The Horrors of Being a Content Moderator Fuel the New Faces of Death

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I’ve always loved horror movies, but I get frustrated when characters make unbelievably dumb decisions when they’re in danger. I know it’s a common trope – right up there with masked killers and broken light switches – but it’s not just bad reactions to fear that bother me. It’s when a character’s actions feel forced by the plot, reminding you they’re just there to move the story forward. That’s why I found the choices Margot makes in Faces of Death so compelling. Margot works for a social media company called Kino and lives in New Orleans. She’s still recovering from a difficult time – she’s grieving her sister and overcoming substance abuse – and she’s also known online for being in a viral video. She’s a bit of a mess, which makes her dedication to her draining job as a content moderator surprisingly touching, and her eventual descent into obsession feel very real.

The new film Faces of Death isn’t a remake of the controversial 1978 shockumentary, which pretended to be a collection of real-life tragedies (despite using a lot of fake footage). Instead, this surprisingly enjoyable horror movie – the third from directors Daniel Goldhaber and Isa Mazzei, known for Cam and How to Blow Up a Pipeline – is a smart and unsettling update of the original’s core idea. It explores not just the line between what’s real and fake, but also our fascination with gore and the strange pride some people take in not being shocked by it. Nowadays, you don’t need to sneak around to find violent videos – the internet readily provides everything from documented atrocities to live-streamed shootings, almost as if the goal is to make us numb to suffering. Being online means constantly dodging disturbing images, a task that’s nearly impossible for someone like Margot, whose job involves sifting through endless streams of shocking content.

Content moderators are increasingly becoming symbols of a troubling modern reality, often working as isolated, precarious gig workers. The show cleverly illustrates how this impacts Margot, who spends her days reviewing flagged videos – everything from harmless slips to disturbing content – to determine what needs to be removed from the Kino video platform. Despite telling her boyfriend, Ryan, that she’s ‘making a real difference,’ it’s clear she’s simply there to allow Kino to appear as though it’s taking responsibility. A recurring, and insightful, joke is Margot flagging instructional videos on safe sex and overdose prevention. However, she’s truly disturbed by videos depicting graphic executions – seemingly real, but she eventually discovers they are recreations from the original Faces of Death film, and she can’t confirm their authenticity. Her boss, Josh, who helped her get the job, advises her to avoid trouble and ‘give the people what they want.’ But Margot desperately wishes people would stop treating horrific events as entertainment.

Actress Sydney Sweeney, known for her work after Euphoria, delivers a compelling performance as Margot, a woman convinced a serial killer is hiding in plain sight through online videos. She desperately tries to prove the videos are real, reacting with shock and disbelief as she watches them. The filmmakers avoid simply condemning internet culture, instead portraying the conflict as a showdown between two people whose perspectives have been distorted by their online lives. The killer, Arthur, seeks validation through likes and creates a disturbing scene reminiscent of influencer homes. However, the film truly centers on Margot, who is haunted by the violence she witnesses online and naively believes she can convince others to care and stop watching. She prioritizes proving the videos’ authenticity over the victims’ safety—even when a potential victim tells her, “I am the evidence,” Margot remains focused on gathering proof for the world to see.

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2026-04-10 21:56