halfway point turns into something else entirely and begins to hit some deeper notes. There’s a lot of different ways I think it can be interpreted and that’s what make a great piece of art.

Faces has some great performances as well throughout and a very riveting one from Ethan Daniel Corbett especially. It’s in the last act of the film that it truly takes a turn for me. I found myself conflicted and a bit emotional towards what I was seeing. Blake Simon crafts this beautifully through with Ethan delivering strong finale. I wasn’t aware of Blake Simon until this short who apparently has other shorts under his belt. I will definitely be checking those out and keeping an eye out for what he does next.

Overall, Faces has some solid performances throughout its entire run time. A beautifully lit and shot movie that has some great production design. It’s a textured and layered story told so well in less than 15 minutes. I was left feeling conflicting emotions towards the end and thinking about this one for a bit. All in all, that’s a testament to an artist making a poignant work of art. Faces left me wanting to explore this concept and world more and hopefully we get a chance to.

We give Faces a 5/5.