Smile is an upcoming horror/thriller film that stars Caitlin Stasey, Jessie T. Usher, Kyle Gallner, Rob Morgan, Nick Arapoglou, Dora Kiss, Robin Weigert, Gillian Zinser, Judy Reyes, Bob Leszczak and Scot Teller. The film is written and directed by Parker Finn. The premise of the film is actually extremely unique, “After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter 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.” The film had its premiere at Fantastic Fest on 22nd September 2022. The film was very well received and the people who got a chance to see the film in person have given some thoughts about it. Let’s see what they’re.
Smile Reviews Roundup – Creep Fest!
The film currently has an IMDb score of 6.7/10 and Rotten Tomatoes have deemed it worthy as Fresh with a rating of 81%. Apart from the numbers let’s take a look at the comments associated with the film and what does that mean. From what I gather about the film, it is a good and disturbing watch as a horror film but more than appreciating the film, the critics have emphasized that the director is the real find throug this film and he will continue to get better in next ventures. The horror visuals and sequences created by Finn are masterful.
Meagan Navarro
Bloody Disgusting
“Finn presents some interesting ideas about trauma and its insidious, parasitic nature on our psyche, using horror in effective ways to convey it.”
Original Score: 3/5
Perri Nemiroff
Perri Nemiroff (YouTube)
“A catchy and unsettling urban legend-like concept with a phenomenal lead performance from Sosie Bacon at its core. Smile marks yet another win for horror in 2022.”
Original Score: 3.5/5
Charles Bramesco
Little White Lies
“Keep an eye on Finn.”
Original Score: 3/5
Marisa Mirabal
indieWire
““Smile” navigates unhealed trauma through a supernatural lens and mischievous juxtaposition, despite feeling like a shadow of other stories.”
Original Score: B-
Rocco T. Thompson
Slant Magazine
“Everything Smile is doing is familiar enough at this point to be considered old-fangled, but the striking precision of its craft sloughs away any sensations of déjà vu.”
Original Score: 3/4
Katie Rife
RogerEbert.com
“In padding out the concept from an 11-minute short into a nearly two-hour movie, Smile leans too heavily not only on formulaic mystery plotting, but also on horror themes and imagery lifted from popular hits like The Ring and It Follows.”
Original Score: 2.5/4
Tasha Robinson
Polygon
“Smile tickles the brain and terrifies without remorse.”
Clarisse Loughrey
Independent (UK)
“The latest example of how a single, effective image isn’t always enough to sustain a feature-length film.”
Original Score: 3/5
Linda Marric
The Jewish Chronicle
“Creepy, unsettling and surprisingly hugely watchable modern horror. I can’t wait to see what Finn does next.”
Original Score: 4/5
Jeannette Catsoulis
New York Times
“A relentlessly somber, precision-tooled picture whose frights only reinforce the wit of its premise, “Smile” turns our most recognizable sign of pleasure into a terrifying rictus of pain.”
Luke Y. Thompson
AV Club
“It may take time and repeated viewings to be sure just how good or bad Smile is as a movie, but as a scare delivery device, it is damned effective.”
Lovia Gyarkye
Hollywood Reporter
“A disquieting experience.”
Bill Goodykoontz
Arizona Republic
““Smile” isn’t a great horror film, but there’s plenty here to make you … well, you know.”
Original Score: 3.5/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
“The movie is a shard of comic and cosmic spite, and the image of the malign smile carries force.”
Original Score: 4/5
William Bibbiani
TheWrap
“What’s absolutely riveting about “Smile” is the way Finn consistently absorbs the audience in Rose’s foggy mindset. Her baggage is enough to fray her nerves and ours without any supernatural assistance.”
Bob Strauss
San Francisco Chronicle
“The movie’s overall coherence and jolting aplomb place it well ahead of the standard fright film pack.”
Original Score: 3/4
Owen Gleiberman
Variety
““Smile” will likely be a hit, because it’s a horror film that delivers without making you feel cheated. At 90 minutes, though, with less repetition, it might have been a more ingenious movie.”
Smile is slated to release in theatres near you on 30th September 2022.
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