Disney Star’s New 201-Year-Old Medieval Horror Adaptation Earns Stellar Rotten Tomatoes Score

Disney’s former prince goes rogue in a new arthouse horror.

Three years ago, Jonah Hauer-King broke out as the live-action Prince Eric in Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Amid the movie’s backlash, his dashing portrayal earned praise as a deeper take on the charming royal who falls in love with Ariel. Now, Hauer-King portrays a familiar knightly role, but one that’s not so chivalrous in the new movie, The Face of Horror.

Jonah Hauer-King stares blankly at his wife in The Face of Horror

The upcoming medieval horror follows Hauer-King’s knight who falls in love with a farmer’s daughter. After his marriage proposal is rejected, he resorts to murdering the patriarch, igniting a betrayal and a vengeful ghost story. After premiering at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, The Face of Horror debuted at 70% on Rotten Tomatoes. The score is subject to change since there are only 10 reviews, but the revenge tale is Hauer-King’s fourth-highest-rated movie, slightly ahead of The Little Mermaid (67%).

Most critics praised the feminist undertones by addressing themes like patriarchy and toxic masculinity, while the colorful visuals were aesthetically pleasing to complement the medieval period. In addition to the impeccable set design and costumes, Hauser-King and Kristine Froseth’s performance also received high marks. However, some argued that The Face of Horror lacked a substantial narrative, and the slow pacing requires patience to get to the gist of the story.

Jonah Hauer-King’s 5 Highest-Rated Movies	Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Score	Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
The Threesome (2025)	79%	71%
A House of Dynamite (2025)	75%	77%
Old Boys (2018)	75%	65%
The Face of Horror (2026)	70%	N/A
The Little Mermaid (2023)	67%	93%

In ScreenRant‘s review of The Face of Horror, Josh Bate also warned about the slow pacing but admitted that the wait for the build-up was worth it since the final act “is arguably the most compelling part of the story.” Additionally, the horror is a throwback to Hammer-style filmmaking, as the “colors vibrate on screen.” The movie earned a strong 8 out of 10 stars, as Anna Biller’s pastiche pays off because “the execution of the stylization is so strong.”

The Face of Horror is based on the Japanese ghost story Yotsuya Kaidan, which was staged in 1825. Some notable Japanese adaptations include 1959’s Ghost of Yotsuya and Toho’s Illusion of Blood. However, Biller’s version shifts the story into 14th-century England. The remaining cast is Ellie Bamber, Leo Suter, Bella Heathcote, and Ben Radcliffe, while Biller also wrote and produced the Gothic horror. One of her most notable movies is The Love Witch, which earned near-universal acclaim with 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Face of Horror doesn’t have an official theatrical release date yet.