Smile

An entity takes off! Say cheese! Yes, there’s definitely theft happening here. The formula of passing the baton of evil, distrust from those around, searching for causes, gradual personality breakdown—it's all been done before. What interests me more is the atmosphere it brings and whether it looks good, and in these aspects, Parker Finn succeeded. The trauma, sorrow, and guilt are developed appropriately, the upside-down camera effects and sound serve their purpose, and I dare say one Kansas City Shuffle jump scare might even catch seasoned predictors. Unintentionally funny scenes (when the seven-year-old unwraps gifts) can be overlooked, as can the viewer checking their watch waiting for the tactics from the end of Gregory Hoblit's Fallen (especially since the cat’s not in play anymore). In the case of the lead actress, I’m not sure if the bacon came from a nearby or faraway meat factory... (12/22/2022)

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. (10/07/2022)

Now, if I wanted to laugh at Smile, I'd find reasons to do so, because the criticisms you read about the generic script are true (for example, it borrows not only the premise, but entire scenes from It Follows), and the scene where the main character goes around to her relatives, friends and acquaintances and tries to convince them that she's cursed is written in a funny way. But I decided to be sympathetic to the film, and that's because at a time when a large number of genre films forget the most important thing, i.e. trying to scare the viewer, Smile tries damn hard. It doesn't always work out, but I though about the horror films that have been released in Czech cinemas so far this year, and Smile is by far the most effective in this respect. If the script was polished in terms of the behaviour of the characters and the depth of the topics discussed, it would be satisfying even with undiminished expectations; the craftsmanship is more than solid. But I’ll look the other way and I’ll give it a seven. (09/30/2022)

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%] (10/15/2022)

That it would be a psychological horror was clear to me the moment it turned out that more than one psychologist appeared in it. That it would be an interesting horror became clear during the course of the plot. There was a great atmosphere and tension. The jump scares didn't look as dumb as they usually do. Even though it was sometimes quite gory, gore didn't function as the main instrument of fear. However, the movie also has its drawbacks. The first one is more of a pet peeve of mine because I don't like the actress in the leading role. What was worse was that, although the story tried to look original, I have seen something similar a couple of times. It was like Fallen (1998); only whistling was replaced with smiling. I also don't get why filmmakers don't consult advisors for scenes involving knives. All that stabbing in the sternum and ribs as if it were soft butter is pathetic. Despite all my reservations, I enjoyed myself throughout the movie, which unfortunately doesn't happen to me often with horror movies. P.S. A very nice attempt at a Schrödinger's cat:-) / Lesson learned: If you tend to be jumpy, just use plastic dishes. If you also care about the environment, go for wood. (01/10/2023)