Directed by:
Parker FinnScreenplay:
Parker FinnCinematography:
Charlie SarroffComposer:
Cristobal Tapia de VeerCast:
Sosie Bacon, Kyle Gallner, Jessie T. Usher, Rob Morgan, Kal Penn, Caitlin Stasey, Judy Reyes, Robin Weigert, Gillian Zinser, Nick Arapoglou, Setty Brosevelt (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can't explain. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality. (Finnkino)
Videos (2)
Reviews (8)
A surprisingly good little mainstream horror film from a debutant that could be an asset to the genre in the future. I was expecting a flop from Smile after the trailers, one that would end up in the 40-50% range, so the result is very satisfying. It's a combination of It Follows and Truth or Dare, but it takes only the best of both and even surpasses them both in quality. It's got a fine mystery around mysterious suicides and I enjoyed a lot the gradual discovery of what's behind it. The main character slowly starts to get paranoid, ugly things happen to her and her life slowly falls apart. The film has a slower pace at times, especially in the middle, but when it comes to the scares it's honest and effective. There are only a few scares but they work well, the atmosphere can be chilling and I liked the finale where there is a decent amount of creepy shots, and there was actually a bit of violence which I wasn't expecting here at all (when the entity rips the skin off its face I was thrilled). So all in all, a nice surprise, but it won't be quite for teenage girls as it seemed at first glance, they will be laughing most of the time in the cinema. 7/10
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Those horror smiles were very scary. Brrr. Good stuff this was. The premise is original, the jump-scares are good (one is absolutely sumptuous), I trusted the little-known Sosie Bacon with every stressed-out twitch of her face, and what I'd particularly highlight was the soundtrack, both the perfectly pitched nervous music and the sound design, which flawlessly supports the anxious atmosphere. And I liked the cinematography, which was interestingly rolling around, or shooting the image upside down. Simply, to conclude, this might not be the horror event of the year, but it is a fine one-off with pizzazz.
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A weaker reheating of It Follows and Drag Me to Hell mixed together. Excellent sound design and a couple of well executed jump scares pull it up slightly above average in the end. The craftsmanship is very solid, and the few scripting missteps thankfully don't feel particularly distracting. As a horror one-off, it's actually quite good. If you don't expect any deeper themes from horror movies and are content with simple (but well presented) entertainment and a few jump scares, this material is just for you. [65%]
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The next time I want a similar viewing experience, I'll give the the money for the cinema ticket to the nearest homeless guy to go to my house for two hours and give me a "boo" every two minutes. I'll save myself a trip to the cinema, do a good deed, and with his alcohol breath, I'll even get it straight as 4DX. Technically it's nicely shot, the effects are solid, it doesn't offend in any way, and despite its lack of originality it hides a solid horror theme, but what's the point if the filmmakers trade horror atmosphere for constant cheap jump scares? Even the transitions between scenes are cut quickly and with a strong sound effect to make it worthwhile. This is a really bad viewing experience for me, I didn’t enjoy it. Those two hours were excruciating.
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I don't know how long it's been since we've gotten this type of "jump-scare" horror not only in the cinema, but on other platforms, so I can't help but cheer with excitement that Smile has done well. The central idea is just right for a horror film, the acting and writing are enjoyable and, as I mentioned, the biggest draws are the ubiquitous jump-scares, the clever play with the camera, the music and the viewer expectations and, most importantly, the quality visuals. The trailer already gave me goosebumps with its audiovisual style and the film itself is no different. Overall it's simply a very good horror film that isn't stupid, scares, entertains and, most importantly, engages. Brilliant.
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