“That was awesome” was what I said to my wife as we left the theatre after seeing Smile. Ok, so I am writing this the day after I saw it so I am still high on it, but this is my favorite horror movie of the year so far. I was pulled into this story right from the start and I was on the edge of my seat and jumping the whole time through the movie, I can’t remember the last time a movie got me with this many jump scares!
How to Download Smile
You can expect to be able to download or stream the film from Paramount+ roughly 45 days after its theatrical release. Click on the Download button at the end of this review to check the current availability.
The Movie Review
Smile is written and directed by Parker Finn and it is his first movie. Smile is actually based on a short film Parker Finn made called, Laura Hasn’t Slept. I liked the look of the trailer, but with all the creepy smiling people, I was getting some major Deja-Vue from Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare. However, this is very different from that movie.
The movie is about a doctor called, Rose Cotter who is played by the very talented Sosie Bacon (see her also as Skye Miller in 13 Reasons Why) and yes, she is the daughter of Kevin Bacon! One day at work, Rose sees a patient kills herself in a pretty brutal manner, but most disturbing of all is the creepy smile she has on her face. It is a traumatic experience for sure, but things get much, much worse for Rose.
She starts to see people smiling at her all the time. Now, this smiling thing could have been very silly and I think that in Truth or Dare it was rather funny as opposed to being creepy. However, Smile nails this, and you truly do feel uneasy and creeped out by the people that Rose encounters as she gets further and further into this messed-up situation.
Before long, these smiling people start to get closer and closer to her, even appearing in her home. Basically, Rose has to figure out what is going on and this means diving into her past and trying to put a stop to this nightmare she finds herself in. I am aware that on paper, Smile sounds like a very odd premise for a movie.
To be honest with you, I think that the potential for this movie to be more silly than scary is certainly there. However, Parker Finn knew exactly what he was doing with this story and it truly is scary. I swear it got me with a jump scare every five to ten minutes and I was loving every minute of it.
I already said it, but this truly is one of the best horror movies of the year! I love it when I can get so engrossed and lost in a horror movie that when the jump scares do happen, I do not see them coming. It makes for a much more fun experience and fun is probably the best way I can describe my experience at the theatre watching this with my wife.
If you want a fun and scary experience at the theatre, go and see Smile! This is such a great movie and one that I think I will certainly watch again when it comes out on Blu-Ray. For a first-time director, Parker Finn did a great job and I am very excited to see what he is going to do next, especially if it is a horror movie.
