Anna Biller brings medieval ghost revenge to TIFF Midnight Madness
A vengeful ghost climbs from her grave in 14th-century England to hunt her husband in The Face of Horror, the gothic horror-romance from writer-director Anna Biller that screened in Toronto's Midnight Madness strand, according to Deadline. The story adapts Yotsuya Kaidan, a famous Japanese Kabuki ghost tale, and resets it in the medieval era. It is Biller's follow-up to The Love Witch, arriving ten years after that film, according to TIFF.
Eleanor is the woman who returns. Kristine Frøseth plays Eleanor, who rises from her grave to seek revenge on her husband, according to Deadline. Jonah Hauer-King plays that husband, knight Edward. Ellie Bamber plays Eleanor's sister Beatrice, and Bella Heathcote plays noblewoman Isabel. The four lead the cast in a story set in 14th-century England.
Hauer-King has described Edward as a villainous, horrible knight with no redeeming qualities whatsoever, according to Deadline. Ben Radcliffe also joined the cast, according to Deadline. The running time is two hours.
The film held its World Premiere, its first public screening, in Midnight Madness. That is TIFF's late-night programme for horror, action and genre titles. The 2026 Toronto International Film Festival runs 10-20 September. TIFF listed The Face of Horror for Fri 11 at 11:59 PM.
On the business side, Embankment Films is the sales agent. That is the company that sells cinema distribution rights territory by territory. Festival premieres in slots such as Midnight Madness often double as shop windows for buyers.
The team behind the film said it explores female rage and plays as a gory tribute to classic Technicolor horror films, the vivid colour pictures of the 1940s and 1950s, according to Deadline. Biller discussed the project in an exclusive interview with Variety published on 10 September 2026, according to Variety.
For fans, this means the next step is distribution. A premiere does not yet fix a cinema release date. Sales talks decide which companies buy the film and when audiences elsewhere will see it.
