(Photo courtesy of MOVIES and MANIA) “”Smile” has been number 1 at the United States box office for two weeks.”
Steven O’Hara
Connector Editor
“Smile” is the newest big title from the horror movie genre and released Friday on September 30th. This movie was written and directed by Parker Finn, a renowned horror film screenwriter, who is known for his short films “The Hidebehind” in 2018 and “Laura Hasn’t Slept” in 2020. The latter movie served as inspiration for this new project. In an interview with Joe Deckelmeier from ScreenRant, Finn says, “I made ‘Laura Hasn’t Slept just to kind of stand-alone. I think all good shorts should stand alone and exist in their own right. But while I was in post on that, there was something about it that kept lingering with me and this idea for this larger story started to emerge, and then this totally separate character story was born out of it. And yeah, just it rattled around in there and then just came pouring out of me.” The short movie was about a woman plagued by nightmares who seeks the help of a psychiatrist. In similar fashion, Dr. Rose Cotter, the main character of “Smile” is a psychiatrist who witnessed a traumatizing event during a session with her patient. “Smile” follows her as she goes through psychological distress and horrific occurrences that bring up her questionable past and watch as she is forced to confront it.
Many have seen the viral promotional pictures that have come across the internet as of late. At Major League Baseball games across the country, people can be seen behind home plate and in the stands wearing a vibrant shirt of the advertised movie and a sinister smile. They sit there, dead-eyeing the camera, and have gained this feature film a lot of attention. The disturbing advertisement illustrates the overall effect of the movie and brings the paranormal elements into the real world.
This movie is the epitome of an unreliable narrator, as only she and the audience can witness the horrors that occur through her eyes, while the rest of the characters around her claim ignorance. Parker Finn brings an uneasy air to the film, as the audience waits for jump scares that seem to last forever and appear in the most unlikely of scenes. With a pleasant mixture of gore and an avant-garde storyline, the audience experiences “Smile” with the same terror that the main character feels. It explores the diversity of psychology and family relationships combined with the omnipotent demon that presents itself only to Dr. Rose Cotter. The CGI and special effects blend seamlessly into the surroundings of the physical world and interact with the characters effortlessly. It’s a fresh and innovative addition to the horror genre and is very entertaining.
There aren’t a lot of movies like this in traditional media and its themes and subplots dealing with guilt and regret give it an artistic quality that’s not found in many films today. This movie is genuinely skin crawling and will make you sick to your stomach at times. “Smile” is perfect for horror junkies who may be looking for something new among the often repetitive catalogue from the genre. Smiles will never look the same after this movie.
Grade: A+
