Faceless (1988 film)

Lore & Background

The plot follows Dr. Frank Flamand, who, after a botched acid attack disfigures his sister Ingrid, kidnaps young women to use their skin and body parts for plastic surgery. His assistant Nathalie abducts American model Barbara Hallen, whose father hires private detective Sam Morgan to find her. The film features a chainsaw decapitation and a face-grafting operation, with Morgan eventually trapped in a cell with Barbara as the villains flee France.

Reader's Guide

Faceless is notable as Jesús Franco's return to a larger budget and international cast after nearly 20 years. It was produced by René Château, a key figure in French home video who had released previously banned films like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The film received lukewarm reviews from French genre magazine Mad Movies and a negative one from Variety, which called it a 'routine gore-and-softcore shocker.' Later critics, such as Jay Slater of Rue Morgue, deemed it one of Franco's most 'effective' and 'technically competent efforts.' The film was released uncut on DVD in 2004 and on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD in 2022.

Did You Know?

• The film's narrative is very similar to Franco's 1962 film The Awful Dr. Orloff, which he remade several times.
• Special effects manager Jacques Gastineau noted it was a rare opportunity to create such effects in France.
• The film was shot between December 1987 and January 1988 in Paris.
• It was released in France on June 22, 1988, and had 66,214 attendants over nine weeks in Paris.