Over the last few months the trailer for Smile has been playing in the cinemas and I have to say that it got me wanting to see the movie just from a certain “car scene” in the trailer, so when Cineworld announced that it would be screening as part of their Unlimited Screenings, I couldn’t wait to check the movie out.
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.
Last night we sat down at Cineworld in Llandudno ready for the Unlimited Screening of Smile, my anticipation grew with the BBFC card announcing that the Smile had an 18 certificate, maybe we were in for a treat with a rarity these days of an 18 certificate horror movie!
The movie is a supernatural psychological horror written and directed by Parker Finn in his feature film debut, based on his 2020 short film Laura Hasn’t Slept. We are introduced to the main character Dr. Rose Cotter (play by Sosie Bacon) and a rather freaky scene with a new patient that tells Rose that she can see things and people that aren’t there, even her dead uncle, this sets up the premise for the entire film.
Rose’s patient commits suicide in front of her now Rose is going down the same rabbit hole that her patient went down, but Rose wants to find out why all this is happening, how it all started and most of all how she can beat the “smile” to save her life.
As the movie moves along there are many moments that some may find jumpy, but most of these are done with loud sounds that blast out of the silence, which let’s face it would scare most people, but besides those, I found Smile a little lacklustre, I’ve certainly seen much better horror movies recently.
The move has certainly had something that could have taken us down a different direction for the 18 certificate that it has been given, but this is probably down to the scenes of suicide. The 1h 55m runtime just seemed to drag along for me, I was sitting waiting for so much more to happen and quite frankly it didn’t really take me on the nightmare journey I was expecting.
But it’s not all bad, I have to say that one thing that really stood out to me right from the start of the movie was Cristobal Tapia de Veer’s soundtrack! The use of the surround sound for the soundtrack just really sets the hairs standing up on the back of your neck, it’s so unusual and unnerving when it booms out across the cinema surround sound, even in the end credits the music makes you turn around to the rear speakers as you think someone or something is behind you, now that’s a horror soundtrack!
I have to tip my hat to the team behind the creature effects as well, it’s a scene in the movie that I leaned forward in my seat with admiration of the design and the sheer terror that it brings out from the cinema screen, more of that would have really made my day.
Smile is one of those films that those with a weak dissipation to the horror genre may find scary, but for hardened horror fans it may not cut it, I nodded off a couple of times only to be woken up by a jump scare sound effect and Tapia de Veer’s music.
Smile opens in UK Cinemas on the 28th of September and is being released by Paramount.
Not the horror I was expecting!!
Movie title: Smile (2022)
Movie description: After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can't explain. Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality.
Date published: September 27, 2022
Country: UK
Duration: 1h 55m
Director(s): Parker Finn
Actor(s): Sosie Bacon, Jessie T. Usher, Kyle Gallner
Genre: Horror
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
