‘Smile’: The giggle of death

In recent years it has been possible to see how large studios have transferred a large part of their catalog to platforms. After the good data collected by several titles such as ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, ‘Scream’ or ‘The Lost City’, Paramount wanted to further promote its commitment to the big screen and ensured that movies destined for streaming had their chance in commercial theaters, as in the case of ‘Smile’.a horror proposal that is ready to conquer the public in the weeks leading up to Halloween.

“Smile” is Parker Finn’s first feature film, which adapts his short film “Laura Hasn’t Slept” into this feature film., in which an evil figure ends up possessing one person to cause him to commit suicide in front of another and thus continue to spread his curse. The premise, of course, seems to be inspired by classic blockbusters such as Japanese “The Ring”, “Pulse” or “The Curse”; albeit under the contemporary paint that brings it closer to ‘Oculus: The Mirror of Evil’, ‘The Autopsy of Jane Doe’ or, above all, ‘Follows’.

Really, the proposal is not excessively original, given the many references. However, it is a pleasant surpriseabove all because he knows how to use moments of terror with effect and also thanks to an austere staging, which gives him a certain touch of a series B proposal that prolongs the gloomy atmosphere. Play with the audience, turning the protagonist into a suspicious narratornot knowing if what he sees is real or the result of the perverse mind of the cursed spirit, which makes the waiting linger among the spectators.

deceptive horror proposal

Since it was not initially intended as a cinematic proposition, its conversion to the big screen is more than successful; thanks to a style that Finn, who also writes the script, is comfortable with. The director shows wood to create uncomfortable atmospheres and settings in mundane environments, which makes “Smile” the first film in a career that looks promisingjust like Mike Flanagan, who after his first horror proposal, ‘Absentia’, is constantly on the rise, to become one of the landmarks of contemporary American terror.

Thanks to his sensationalism and his moments of fear, ‘Smile’ is a correct proposition for the genre. He does not invent the wheel and ends up leading to a too predictable ending, but that does not prevent him from enjoying authentic moments of fear on the seat, which is already a merit.

Note: 6

The best: Its atmosphere of terror and the continuous sense of intrigue that the film has almost to the end.

Worse: It has too many clichés of the genre, you can see several scenes coming up, like its predictable ending.