[Movie Review] Terror and a Haunted Smile in the Film 'Smile'

 

A smile should be a happy symbol that brings warmth. However, in the film Smile, the smile transforms into a terrifying creature that will leave you feeling uneasy long after the film has ended. Smile is a psychological horror film based on Parker Finn's short film Laura Hasn't Slept (2020). Parker Finn expands his story and successfully produces one of the scariest horror shows of 2022 in his feature film debut.

Smile follows Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon), a psychiatrist who witnesses a series of strange events after one of her patients commits suicide in front of her. Laura Weaver is the patient, and she is terrified of a terrifying entity that disguises itself as the people around her and puts on a happy face.

Laura was terrified after witnessing her lecturer commit suicide in front of her eyes. Rose believes Laura is hallucinating, especially after witnessing a traumatic event. Laura's face suddenly smiled. He then took the shattered vase and committed suicide in front of Rose. Rose finally experienced what Laura had previously experienced after the traumatic incident. Rose becomes paranoid as a result of her terror and is isolated from those closest to her.

Trauma is a major theme that emerges as a common thread in Smile. In this film, a sinister entity preys on the trauma of its victims. Terror can also spread and become a chain curse through trauma. Rose is finally the victim of this curse thanks to Laura. He must also confront his own childhood trauma in order to break the curse's chain.

Smile is a strong horror film. Smile doesn't offer anything new in terms of plot. The theme of the chain curse has appeared in the plots of horror films such as The Ring, One Missed Call, and It Follows. But what sets Smile apart from other horror films is its superb execution. The audience was bombarded with jumpscares nonstop for two hours.

A horror film is usually considered a failure if it relies solely on jump scares. The jumpscare in this film, on the other hand, is executed elegantly, from camera movements to score to imposing visuals. From the beginning to the end of the film, the combination of disturbing sounds and visuals succeeded in making the audience feel restless. Furthermore, Sosie Bacon's performance as Dr. Rose Cotter deserves a thumbs up. He was able to convey Rose's fear and despair, making the terror feel so real.

Unfortunately, while this film is effective at scaring the audience, it is less effective at establishing the depth of the story. The theme of trauma, which should be the driving force of the plot, appears to be underdeveloped. Even though Rose has overcome her childhood trauma in this film, she is still unable to break the chain of curses. As a result, the film Smile's ending feels unsatisfactory.

Even so, Smile can be considered a success as a horror film and is well worth seeing in theaters. Smile manages to frighten and unnerve the audience, but not through ghost sightings and cheap jumpscares. The constant terror and terrifying smile that haunts the audience until the end instills fear in their minds.