Re-Review of SMILE
By: Kevin Hoskinson
There are some horror movies that are
“fun” to watch. Movies like Scream, Halloween and
Insidious come to mind. Then there are those that deal with very
serious and relevant issues while also delivering the scares. Smile
falls into the latter category. It’s a story about an unseen
force that destroys anybody that it comes in contact with. It doesn’t
do it quickly, it devours slowly from the inside out, causing its
victims to go mad and eventually forces them to end their own lives.
And it’s all done with one of the most unnerving smiles you
will ever see.
The movie stars Sosie Bacon as Dr. Rose
Cotter, a therapist who works at a psychiatric ward. One day she
meets with Laura Weaver, a troubled young woman who claims an evil
force is stalking her with a vicious smile. Things take a dark turn
when Laura takes her own life while Rose helplessly watches and calls
for help. It doesn’t take long before the good doctor starts
seeing what Laura was so afraid of and her descent into madness
begins.
Smile is an unexpected combination of
The Ring and It Follows. After seeing the unholy smile the victim has
4-7 days to live, and if you witness a victim commit suicide the
curse passes on to you. It’s a concept that feels very familiar
(and it is formulaic at times) but that doesn’t deter from the
pure terror at the heart of it. As mentioned earlier, the movie
doesn’t shy away from dark and very real subject matter, but
that is what makes it terrifying. Mental health works like the demon
in this story, with depression and dark thoughts entering the lives
of its subjects almost at random. It’s a scary thing but is
unfortunately a curse of being a human being.
The cast is all at the top of their
game here. There are a lot of people to mention, but Bacon and Kyle
Gallner are absolute standouts. Gallner plays Joel, a detective and
ex-flame of Dr. cotter. The two share wonderful chemistry together
and you feel the appreciation they have for each other. Being a
longtime Veronica Mars fan it’s exciting to see the evolution
of Gallner’s career. Rounding out the rest of the cast is Kal
Penn, Jessie T. Usher, Caitlin Stasey and an unnerving performance
from Rob Morgan.
In his feature debut, director Parker
Finn adapts one of his own short films. It’s a confident first
feature and he’s a talent to keep an eye on. The movie is
seeped in atmosphere and keeps you on edge until the very end, with
terror seemingly around every corner. It’s captivating, smart
and well executed. It’s an easy recommendation for fans of
horror and give it three and a half stars! Smile is now streaming on Paramount+.
