Jenna Kanell Stars In New Thriller Faceless After Dark

Apr 11, 2024

The Terrifier star produced, co-wrote, and leads this new film that will provide a look at the horror industry and toxic fandom.

Faceless After Dark recently held it's world premiere at FrightFest in London on August 25. It's a new film starring Jenna Kanell (Renfield, WandaVision), who also produced the movie and co-wrote the script alongside Todd Jacobs (Dead by Midnight (Y2Kill)). Faceless After Dark was directed by Raymond Wood (Jenna Misconstrues Everything, 1st Summoning) and whose premise promises a very meta look at the horror genre and it's fan base.

Here's the synopsis of the plot, courtesy of Film Freeway:

"Following her breakout success in a killer clown horror flick, Bowie finds herself held hostage by an unhinged fan determined to recreate the film’s fatal plot."

Well, that sounds extremely familiar. For those of you who don't know, Kanell first burst into the horror scene in Terrifier as Tara Heyes, a young woman dressed as a skeleton who spends almost all of her screen time being terrorized by Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton). In an interview with Halloween Daily News, Kanell opened up about the ways that Faceless After Dark parallels her own life, admitting that it is semi-autobiographical.

“After over a decade in the business, many aspects of the script – the stalking, the non-consensual use of my likeness for profit, expectations of compliance in dangerous or inappropriate circumstances – were plucked right out of reality.”

RELATED: Original Terrifier Set for Theatrical Re-Release This Summer

Kanell's Terrifier co-star Catherine Corcoran will also appear in Faceless After Dark. Alongside Danny Kang (Insatiable), Danielle Lyn (Creepshow), Michael Aaron Milligan (Black Bird), Katherine Barnes (Queer as Folk), and Jason MacDonald (The Man From Toronto).

“[A] sophisticated, self-reflexive work […] the fulfillment of a dark, unhinged fantasy,” said Anton Bitel, Projected Figures.

Wood has also provided a director's statement it "masquerades as a run-of-the-mill home invasion thriller before abruptly switching gears." Then it turns into this "grisly, vitriolic feminist revenge-fantasy" not unlike Emerald Fennell's Promising Young Woman, only more sadistic. Along with more of a girl-punk/queercore flavor, featuring a soundtrack consisting of music from bands like Destroy Boys, Nihilist Cheerleader, and Taco Mouth.

"At its heart, it’s a thinly-veiled exposé on how the anonymity of the internet empowers ill-intentioned, abusive people with the ability to show their true colors without having to face the consequences of their actions or the people whose lives they negatively affect. But it’s also a LOT of other things…" said Wood.

Though it's too late to catch the film at FrightFright, anyone interested still has a couple opportunities coming up to see Faceless After Dark. It's next scheduled to play at Grimmfest in Manchester, England. Those who live across the pond will also have a chance to see it at the New York City Horror Film Festival, which is surprisingly taking place in New York City.

Cameron Bolton is a reporter and critic whose favorite genre is horror. He believes in liking what you like while accepting that others don't have to like the same things. Despite his best efforts, Cameron still struggles with that second part. In addition to his work with MovieWeb, you can read more of Cameron's writing at Streetsblog Chicago and Let's Cee a Movie, a blog he runs in his free time.