Smile Movie Review
A review of 2022’s most heavily marketed horror movie.
BY SRIHITA RAJU
On September 30th, “Smile” starring Sosie Bacon premiered in theaters. The movie follows psychiatrist Rose Cotter as her life begins to unravel after meeting with Laura, a patient who was brought in for an emergency evaluation. After Laura describes the entity that has been ruining her life, she dies in front of Rose, and Rose now has to reckon with this mysterious entity as it takes over her entire world.
Watching it in theaters, it was immediately obvious to me that the director, Parker Finn, had intentions of experimenting with the classic components of American horror movies. While there were jump scares, they’re timing felt careful and intentional. The suspenseful music laced throughout the movie was more than just ominous noises and loud violin E-string rips but measured quick beats and anxiety-inducing rhythms. The visualization of the monster wasn’t some cheap stranger-things knock-off but something that I have no doubt will be burned into my memory for the next few weeks.
One thing I appreciated was that the movie lived up to its marketing. From having an intense, unforgettable trailer to the real-life appearances of actors making the movie’s signature “Smile” face at various sports games, I was nervous that this movie would be nothing more than a good premise with so-so execution. But “Smile” does something that many big-production studio horror movies fail to do. “Smile” wasn’t just jumpscare after jumpscare, and the chilling “Smile” face wasn’t overused. There were moments when the scene unfolding on screen made me gasp and hold my hands to my chest in a rare feeling that can only be described as true and pure horror.
While “Smile” may not be ideal for fans of A24-Esque psychological horror movies, it does what it was meant to do, which is give you a good scare that will have you avoiding eye contact with every person you pass on your way out of the theatre.