Smile (V) (2022) User Reviews

Worst. Therapist. Ever.

[Victor_Fallon · 7/10 · 3 November 2022]

Sosie Bacon plays an incompetent therapist who mutters platitudes and stands about doing precisely nothing while bad things happen to her patients.

After demonstrating her inability to administer basic first aid to anyone within a fifty mile radius, she catches a case of the spooks. The spooks then follow her around being all creepy and not doing much, perhaps as an ironic form of mockery. None of the characters, supernatural or otherwise, seem to be any good at their jobs.

This is dimwitted nonsense, but it's excellently produced. Decent acting, good cinematography, tight editing and engaging direction. It's a good time, despite the braindead characters, copy-paste writing, appalling dialogue and endless cliches. It's an amusing and occassionally effective pulpy jumpy horror - a highly polished turd that is so shiny you stop noticing the smell.

Worth a watch, once, just for fun.

Not that bad at all

[fiend-93825 · 7/10 · 30 December 2022]

One of very few horror movies that managed to surprise me this year. When the trailer came out, I thought it was gonna be another dumb, incompetent mess.

I was proved wrong.

From the very start, everything from the directing, performances to the cinematography and sound design were absolute stunning. How a low budget managed this feat was beyond me but the film was simply mesmerizing to look at.

The horror was quite effective with jumpscares and dreadful moments, albeit some cheap ones but not that distracting. They were able to build up the tension so well and never intended to tone it down right till the very end. The plot was simple enough to interlink all relevant characters to make me care about them, although some could complain 90% of the characters were just filler and I might agree with that. However, the protagonist was good enough to carry the whole show.

One thing that may not sit well with a lot of audience was the use of mental illness. Smile handled it decently but don't expect Oscar worthy exposition. And no, it wasn't exactly the main theme so try not to quit halfway through because there would be surprises by the last act of the film.

Give it a go. I'd say it was well worth the time for horror fans like myself. This was not just some Annabelle or Insidious sequels but something more.

Smile Through Your Fear & Sorrow

[reelreviewsandrecommendations · 7/10 · 19 November 2023]

Rose Cotter is a therapist in an emergency psychiatric ward. One day, Laura, a young student, is brought in for observation. After witnessing the brutal suicide of her professor, she seems to be suffering from extreme post-traumatic stress disorder. As Rose talks to Laura, the girl gets increasingly frightened, claiming an unseen entity is about to kill her. Suddenly, she becomes calm, smiling unnaturally, before slitting her own throat. Afterwards, bizarre events convince Rose that the entity is now stalking her; and that she is its next victim.

An unnerving horror, Parker Finn's 'Smile' is a creepy examination of the lingering effects of trauma. Finn's narrative contends that trauma effects every aspect of one's life, and can be passed onto others through one's actions. Although comparisons to David Robert Mitchell's 'It Follows' are inevitable, Parker's handling of the film's thesis feels fresh and innovative. Traumatic effects- such as hallucinations, paranoia and guilt- are interwoven cleverly into Finn's narrative, adding to the psychological horror therein.

The film is suspenseful, having a heady atmosphere of dread throughout. Although the ending is underwhelming, the journey there is an engaging, sinister one. Finn makes excellent use of jump-scares- which often feel like a cheap way to make viewers jolt. They don't here, as they intensify the paranoid state Rose is in. His characterisation is strong, as is his dialogue, and we believe and sympathise with Rose; even if we're unsure whether or not we can trust her version of reality. Culturally relevant and unsettling, Finn's film makes for a wild and devilish ride.

For a horror to be successful, good sound design is necessary; Finn's sound department have created an immersive and disquieting environment of terror. Cristobal Tapia de Veer's score adds to the discomforting atmosphere, becoming chaotically dissonant as Rose descends further into paranoid fear. Reminiscent at times of Dario Argento and Goblin's score for 'Suspiria,' Tapia de Veer's work enhances the film's impact immensely.

Similarly, Charlie Sarroff's unconventional cinematography heightens the picture's uneasy ambiance. Distinct and creative, his utilisation of low angles, handheld shots and zooms fosters a sense of unpredictable instability. Under Finn's direction, his implementation of lighting creates contrast and mood, while his composition of images also adds to the film's horror. He uses symmetry, asymmetry and negative space to create imbalance, tension and emptiness; depending on the needs of the scene. Striking and memorable, Sarroff's work is captivatingly disturbing.

Furthermore, Lester Cohen's minimalist production design creates a stark, cold world for Rose to navigate. Cohen uses simple, sparse sets and props to create a sense of realism, emptiness and isolation. Moreover, Alexis Forte's costume design adds to the film's horror, as her use of colours, fabrics and differing styles creates contrast, character and symbolism. Additionally, the picture is well edited by Elliot Greenberg, whose work gives 'Smile' a rapid, tense pace that vastly intensifies proceedings.

Sosie Bacon stars as Rose, delivering an impassioned, nuanced performance, acutely showing Rose's psychological disintegration. Feverish and powerful, Bacon's work is not to be forgotten. Alongside her, Kyle Gallner plays Jake, a cop who is Rose's ex-boyfriend, and the only one who believes her story. A steady presence throughout, Gallner does fine work in a role lesser actors would have overplayed. Robin Weigert and Gillian Zinser- as Rose's psychiatrist and sister, respectively- both impress with their range and ability, while Caitlin Stasey is terrific in the all too small role of Laura; portraying her immense fear astutely.

An entertaining, tense horror about the devastating effects of trauma, Parker Finn's directorial debut 'Smile' lingers in the mind long after the credits have rolled. Boasting an engaging narrative dealing maturely with its themes, an atmospheric score and striking production design, it is a riveting watch. Although the ending is anticlimactic, the compelling performances from the cast- especially Sosie Bacon- keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. Creepily captivating, this film will surely not leave you with a frown.

It's been a long time since I saw a horror movie this good.

[groundzero-273-397110 · 9/10 · 1 April 2023]

This movie had me scared and on edge from start to finish. It's been a long time since I saw a horror movie this good.

The story is a bit cliche at some points, but it is well written and well made most of the time. The acting is great as well, which is not always a common thing when it comes to horror movies. It is very well directed and the atmosphere is really eerie.

The first girl to die in the movie probably had the most unpleasent smile I have seen in maybe my whole life. Especially when the therapist started seeing her in the darkness as an hallucination. That really gave me the chills. Then there were some smiles that was not very scary, like the patient Carl. The pacing of the movie was excellent. It got more and more creepy as the story progressed. The ending really etched into my brain, and I actually thought I was gonna have nightmares that night, which does not happen to me very often. The day after I saw this movie, a car passed me by, and the old man driving looked at me and smiled... The only thing I could think about was this movie.

This was Parker Finn's first feature film. I really hope he makes more films like this one. A good start on his writing/directing career. Well done!

It Swallows...

[Xstal · 7/10 · 3 November 2022]

You never know when it's your turn, to watch another being squirm, as they shuffle off their coil, passing on to you turmoil, which will overwhelm and steal, all your passion and your zeal, just no way to grin and bear it, there's no escape, until you wear it.

A reasonably original take on a very generic horror theme with an often used metaphor, but the performance from Sosie Bacon is noteworthy and convincing, as is the escalation, with one or two genuine jump scare moments ratcheting up the tension and keeping you engaged enough to hope for more. The special effects are fine and the potential for parts 2, 3 and more in the near future left beaming right back at you as the titles role.

If you don't think about it.

[scottkolflat · 3/10 · 3 October 2022]

If you don't think about the plot holes and how normal people would behave, then this movie is pretty good. The problem is that I have a brain and I use it, so I didn't like this movie. This is one of those movies where in order for the movie to move forward, everyone has to behave in a way that would never actually happen. Trained psychologists have to be oblivious to the obvious. Cops need to be totally incompetent and oblivious as well.

The protagonist is extremely unlikable, but the movie tries to convince me that I should be rooting for her. This movie tells me that she's not crazy, but the character acts totally insane. There's a strange disconnect between what the movie wants me to think and what it shows me. There are jump scares that have nothing to do with the movie and come out of nowhere just for the sake of adding a jump scare.

To top everything off, it's extremely predictable and I saw the ending coming from a mile away. It wasn't scary either. I found everything quite boring. I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone who's like me and can't turn their brain off. I gave it 3 stars because it's shot well enough and it had a foreboding atmosphere. The acting was okay. There were only a couple of times where I felt removed from the movie because the acting reminded me that I'm watching an actor instead of their character.

I can't stop smiling...

[FeastMode · 9/10 · 1 October 2022]

I can't stop smiling at the mastery of filmmaking on display in Smile. The directing is topnotch. All of the technical aspects are pristine, especially the sound design. The musical score greatly enhances the mood. Even something as simple as transition shots are stunning. It's visually elite.

I can't stop smiling at how ridiculously scary this movie is. I'm a 37-year-old man who has seen hundreds of horror flicks of all types. And yet this movie had me on edge from beginning to end. At points I was paranoid that someone was standing off to the side in the shadows of the theater. It continued afterwards, when I was startled by what turned out to be the shadow of the car behind me. And then again when the curbside lady brought my food out. I can't remember the last time a movie did this to me.

I can't stop smiling at stumbling upon what might be my favorite movie of the year. I went in, as usual, without watching any trailers or looking up reviews/ratings. I had no expectations and was fully blown away. I was either smiling or had my jaw dropped for most of the runtime.

I can't stop smiling at how impactful some of these scenes and moments are. I will never forget them. They are seared into my brain forever. Whoever came up with them, whoever designed them has to be some combination of genius and possibly disturbed. I love it. Maybe I'm disturbed too.

I jumped about 20 times. None of the jump scares are cheap. They are all creative and earned. The few that are predictable still startle. I sometimes laughed afterwards at how bad it got me.

I had a blast with Smile. It's not for the faint of heart or horror novices. For everyone else, for horror fans, for people who want high-quality cinema, this is the movie for you. (2 viewings, opening Friday UltraScreen 9/30/2022, UltraScreen 10/6/2022)

Very decent horror movie!

[brah_vo · 5/10 · 8 October 2022]

Very decent horror movie kinda dating back to the mid/late 2000s. If you enjoyed the Ring, Hereditary, It follows, you will very much love this.

If you're a horror movie fan you can probably see the ending coming BUT at least it's well executed.

Crazy camera angles, acting is good, definitely had me anxious watching threw my hands a few times (jump scares) it's also VERY analytical with huge PSTD, clinical diagnosis, mental characteristics in different characters

Some cons were the extended background information they would give which made the movie feel alittle more longer

There would most likely be a sequel or two but I doubt they'd be as good as this

Would I watch again? Probably not they heavy graphic suicide scenes (I get it that's part of the plot) BUT it's well worth a watch at least once.

Child gets a Mustache for his Birthday.

[DeepFriedJello · 7/10 · 28 October 2023]

A creepy therapist lady makes a bad choice picking out a present for her nephews b-day, and the party goers are left speechless. The therapist can't understand her sister losing her head over an obvious mistake. She needs to take a break from work but she just mopes around her house arguing with her fiancé and drinking wine. She catches her fiancé with another woman, so ends up with her ex, who is a policeman. They download and print gory photos of smiling dead people. She visits a dude in prison for murder who gives her a clue about life, but he is not happy to see her. Will the boy understand the odd birthday gift? Will the therapist and her ex get back together or will her mother interfere? These questions and more will become more confusing as you watch this critically acclaimed movie.

Pleasantly surprised

[fatmaalsultani · 7/10 · 7 November 2022]

Went to watch this movie with no prior expectations, or even having watched the teasers. The plot was unique, the production very nice. All of the cast did a great job at acting, especially the main actress. Can't wait to check out more of her work. There were a decent amount of solid jump scares throughout the movie, and I'm not one to easily get scared. The movie also had a very omnious feeling to it right from the start, which greatly elevated the experience of watching it. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this movie, and consider it one of the better horror movies I've watched this year!

Very familiar...

[agreenfox · 6/10 · 5 October 2022]

The plot was basically a mixture of Lights Out and It Follows, two fantastic horrors. SO.. the actual plot of this movie owes a lot to the tropes within the genre It shouldn't work, there's not much fleshed development behind "the why" of the monster so this movies spends a while figuring out "the how." It was a bit tedious to discover what was happening in terms of the curse, the way it jumps from person to person. The typical "main character is not believed because she's a hysterical woman" plot device. I mean, that's been going on since Rosemary's Baby, but that plot was much more developed and there was reasoning behind it.

There's a wonderful performance from Sosie Bacon at the helm. You really root for her character. But the fiancé is a cliche, you wonder why they're even together.

Overall, what makes this movie are the jump scares. They are effective and unpredictable. The cinematography is also very moody and atmospheric.

You will be frightened. A good effort and looking forward to more from the writer/director.

When was it enough?

[nepats71 · 8/10 · 28 September 2022]

Literally just wanted to pull my heart out. When would the heart racing adrenaline end! Cinematography was amazing, loved the lighting. The sound was out of this world, so don't skip out on the "special sound" showings. It was unpredictable fresh horror in my opinion, this along with barbarian pair for some of the top horror films in I would say in the last couple years. Give it a watch and really think of the moral here. There was more to the story than what was shed into the light. For those whom call this a snooze fest don't understand the meaning of popcorn flick. Just good classic horror actually keeping you at the edge of the seat continuously guessing. Solid film, great acting.

I went from totally excited to totally disappointed.....

[epbrown-20259 · 4/10 · 16 November 2022]

When we saw this was on Paramount+ we couldn't wait to see it. It started off super strong, intense and interesting, then as the movie went on I found my husband grabbing his lap top, me browsing on my phone and our son started getting less interested.

With the previews and hype they gave this movie we were expecting to be blown away scared, instead we ended up bored (kind of like Barbarian).

The ending wasn't terrible, but it was very similar to several other horror movies we've all seen. I ended up falling asleep on the couch shortly before that.

It is an interesting movie, but they could have done so much more and so much better.....it fell super short in my opinion and was disappointing.

Mental health is no joke, said all the smiling people.

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 9/10 · 25 February 2023]

This little gem goes to show you that even the simplest of concepts, executed properly, can have the greatest success. I can't think of any seasoned filmmakers, given this concept, could've pulled it off as well as this was.

In a nutshell, the horror in this film - a simple smile, just shouldn't have worked, but it did, and it did in a big way, only because of perfect directing, excellent cinematography, and the outstanding score. The real shocker here, is this was all put together buy an amateur filmmaker, Parker Finn, who wrote and directed this, his first feature film, based on one of his only two prior short films. So yeah, this near perfect gem is from an unexperienced newb filmmaker, and Finn has left his mark in this genre as the filmmaker to watch out for. Clearly, Sosie Bacon's spot-on performance helped seal the deal, but also note that her cast direction was from the same new inexperienced filmmaker.

The pacing, albeit slow - which I'm not a fan of, actually worked perfectly in setting the film's tone. The nearly two-hour long runtime flew by. Along with the score that couldn't have been any better, and the sharp and intelligent cinematography, this film worked in every way to keep your heart pumping and your mind stressing. Surprisingly, there were even a few good jump-scares, a rarity for me. Even the special effects and prosthetics were top shelf.

I've had this film on my radar for some time, but after seeing the trailer and rolling my eyes that this horror film is basically based on characters smiling, I laughed it off for many months, especially when I knew it was filmed by a no-name filmmaker. The only reason I finally decided to watch it, was from many of my friends raving how awesome it was. I'm sure glad I finally watched it, and recommend anyone who loves horror, thriller and mystery films to see this as well. I can't wait to see what Finn comes up with next.

Very Long For Not That Much Spook

[scootm16 · 6/10 · 30 September 2022]

I was pretty hyped for this movie, not going to lie. I wasn't expecting some 11-time Oscar winning masterpiece, but I did expect an intense, edge-of-your-seat scarefest like that of 'Insidious' or 'Sinister', where the movie is dripping with creepy unsettlingness from start to finish. 'Smile' is not that. What 'Smile' does well is build up the jump scare, but unfortunately (and more importantly), 'Smile' forgets to deliver the scare in each of these sequences it repeats throughout its way overlong 2-hour runtime.

Example, the main character will be staring down a dark hallway while the music tenses and camera slowly zooms in, and then the phone will ring SO LOUD. This is NOT a scare! This is just lazy and, above all, annoying. These "jump scares" happen throughout the ENTIRE movie and are extremely obnoxious. I can respect jump scares if there's actually something scary at the end of the build-up, not just an obnoxiously loud noise that has nothing to do with the tension that was just wasted. An example of an ACTUAL jump scare would be like when the Lipstick Demon appears at the table for the first time in 'Insidious'. THAT is a warranted jump scare.

The plot of 'Smile' and the way the characters unravel it is almost identical to 'The Ring'. No new ground is broken, which was expected, but I at least expected a little more originality than a copy/paste story of 'The Ring' with a good amount of 'It Follows' copied as well, yet is far less than both those movies.

What I thought was pretty good was the ending, when the demon finally reveals itself. The design of the demon and what it does to its victims is actually pretty great/gruesome. Unfortunately, by the time we're introduced to the Smile demon, the movie's over. Such a shame, as this movie could have been a balls-to-the-wall nail-biting chiller. The score for this movie was hands-down the best and creepiest part. The music reminded me of 'Sinister's music, as in there was something off about it, making it unnerving.

Overall, this movie has been done before and done MUCH better. Has it's moments, but drags on without any scares for far too long.

6/10.

Worth watching at least once

[alex1301 · 7/10 · 1 March 2024]

The actors are pretty good, especially the protagonist. The writing is also pretty good and realistic. The atmosphere corresponds to what one could expect from such a movie. The soundtrack is also quite good. There is just the right number of jumpscares that they don't get repetitive.

I think one can interpret the movie in several ways while not trying to explain all aspects of the movie. Some parts are more artistic and don't really contribute to the story.

There are only a few aspects of the movie which could have been improved but it's easier said than done.

All in all, I recommend watching this movie once but one won't remember it forever.

Great start but weak finish

[itsdannycrasto · 6/10 · 5 October 2022]

LOTS of jump scares and squeamish scenes as expected. Some original horror and a lot of "been there, done that" which is fun for a horror junkie like me. BUT. Weak conclusion. Seems like it literally just sets up for a cheesy sequel to come down the road. You'll see what I mean if you were looking for a more meaningful wrap to what could have been a great ending as this story builds and directs the viewer to what could bring to reason. Not worth a hefty price at the box office. Rent this one. Or wait till it hits one of the millions of streaming services these days. Actors were ok. Kal Penn is the most well known so that tells you how big these names are.

Decent Psychological Horror that terrifies in parts.

[hasithcse · 7/10 · 5 February 2023]

Smile is quite engaging and partially scary horror flick embedded with plenty of jump scares,traumatic scenes and conversations. Though the horror part was completely relied on the jump scares. The director has more focused on traumatic incidents ensuring the disturbing intensity to the audience throughout the film,Though it feels a bit dragged down the trauma has successfully ensured a disturbing experience but the horror part could have sdealed better,there are moments that some jump scares,violent Visuals and an extended smile-devil scenes that improvises viewers experience in horror aspect yet it didn't compell so hard. Rosy as a victim could have faced a few more tragedies rather than spending the most of the screen time on the the discovery of the curse. As the plot is quite thin and straight forward there's nothing so exciting to watch as far as the plot is concerned but the director has somehow ensured the disturbing parts to be hindered around the middle. But yet lack of unexpected plot Twists is the major drawback in the film. The climax is well made but it's quite predictable doesn't excited much except the smiling devil doing some gymnastics over rose and her old house. All over Smile is worth for getting you on a disturbing mood and ensuring the horror part in most of it's runtime but still the drama part and the sad conversations are so extensive and could have been cut short replacing them with some creepy moments.

I thought It Was Great Movie, I Hid Behind My Coat!

[martimusross · 8/10 · 26 September 2022]

Smile

For lovers of the horror genre this was a treat from start to finish. Sosie Bacon who played Dr Rose Cotter, the shrink, was perfectly cast, never off the screen and the camera work was up close and personal. It really was a great acting performance in a horror role, nuanced, varied and very intense, we were certainly rooting for her!

The script was tight and everything was sacrificed for the narrative impetus, the mark of classic horror.

Without spoiling this movie there was a very similar plot in an original Star Trek episode, I will let the sci-fi wonks identify this similarity.

Overall it was a great night out and I couldn't guess the conclusion. I'm giving this a firm 8 outta 10, it really was very good!

Enjoyable with unfulfilled potential

[spotboyfilms · 7/10 · 4 October 2022]

"Smile" is a pretty enjoyable time at the movies with the right crowd. Sosie Bacon gives a solid performance and this performance makes the film enjoyable. The film kind of drags from the Mid Point to the end of Act II, but the beginning and climax are pretty great. The film's effects work of car driving shots and some stabbings are not that great. But other effects are pretty good, even unintentionally funny at times. Having watched Barbarian recently (10/10), Smile could have used some of that "humor" because any humor in smile is unintentional, whereas Barbarian is very surgical. Smile, from a concept level, is interesting following in the footsteps of The Ring and It Follows, but Smile doesn't check off all the boxes to get to a 10/10. The music, acting, and sometimes direction is great. The effects work really drops the ball at times. However, this is a fun time at the movies for sure.

Smile's creepy trailers and clever marketing were the best parts of a movie with a meager plot drenched in uneasy sounds, and way too many jump scares.

[Paragon240 · 2/10 · 29 September 2022]

Smile obsesses over saturating every moment in unsettling dread. The score and sound effects make every moment uneasy and uncomfortable, and not in a good way. Smile's premise bore many similarities to It Follows with much poorer execution. Smile stumbled from jump scare to jump scare. I started closing my eyes because the jump scares were so predictable, and I was tired of having disturbing images screamed in my face. I will say that Sosie Bacon did an excellent job with what she was given, with her performance being the only bright spot in the film. Unfortunately, the movie was unimpressive and tried to cloak mediocrity in a fountain of jump scares, stressful noises, and unpleasant moments.

I wish I could be as scared...

[BA_Harrison · 6/10 · 27 October 2022]

Sosie Bacon (mmm...sausages and bacon!) stars as psychiatric doctor Rose Cotter, who has a bad day at work when one of her patients flips out and commits suicide right in front of her. After this traumatic incident, Rose begins to experience terrifying occurrences that lead her to believe that she is the latest victim of a terrifying curse.

Despite this film's jolly sounding title, my wife wasn't smiling when we left the cinema: she said she's probably not going to sleep tonight and she's never going to let me talk her into seeing a horror movie on the big screen again. I guess if you're not as inured to scary movies as I am, then Smile is going to have that effect, the film comprising of a series of jolts, connected by scenes of unsettling eeriness.

The whole thing is undeniably well directed and competently acted, but I found the plot a little too generic, the pace a bit too slow, and the scares a tad obvious to be wholly satisfying (plus, the best moment is shown in the trailer). I guess that's the downside of having seen so many horror films -- not much seems very original or scary anymore.

My rating: 6/10 (my wife gave it 8/10, so she must have enjoyed herself).

Pure Horror

[Fil-sorokins · 7/10 · 3 December 2022]

One of the best movies of 2022. The suspense is all there, Horror movie mixed with psychological thriller is a great mix. Some moments in movie soundtrack become really haunting and disturbing.

Many clever jumpscares and great main cast perfmormances create pure horror. I went to the cinema not knowing anything about the plot or what really Smile was about and I was not disappointed.

Nowadays its better not to watch trailers for the movies because it spoilers huge part of them.

My rating would be 7.5 - 8 . Grab some popcorn and drinks and go see this movie with your friends , you wont be disappointed.

OK, I Was So Wrong

[arfdawg-1 · 7/10 · 6 November 2022]

When I saw the trailer for this I thought it was going to be one of those really low budget shlock horror movies that bore the heck out of you.

Like Terrifier 2.

But I was wrong..

I also tend to not be a fan of movies written and directed by the same person. Orson Welles only comes around once in a lifetime.

But I was wrong.

This is actually a pretty good horror flick that delivers what you want a horror flick to deliver.

It's also very well made. The director has only made two shorts before this. I havent seen either but by the looks of this movie, he has quite a bit of talent. Young Sam Rami?

We'll see. This one's a keeper.

Smile is not horrible, but it's also really nothing new

[susank-15735 · 6/10 · 2 October 2022]

It was a decent idea, but we've definitely seen this before (It Follows, The Ring, The Grudge). Sosie Bacon was definitely the standout, her performance was strong enough to carry this film. There are jump scares galore, some work and some just feel redundant and overused. Nice cinematography, but creative camera shots/angles don't help a lacking story. And the pacing did seem to drag a bit in parts. The music/soundtrack is what I really enjoyed. Imaginative use of interesting sounds here, especially during the end credits!! I would recommend viewing it in a theater just for the sound quality alone.