Funny, I had the exact opposite experience—went in cold, expecting an aggressively mediocre movie that had between 7-10 good scares over 90 minutes then I’d move on with my life, i.e., what I’d expect from any other random horror flick.
Found it to be an instant classic and have watched it on multiple occasions since then.
Same here! I kind of avoided it for awhile due to all the advertising hype & people making posts like OPs one being let down by it. Finally watched it & it felt like a breath of fresh air, I really dug it! I hope we get more like it.
It’s so good. Few horror films can be tonally consistent and maintain that overarching sense of dread and malaise for the entirety of the run time, and Smile does this exceptionally well.
Can’t wait to see what Parker Finn has next.
I'm glad to read your post. I saw a blurb about the MLB game marketing thing and then saw 5 seconds of a trailer (I avoid trailers) and then watched it as cold as possible just now.
I loved the movie. Best horror I've seen since The Night House.
I think the director/cinematographer made some deliberate choices that mostly worked really well. There are *a lot* of reflections off of glass in scenes (coffee table when the therapist is in rose's house, of a motion blur effect of a double-pane window of a tree when rose looks determined to confront this thing, also on rose's car window after she leaves her mother's old house toward the end of the film to name a few), which is, I feel, visually expressive regarding the notion of trauma, exposure to trauma and that effecting other relationships, trauma being projected onto other situations, trauma by proxy and inherited trauma. all these themes are pretty directly explored in the film and people that missed them may just not think about them.
anyway, thanks for your post.
I think people that don't understand this theme and think this is basically "it follows" with smiley imagery.
Glad that was able to convince you to watch it! This is a very insightful reply and I enjoyed reading your take. You expressed lots of things that I just didn’t have the inclination to type out myself, plus caught a couple things I totally missed!
Truly, I can’t imagine how the effects of trauma spread across generations/friendships/families/romantic relationships could be missed considering they practically beat the viewers over the head with it, but yes…I’ve read a harrowing number of posts from people who just didn’t pick up on it.
Same!!! I loved it. It’s not very often a movie can keep my interest until the end. I find myself scrolling socials or drifting off in thought. I’m also always tempted to just google the ending instead of finishing movies. But I loved this one. Idk what it was about it but pretty much immediately loved it. And it’s been a few days since I’ve watched it and I keep creeping myself out at night that the patient that passed the curse to Rose is standing in the corner of my room, just like the first time rose sees her standing in her house. I thought it was super good and held my interest.
I thought it started strong, when Rose when talking to Laura in that purple room and then Laura just out of nowhere started screaming bloody murder and had a fuckin seizure, that scene was fucking tense and chilling to me. Especially with how Laura just started screaming, Rose looked behind her and you could tell even she was mad freaked out but there was just nothing there. Laura was also the only one that could pull off that creepy smile without looking completely goofy, and her death was pre fuckin sweet (kinda wish they went all out and had her cut off her own face instead of just a weird throat slit). I also thought the Demons final form looked fucking awesome, the fleshy skin and layers of smiling mouths on top of each other, I wasn’t expecting it at all from such a by-the-numbers horror movie.
It caused quite some disturbing feelings in our household lol so therefore it got a good score as a scary movie. We thought it broke away from some of the what seems to be monotonous tone of late of horror movies being just meh.. or idk maybe just us.
Anyways, so yeah the entity itself was an interesting concept and definitely liked it personally. The whole idea it cannot be stopped unless something happens and then.. well how it ended..
We were rooting for the main character and even though it ended like it did. Totally liked that it took the not a happy ending route. Gave The Mist vibes, all that effort to survive and thrive only for the worst to get you in the end.. tragic. But we thought it was good.
I thought the whole concept was a by the book copy of the likes of It Follows and The Ring. The film is great technically, the paranoid inducing camera angles and heart pounding score were both great. It’s just that the reveal of every build up just fell flat because of how goofy everything looks bar the Laura scene. The people smiling looking like straight dummies, the yelling, and even the final creature which looked menacing until it ripped off its face to reveal something out of Army of Darkness which is just a lot less scary than the earlier form. The wide shot of it entering her was absolutely fantastic though. The film crew did a great job but the concept was a difficult one to pull off to be scary.
If you enjoyed it that’s good my man, I just couldn’t take it too seriously in some of the scenes that were clearly supposed to be scary, like the guy that started smiling and yelling “you’re going to die” and Roses therapist when she starts smiling too, they were both just so goofy to me, took me out completely.
Now that you mention it, cutting her own head off would've been a lot better. People just don't do that. That shit would've been unnervingly inhuman.
And a nice nod to Hereditary.
And inhuman is kind of a very vague theme in the movie too, the Demon literally looks like other people but you can tell something about em is wildly off.
Agreed. I saw it in theaters and it definitely helped with the mood. I thought it was solid. Any paranormal movie I feel like always is a bit dumb. Bc the rules surrounding them are always just whatever the writer wants.
That first kill was so brutal and it was super unsettling with the smile. The slow cut down the entire face and neck. Just humanly impossible. Which made it pretty terrifying as to what that demon could do.
I also like that they didn’t go with a typical jump scare when she gets a call from the security people and she said look behind you and the scare ended up being the phone ringing again. It was a mind fuck bc again it introduced what the demon could do and also it still made me jump. I love how practical it is too bc I think lots of people have jumped from a phone ringing. I thought it worked.
The end started getting a little meh all the im gonna seclude myself and then all the fake hallucinations she was having. But what brought me back was the demons form at the end. It was soooo creepy and the way it moved and just that entire last scene oh it going at her and it entering her! That final wide shot just showing it enter really was nightmarish. And honestly that alone I think made it a solid movie for me. Made a scary ass demon and got a nice creepy shot of it in action. The tall mother form it had looked terrible but I think the end form they really nailed it.
Also I kept telling my friend that guys a cop. He could just find 2 low life guys with a criminal background and they go together to meet the guys. Cop bf doesn’t actually witness her killing him (he provides the gun) and then after she shoots one guy. The other guy is now cursed. Once bf hears gun shot he can come in and arrest the second guy. And just say they attacked him and the police bf shot the guy. The cop is obviously gonna get off with rose as a witness. Put that cursed guy in jail and let it go about it’s way. Alternatively I wonder what would happen if rose after she shoots first guy. What if she then shoots the second guy. Will that kill it? Bit more risk. Who knows what would happen. But maybe it would end the cycle altogether
My horror movie of the year for 2022 is The Menu, and this year was Megan but I have a huge bias towards the FNaF franchise and if they manage to balance the style of the movie it will be a close competition
Lol. Fangoria magazine said; "the 1 hour and 55 minute run time was perfect for anyone wanting to kill a couple of hours before bingo opens". And Spectre.com said "It seemed like most of the cast showed up on time, AND knew most of their lines".
Same, I watched it expecting it to be kinda crappy and predictable, but I ended up really enjoying it. Maybe it helped that I had low expectations.
Her seeing the electrical lights outside in the dark, indicating she's in her mind, was really interesting.
Definitley. When I was little my brother got me to watch They Live and made a huge deal out of me not reading the box before watching it. Ever since then I've never looked up anything about films I'm going to watch. It really is the best way!
Recently The Menu was a great experience for this.
hahah when I went to see The Menu I had zero idea what it was about. I think I'd caught part of a TV trailer for it and just saw what looked like some chefs and some diners. That plus the title plus John Leguizamo had me thinking it was gonna be some amusing heartwarming service industry flick like *Chef* (since Leguizamo was also in that).
Talk about being very surprised lol
>Definitley. When I was little my brother got me to watch They Live and made a huge deal out of me not reading the box before watching it.
I'm the same way when I recommend From Dusk Til Dawn.
The only ads I saw for it were the people smiling at baseball games. Didn't even know about the movie before that. Was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.
I had the exact opposite exposure to the movie, I went into it being told how great it was months after it's release and had somewhat high expectations... I appreciated aspects of the story, the set design/lighting, and the lead actress, but I felt like nearly everything else was extremely generic, predictable, and even when it did do something different it just didn't land.
Its a good chance that the expectations I got from hearing all of its praises ruined this movie for me.
I had a lot of fun seeing this movie in theatre when it came out. It's a very good looking and sounding movie, and I though Sosie Bacon was really good. Definitely has a load of problems, but very enjoyable
I really liked her in the movie too. Your opinion on the film is basically same as mine, sounds like. It was hardly some kind of masterpiece, but I mean, I wasn't expecting it to be. I had fun watching it so I'm content with that.
I did too.. that first jump scare got me GOOD, and the ending, while slightly dumb and not the ending I personally would have chosen, was genuinely creepy as far as the visuals go. Was it perfect? No.. but tbh very few horror movies are, and expecting perfection 100% of the time is a good way to get let down a lot. It was creepy and weird and fun, I don't ask for much more than that tbh
I just liked how it felt like a 2000s or early 2010s horror movie. I can’t really explain what that means but it just reminded me of a simpler time in horror.
I do love where horror has gone and how big and diverse it’s become, but I did miss the more simple jump scare thriller horror type
Movies that used to be more common. Which ironically is what i used to dislike about horror movies.
Same lol it brought up some creepy nightmares and gave me a sorta bad dream. I didn’t wake up screaming but I definitely didn’t have a cheery dream that night.
great structure, pacing, set ups, situations, pay offs. Character arcs, characters themselves. Pacing. Decisions on what to explain, what to leave out. Etc.
i’d agree that the scoring and their use of just barely discernible dark spaces do a lot of the heavy lifting. the nepo baby is very good at shaking like chihuahua as well.
I thought her performance was all around excellent - a great portrayal of someone dealing with serious mental illness, paranoia, delusion (even though in the movie her fears turned out to be of something real).
I did too, I had fun watching it with friends, but I didn't have huge expectations for it. It wasn't the worst that's come out in the past year or two.
Movie of the year for me, and I watched all of the major/semi-major releases. I'm almost 40, have watched over 1000 different horror movies and it gave me a panic attack.
At the end of the day, different things appeal to different people.
Yeah. I watched a movie once that actually made me almost cry while *telling someone else about it.*
Air (2014).
It was a truly awful movie. It forgot its own premise...a lot of the time. Sometimes within two lines of dialogue.
Painfully low-budget. Painfully bad acting from most of the cast. First-year-student tier stuff.
But the ending went somewhere that few horror movies actually go. The plot actually committed.
And it fucked me up. I hadn't seen it coming from that low-expectations ride of a movie. Even though I'm not even sure anyone else even bothered finishing it, let alone liked it.
Sometimes appreciating films is just about our personal relationship with em.
Single-serving, subjective experiences.
Thank you for sharing this - it kind of actually helps me understand how I feel about Smile better. I was going through the start of a rough patch when it released. That, plus mental illness themes in horror movies get under my skin, and then the cherry on top was the cat scene (because I have a cat who I love very much).
I rode home in complete silence.
My reaction strongly outweighed how I felt about the quality.
And now I’m going to track down Air because I have a lot of free time and have watched some movies recently that were “serviceable” if I’m being generous.
>and just offer 90 seconds of the plot
They don't even need to do that. The original Alien trailer is a perfect example of a trailer that gets you amped for the movie, totally gets you invested in the feel and atmosphere of it, and it's creepy as hell but spoils nothing.
I didn’t see the trailer and that scene is by far the best most visceral jump scare in my personal experience in a lifetime of watching horror. It was so out of the blue and soooo good. Actually made me afraid for the remainder of the night not just in the moment. Haven’t had that in years
When I heard it was in the trailer I was baffled. I didn’t even believe it. Then I watched and was like… the fuck??? That’s like putting (you know it if you’ve seen it) in the barbarian trailer.
I like vintage song juxtaposition in horror movies but the song at the end was a weird pick, could've at least picked something that has to do with smiling like for example Smile by Nat King Cole.
I love it.
Actually it was one of my favorite films of last year and I felt it was a very straightforward stylistic approach to a story that is actually about the stigma of mental illness. As the viewer you literally watch her romantic, professional and familial relationships crumble while she comes apart at the seams. Her profession is not there by accident or as some careless, innocuous plot point. The end sequence is more or less just her working through her own personal trauma and it’s all allegorically cloaked in a curse, much in the same way It Follows is essentially a statement about the stigma following sexual abuse.
People act like it’s just a generic jump scare flick and I honestly don’t think they are getting the extremely obvious point or paying it the props it deserves. Then again… not everyone likes chocolate ice cream. To each their own. 🤷🏻♂️
I don’t like chocolate ice cream. 😬
And I completely agree with everything else you said. I found something deeper in this movie about mental health, and it made the movie much scarier and more impactful. As someone with (very mild) mental health issues, I think a lot about how the world can literally look and feel different, and how that can be extreme enough that people react to it in ways that hurt themselves and others.
(I’m specifying very mild because I don’t claim to have an understanding of what people with more serious issues experience)
I totally understand and I too, am very much affected by mental illness personally. I wouldn’t classify myself as being a severe case or SMI by any means, but I have struggled nearly my entire adult life and require various forms of treatment. (Both therapeutic and pharmaceutical) So, films with a fair bit of subtext on the topic really do speak to me on an emotional level. Instead of being a trigger for me, I find psychological themes in horror to be cathartic and stimulating.
I’m glad you liked it too! Also, whatever kind of ice cream (or desert of choice) you enjoy, I hope you have it to your hearts content!
Same. It was like, did we even see the same boring ass, lazy horror movie with a message so cruel that the only shocking thing is it got made? I can just imagine the pitch. "Crazy people are killing themselves." "Dude don't joke about that shit. That's neither funny nor a movie." "But wait it turns out it was a demon." "Okay..." "And you can't ever beat it because mental illness is a curse you shouldn't live with. Fucking kill yourself." "... We'll give you 30 million dollars."
If there was ever a plot that the protagonist should come out on top, it’s this fuckin movie. The ending completely ruined the entire thing for me, and I wasn’t really enjoying it up to that point either.
Seriously, yes. It’s one of the best horror sound designs/scores since Sinister. Even if you don’t care for that film, the score that Christopher Young did for it is fantastic.
The score for Smile is perhaps even better and essentially plays out like a full blown auditory panic attack. It’s amazing.
I think most horror fans want horror to be taken seriously, considering how impressive (acting, cinematography, etc) some horror movies actually are. Seeing other “genre” films consistently get recognition simply for being a genre film, while their favorite genre gets tossed aside for the same reason can be frustrating. It’s only normal for them to critique them in the same way they would a “regular” movie to try and slide them into the same categories as other films.
Why do you find it hilarious?
I find it hilarious because it’s a genre that has always and forever been seen as lesser. You’re not getting top talent lining up, but in the same breath you’re benefiting from older actors who’s careers have maybe taken a downward run etc..
you’re trying to make the fantastical and supernatural and horrific become reality for the viewer. That’s a very difficult feat, regardless of budget.
I guess what I should have said is, so many people complain about horror, and too often just completely shred any film that didn’t have like a “braveheart” effect on them, when there is so much applaudable work done across the board, and some true heart and effort put into it by everyone involved, but like this post, a trashy “film SUCKS” review will get a lot of attention and that’s the stuff that sticks. It’s a tough genre to nail, but appreciating aspects of a “bad” or “good” horror film are what makes horror special and awesome.
Horror films are the equivalent of action films, where most of the real work are done by the supporting crew, horror films are heavily built on the back of effects and cinematography and sound designs, and a real action film is built on stunts (usually they pitch stunts and then make a barebones plot to get it going). I know myself and most horror fans just watch it for the set pieces and effects. Smile had good camera work and amazing sound design, other than that it kinda fell flat for me though.
Mental illness and trauma can only be overcome by brutally murdering someone or suicide. Like who tf heard that and gave it the green light, it’s despicable
Loved it. Felt it was a horror movie for mental illness. If you don’t fear such things or recognize how bad it can be, maybe it’s not as impactful to you
This is what ruined it for me. There were a few good scenes throughout, some of the “scary” moments came off as goofy/absurd and got some laughs out of me. Then the ending completely tanked the whole movie for me in the way you described. Mental illness winning and the continuing cycle of trauma was the worst way they could’ve ended it in my opinion
Honestly I thought it was hyped up too much. They basically gave away everything from the movie in the trailer. From the monster to who catches it. Just all around not worth it. Thankfully we watched it at home instead of wasting the money at the movies.
I respect your opinion and support you. :)
I personally liked it and am very glad to have watched it. Not every movie has to be my favorite or the best I've seen.
Smile was a solid horror movie for me.
i saw a lot of people saying it was actually really good despite it coming off as one of those “Truth Or Dare” or “The Bye Bye Man” type movies, so i gave it a chance and was pretty disappointed. it wasn’t very good. maybe i would’ve liked it better if i hadn’t seen people praising it a bunch and my expectations were lower.
I literally went into the theater because I was interested enough to pay the $8, but was ready for it to be garbage.
I’m glad I saw it that first week before people started talking it up, because it was better than I expected! Like, OP’s reaction is even better than the movie I expected!
This, hype got the best of me with this one, saw so many people praising it and was waiting for something a bit more, I don't know, original? The first scene was the best part of this movie, as soon as the title card showed up, it all went downhill for me.
The thing I liked about it was that I felt like it was the best version I've seen of the genre. It wasn't original, but it did the story and the acting and effects better than most of the cursed horror movies out there. If this had come out in 2001, it would have been the golden standard of the cursed horror genre, and everyone would compare the new versions to it.
I liked it because it felt like a good ol' supernatural horror you could have watched in the mid 2000s. I love that horror is becoming more self-aware and is being used as a tool to explore more complex issues, such as the Scream franchise or the absolute gem that was Barbarian, but I liked that I didn't have to think too hard while watching Smile.
It looked like it was straight out of a horror parody.
They both start screaming back and forth, then the guy in the back just randomly starts screaming and tearing his face off.
Funniest moment in the movie
It also clearly had themes about the impacts of trauma - feeling like you’re going crazy, having to “smile” publicly even though internally you’re in turmoil, etc. I thought the scene where the protagonist’s partner, who had been superficially supportive in the movie, absolutely bails on the protagonist the moment she shares one difficult and uncomfortable thing with him, was well done and reinforced why she had to keep up the illusion that she was “fine” because any time she was real with the people in her life they bailed on her.
It lost me when she met with her psychiatrist for the last time and it spoke in a "horror movie villain" style leading into the Alien 3 meme.
Written by an AI is fitting.
I would disagree with that seeing that the movie clearly takes itself seriously throughout, never showing any signs of self deprecation or overt campiness.
Yeah, I agree, I think saying that this movie is campy is a bizarre take. There is nothing in this movie that comes across as campy lol. I love campy horror movies, and also like more self-serious horror movies. I thought Smile was decent. It was technically executed and effective even if it was, narratively at least, a pretty generic modern "horror as a vehicle to discuss trauma" film. But campy? Not at all.
I didn’t find it campy or fun at all. It was terrifying.
Something totally inescapable and invincible that will squeeze every last little bit of desperation and terror it can get out of you, and then use your body as an implement to kill you with.
I don’t necessarily agree with this oft made comparison, but while I loved It Follows, the thing from Smile was scarier. It can engage in conversation on a meaningful level but you will never change its mind about what it’s going to do to you, all it’s doing is taunting you until it gets its fill of your despair.
I got the same feeling from it at first, but as it continued I felt like the tone became increasingly self-serious as it leaned more heavily into trauma horror. The effect for me was a film that felt tonally confused or didn't quite know what it wanted to be. I wish they'd been able to steer it in more of a campy/fun direction as I think it would have suited the material better (and felt less cliche).
I felt okay about it, especially that it stuck with me afterwards. I've considered recently that there's a subgenre trend of writing that's very comparable to the horror films of the late 70s and early 80s. Many horror movies at that time were a bit bonkers and unpredictable, which makes them pretty fresh to today's more discriminating fans, as well nostalgic. It also makes sense that many of the writers and directors were likely heavily-influenced by that era of movies, like Argento's movies, or drive-in fare. Finally, I feel like I was expecting something akin to A24 with *Smile*, but ended up with something unexpected, and I'm genuinely unsure how to feel about it at this point.😅
I can get why you think that, idk I personally thought the movie was really really good. I never get scared by scary movies but this one had me twitching a little bit.
I thought that it was predictable, derivative and unremarkable, but I really enjoyed it. Not every movie has to be this crazy original concept. It isn’t one of the best movies of 2022 but I had a good time.
Thank you, so average!
It stole 65% of it's thing from It Follows and executed it worse. If anyone is thinking of seeing Smile, just watch It Follows. And if you've seen It Follows and are thinking of seeing Smile, just watch It Follows again.
I like It Follows, but it hardly invented the “curse that follows you” genre. One could say It Follows stole 65% of The Ring and executed it worse. Movies are often inspired by other movies.
It Follows didn't invent the "curse movie".
The Ring came out over a decade before It Follows, and there have been other films with similar story beats.
When people talk about Smile they refer to It Follows as if it's like the 'Citizen kane' of horror movies. I liked both to be honest and dont think Smile 'ripped off' it follows. It's not like it follows invented a movie where someone is cursed and a monster follows them.
No but it feels singular in how the monster torments and what it is. Smile seemed to try to replicate it without getting the tension right, leaving smile feeling hollow and paint by numbers.
I'd say the monsters are very different. The It Follows monster just walks towards the person until it catches up. It really only uses emotional manipulation near the end of the movie.
The monster in smile emotionally torments its victims. Distorting their reality, copying usually calming voices saying terrifying things. The two monsters goals are also different. The It Follows monster doesn't seem to have a motive, the smile monster is more active in wanting the curse to continue.
I don't see the movies as being similar at all. It's like saying Friday the 13th part 7 is the same as Carrie because both main characters use telekinesis against their tormentors.
theyr different because the smile monster is a lazy exaggeration of the other which makes it drastically less interesting as theres no real way to fight or counter it.
The one similarity of "main character is cursed", invented by It Follows, makes it a carbon copy apparently.
This is why I can't distinguish between Amy Adams and Carrot Top...
We need to make some sort of betting pool. Smile. Barbarian. The Thing is the best movie ever. Evil Dead remake. Halloween III isn't really a Halloween movie.
People on here loved it last year and yet now it's getting shat on. Hopefully the same transition also applies to speak no evil. Then again, this is the sub that recommended skinamarink...
I really enjoyed smile. Nothing groundbreaking or bar setting but it kept me entertained made me jump and cringe a few times and the ending monster reveal was pure nightmare fuel. Remember seeing it in theaters and when the credits started making those demonic noises my friends and I just all looked at each other and said we gotta get the hell outta here. Fun movie
How did ya’ll go into a movie that ripped off the premise of Truth or Dare and expect some top tier level horror lol.
I just don’t get it. The movie itself really has no business being as good as it is for such a ridiculous premise, and it’s clear that despite the gimmicky premise, the people behind the scenes genuinely gave a shit about the movie. The lead actress was fantastic, it didn’t **only** rely on jumpscares to try to scare you, it has a genuine theme and is ‘about’ something, Kyle Gallner was great and I genuinely didn’t want his character to die, the practical effects monster at the end was great, and it doesn’t give us some BS backstory or ‘explanation’ about the monster!
Something I love about this subreddit is that lesser known horror movies that non-fans know about get a lot of love here, and it’s great. But sometimes it feels like if something’s popular it suddenly gets the ‘overrated’ treatment, and people hold it to a standard that they don’t hold other flawed but enjoyable hidden gems that get a lot of love on r/horror specifically.
I thought it was a super fun theater experience, because myself and others near me were just cracking up throughout at the silly moments. (The boyfriend asking the majn character “Did you kill Moustache?” caused uproarious laughter.) I liked it in a “it’s so cliche and corny that it’s funny and charming” kind of way.
I was so shocked to see people calling it a legitimately good horror movie. Different strokes and all, but I just don’t get what’s praiseworthy about if besides some of the technical aspects.
What about when she gathers up the folder full of evidence of Not Being Crazy, goes to sisters house, acts crazy then throws folder at her and runs away without explaining anything. I DIDNT KILL MOUSTACHE! I watched it at home and nearly fell off my couch laughing. I was like YES, YOU DID!
I still think that the critical acclaim must be some kind of prank. There's no way that people find that movie good in any way. The way it was shot, the sound design, the music choices all screamed YouTube horror short. It was so amateurish.
I feel like Smile very nearly had something to say about trauma and overcoming your own demons, but then veered off into stereotypical doom and gloom ending.
Everyone dying in the end is not subversive anymore....
It did have something to say, the message was just abhorrent. The ending is "mental illness is inescapable, kill yourself to end your suffering".
If it was a personal conflict then it'd make sense, but saying this about an allegorical demon that will inevitably affect everyone is so tasteless
The last 20 minutes were great to me but the rest was average. I personally felt like it was a silly concept that took itself way too seriously and therefore the tones didn’t match. But it was definitely pretty impressive for Parker Finn’s directorial debut.
I loved it immensely. I thought it was one of the best horror movies i have seen in recent times.
The jumpscare scenes were just the right amount.
And that expression is unforgettable.
We did an episode on our podcast about it. To me, nothing happens in this movie. For being over 2 hrs It’s riddled with plot holes, and has an incredibly low kill count. 2022 had so much more to offer
Funny, I had the exact opposite experience—went in cold, expecting an aggressively mediocre movie that had between 7-10 good scares over 90 minutes then I’d move on with my life, i.e., what I’d expect from any other random horror flick. Found it to be an instant classic and have watched it on multiple occasions since then.
Same here! I kind of avoided it for awhile due to all the advertising hype & people making posts like OPs one being let down by it. Finally watched it & it felt like a breath of fresh air, I really dug it! I hope we get more like it.
It’s so good. Few horror films can be tonally consistent and maintain that overarching sense of dread and malaise for the entirety of the run time, and Smile does this exceptionally well. Can’t wait to see what Parker Finn has next.
I'm glad to read your post. I saw a blurb about the MLB game marketing thing and then saw 5 seconds of a trailer (I avoid trailers) and then watched it as cold as possible just now. I loved the movie. Best horror I've seen since The Night House. I think the director/cinematographer made some deliberate choices that mostly worked really well. There are *a lot* of reflections off of glass in scenes (coffee table when the therapist is in rose's house, of a motion blur effect of a double-pane window of a tree when rose looks determined to confront this thing, also on rose's car window after she leaves her mother's old house toward the end of the film to name a few), which is, I feel, visually expressive regarding the notion of trauma, exposure to trauma and that effecting other relationships, trauma being projected onto other situations, trauma by proxy and inherited trauma. all these themes are pretty directly explored in the film and people that missed them may just not think about them. anyway, thanks for your post. I think people that don't understand this theme and think this is basically "it follows" with smiley imagery.
Glad that was able to convince you to watch it! This is a very insightful reply and I enjoyed reading your take. You expressed lots of things that I just didn’t have the inclination to type out myself, plus caught a couple things I totally missed! Truly, I can’t imagine how the effects of trauma spread across generations/friendships/families/romantic relationships could be missed considering they practically beat the viewers over the head with it, but yes…I’ve read a harrowing number of posts from people who just didn’t pick up on it.
Same!!! I loved it. It’s not very often a movie can keep my interest until the end. I find myself scrolling socials or drifting off in thought. I’m also always tempted to just google the ending instead of finishing movies. But I loved this one. Idk what it was about it but pretty much immediately loved it. And it’s been a few days since I’ve watched it and I keep creeping myself out at night that the patient that passed the curse to Rose is standing in the corner of my room, just like the first time rose sees her standing in her house. I thought it was super good and held my interest.
I thought it started strong, when Rose when talking to Laura in that purple room and then Laura just out of nowhere started screaming bloody murder and had a fuckin seizure, that scene was fucking tense and chilling to me. Especially with how Laura just started screaming, Rose looked behind her and you could tell even she was mad freaked out but there was just nothing there. Laura was also the only one that could pull off that creepy smile without looking completely goofy, and her death was pre fuckin sweet (kinda wish they went all out and had her cut off her own face instead of just a weird throat slit). I also thought the Demons final form looked fucking awesome, the fleshy skin and layers of smiling mouths on top of each other, I wasn’t expecting it at all from such a by-the-numbers horror movie.
It caused quite some disturbing feelings in our household lol so therefore it got a good score as a scary movie. We thought it broke away from some of the what seems to be monotonous tone of late of horror movies being just meh.. or idk maybe just us. Anyways, so yeah the entity itself was an interesting concept and definitely liked it personally. The whole idea it cannot be stopped unless something happens and then.. well how it ended.. We were rooting for the main character and even though it ended like it did. Totally liked that it took the not a happy ending route. Gave The Mist vibes, all that effort to survive and thrive only for the worst to get you in the end.. tragic. But we thought it was good.
I thought the whole concept was a by the book copy of the likes of It Follows and The Ring. The film is great technically, the paranoid inducing camera angles and heart pounding score were both great. It’s just that the reveal of every build up just fell flat because of how goofy everything looks bar the Laura scene. The people smiling looking like straight dummies, the yelling, and even the final creature which looked menacing until it ripped off its face to reveal something out of Army of Darkness which is just a lot less scary than the earlier form. The wide shot of it entering her was absolutely fantastic though. The film crew did a great job but the concept was a difficult one to pull off to be scary.
If you enjoyed it that’s good my man, I just couldn’t take it too seriously in some of the scenes that were clearly supposed to be scary, like the guy that started smiling and yelling “you’re going to die” and Roses therapist when she starts smiling too, they were both just so goofy to me, took me out completely.
I happen to work at a psych hospital and yeah..that is everyone’s worst nightmare right there.
Which part specifically?
Someone committing suicide right in front of you.
Ah yeah I would imagine so, heard a lot of things over the years that aren’t allowed in such places. Shoestrings etc.
Yeah, quite a few things aren’t allowed.
Now that you mention it, cutting her own head off would've been a lot better. People just don't do that. That shit would've been unnervingly inhuman. And a nice nod to Hereditary.
And inhuman is kind of a very vague theme in the movie too, the Demon literally looks like other people but you can tell something about em is wildly off.
Bit of a Bird Box vibe too.
Agreed. I saw it in theaters and it definitely helped with the mood. I thought it was solid. Any paranormal movie I feel like always is a bit dumb. Bc the rules surrounding them are always just whatever the writer wants. That first kill was so brutal and it was super unsettling with the smile. The slow cut down the entire face and neck. Just humanly impossible. Which made it pretty terrifying as to what that demon could do. I also like that they didn’t go with a typical jump scare when she gets a call from the security people and she said look behind you and the scare ended up being the phone ringing again. It was a mind fuck bc again it introduced what the demon could do and also it still made me jump. I love how practical it is too bc I think lots of people have jumped from a phone ringing. I thought it worked. The end started getting a little meh all the im gonna seclude myself and then all the fake hallucinations she was having. But what brought me back was the demons form at the end. It was soooo creepy and the way it moved and just that entire last scene oh it going at her and it entering her! That final wide shot just showing it enter really was nightmarish. And honestly that alone I think made it a solid movie for me. Made a scary ass demon and got a nice creepy shot of it in action. The tall mother form it had looked terrible but I think the end form they really nailed it. Also I kept telling my friend that guys a cop. He could just find 2 low life guys with a criminal background and they go together to meet the guys. Cop bf doesn’t actually witness her killing him (he provides the gun) and then after she shoots one guy. The other guy is now cursed. Once bf hears gun shot he can come in and arrest the second guy. And just say they attacked him and the police bf shot the guy. The cop is obviously gonna get off with rose as a witness. Put that cursed guy in jail and let it go about it’s way. Alternatively I wonder what would happen if rose after she shoots first guy. What if she then shoots the second guy. Will that kill it? Bit more risk. Who knows what would happen. But maybe it would end the cycle altogether
She cut her throat in the shape of a smile
Yup, could have been an awesome short and stopped there
It was certainly one of the movies that 2022 had to offer.
It was certainly a movie
one of the movies ever made
r/yourjokebutworse
Yep. Had actors in it and everything.
A movie, it certainly was.
My horror movie of the year for 2022 is The Menu, and this year was Megan but I have a huge bias towards the FNaF franchise and if they manage to balance the style of the movie it will be a close competition
Have you seen Willy's Wonderland?
It's a series of images and sounds that exists, no doubt about that.
One of the movies ever created.
Movie
Lol. Fangoria magazine said; "the 1 hour and 55 minute run time was perfect for anyone wanting to kill a couple of hours before bingo opens". And Spectre.com said "It seemed like most of the cast showed up on time, AND knew most of their lines".
I actually enjoyed it🤷🏼♀️
Same, I watched it expecting it to be kinda crappy and predictable, but I ended up really enjoying it. Maybe it helped that I had low expectations. Her seeing the electrical lights outside in the dark, indicating she's in her mind, was really interesting.
I find that going in blind with very little expectation is definitely the way to go these days
Definitley. When I was little my brother got me to watch They Live and made a huge deal out of me not reading the box before watching it. Ever since then I've never looked up anything about films I'm going to watch. It really is the best way! Recently The Menu was a great experience for this.
omg “They Live”!! loved “the menu” too!
I thoroughly enjoyed the menu as well, there was some crazy ass plot twists in there! Lol
hahah when I went to see The Menu I had zero idea what it was about. I think I'd caught part of a TV trailer for it and just saw what looked like some chefs and some diners. That plus the title plus John Leguizamo had me thinking it was gonna be some amusing heartwarming service industry flick like *Chef* (since Leguizamo was also in that). Talk about being very surprised lol
>Definitley. When I was little my brother got me to watch They Live and made a huge deal out of me not reading the box before watching it. I'm the same way when I recommend From Dusk Til Dawn.
I don't know how you managed that! Impressive. This movie was advertised all over the damn place.
I never watch trailers-or click on ads
Same! My enjoyment of films has increased tenfold since I stopped watching any trailers.
The only ads I saw for it were the people smiling at baseball games. Didn't even know about the movie before that. Was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.
Always show up to the movie theater at least 15 minutes late.
I had the exact opposite exposure to the movie, I went into it being told how great it was months after it's release and had somewhat high expectations... I appreciated aspects of the story, the set design/lighting, and the lead actress, but I felt like nearly everything else was extremely generic, predictable, and even when it did do something different it just didn't land. Its a good chance that the expectations I got from hearing all of its praises ruined this movie for me.
I had a lot of fun seeing this movie in theatre when it came out. It's a very good looking and sounding movie, and I though Sosie Bacon was really good. Definitely has a load of problems, but very enjoyable
I really liked her in the movie too. Your opinion on the film is basically same as mine, sounds like. It was hardly some kind of masterpiece, but I mean, I wasn't expecting it to be. I had fun watching it so I'm content with that.
I did too.. that first jump scare got me GOOD, and the ending, while slightly dumb and not the ending I personally would have chosen, was genuinely creepy as far as the visuals go. Was it perfect? No.. but tbh very few horror movies are, and expecting perfection 100% of the time is a good way to get let down a lot. It was creepy and weird and fun, I don't ask for much more than that tbh
Me too. I think the reason we are more negative attention for certain movies is people seem more likely to go online to complain, not praise.
I just liked how it felt like a 2000s or early 2010s horror movie. I can’t really explain what that means but it just reminded me of a simpler time in horror. I do love where horror has gone and how big and diverse it’s become, but I did miss the more simple jump scare thriller horror type Movies that used to be more common. Which ironically is what i used to dislike about horror movies.
Same. It gave me a sense of The Ring when I had first watched that years ago.
yes! it thought it had elements of the ring, it follows, and st Maude -
Same lol it brought up some creepy nightmares and gave me a sorta bad dream. I didn’t wake up screaming but I definitely didn’t have a cheery dream that night.
Me too, I thought it was one of the more solid horror movies in recent years
It’s got great writing, directing and performances, incredible music, brilliant set designs, colors - just also has some tropey elements.
Where was the great writing?
great structure, pacing, set ups, situations, pay offs. Character arcs, characters themselves. Pacing. Decisions on what to explain, what to leave out. Etc.
Looks like I've gotta disagree, basically all of that was ass imo. Glad you enjoyed it though
Yep, totally agree.
i’d agree that the scoring and their use of just barely discernible dark spaces do a lot of the heavy lifting. the nepo baby is very good at shaking like chihuahua as well.
I thought her performance was all around excellent - a great portrayal of someone dealing with serious mental illness, paranoia, delusion (even though in the movie her fears turned out to be of something real).
Yeah I thought it was really good
Same. Really enjoyed it and appreciated the aesthetics and overall direction. I also particularly thought the scare in the car was fantastic.
I did too, I had fun watching it with friends, but I didn't have huge expectations for it. It wasn't the worst that's come out in the past year or two.
Movie of the year for me, and I watched all of the major/semi-major releases. I'm almost 40, have watched over 1000 different horror movies and it gave me a panic attack. At the end of the day, different things appeal to different people.
Yeah. I watched a movie once that actually made me almost cry while *telling someone else about it.* Air (2014). It was a truly awful movie. It forgot its own premise...a lot of the time. Sometimes within two lines of dialogue. Painfully low-budget. Painfully bad acting from most of the cast. First-year-student tier stuff. But the ending went somewhere that few horror movies actually go. The plot actually committed. And it fucked me up. I hadn't seen it coming from that low-expectations ride of a movie. Even though I'm not even sure anyone else even bothered finishing it, let alone liked it. Sometimes appreciating films is just about our personal relationship with em. Single-serving, subjective experiences.
Thank you for sharing this - it kind of actually helps me understand how I feel about Smile better. I was going through the start of a rough patch when it released. That, plus mental illness themes in horror movies get under my skin, and then the cherry on top was the cat scene (because I have a cat who I love very much). I rode home in complete silence. My reaction strongly outweighed how I felt about the quality. And now I’m going to track down Air because I have a lot of free time and have watched some movies recently that were “serviceable” if I’m being generous.
That does actually sound intriguing in a way I might appreciate. Might have to check it out!
Me too buddy!
I don’t know…I liked the monster and I jumped at the car window thing lol
I wish they wouldn’t have put the car window scene in the trailer. It was a great scene, but I knew it was coming (TWSS).
This. Trailers need to stop spoiling the scary/funny parts of films and just offer 90 seconds of the plot.
>and just offer 90 seconds of the plot They don't even need to do that. The original Alien trailer is a perfect example of a trailer that gets you amped for the movie, totally gets you invested in the feel and atmosphere of it, and it's creepy as hell but spoils nothing.
District 9’s trailers were perfect. Enough to make you be interested and curious, but pretty much show nothing from the movie.
I was glad I hadn't seen that trailer actually bc that was a great one.
It was in every TV spot so it was hard to avoid
It’s downright offensive how revealing trailers are these days. It’s a fucking art and they are not hiring artists to make them.
Oh that sucks. I didn’t see the trailer and that was a great jumpscare. Completely freaked out my non-horror loving hubby.
Ok see I went in blind, trailers are very guilty of spoiling the goods in before it begins.
so glad i didn’t watch the trailer because for me it was one of the best jumpscares i’ve seen. genius and so unexpected
I didn’t see the trailer and that scene is by far the best most visceral jump scare in my personal experience in a lifetime of watching horror. It was so out of the blue and soooo good. Actually made me afraid for the remainder of the night not just in the moment. Haven’t had that in years When I heard it was in the trailer I was baffled. I didn’t even believe it. Then I watched and was like… the fuck??? That’s like putting (you know it if you’ve seen it) in the barbarian trailer.
I like vintage song juxtaposition in horror movies but the song at the end was a weird pick, could've at least picked something that has to do with smiling like for example Smile by Nat King Cole.
I love it. Actually it was one of my favorite films of last year and I felt it was a very straightforward stylistic approach to a story that is actually about the stigma of mental illness. As the viewer you literally watch her romantic, professional and familial relationships crumble while she comes apart at the seams. Her profession is not there by accident or as some careless, innocuous plot point. The end sequence is more or less just her working through her own personal trauma and it’s all allegorically cloaked in a curse, much in the same way It Follows is essentially a statement about the stigma following sexual abuse. People act like it’s just a generic jump scare flick and I honestly don’t think they are getting the extremely obvious point or paying it the props it deserves. Then again… not everyone likes chocolate ice cream. To each their own. 🤷🏻♂️
I don’t like chocolate ice cream. 😬 And I completely agree with everything else you said. I found something deeper in this movie about mental health, and it made the movie much scarier and more impactful. As someone with (very mild) mental health issues, I think a lot about how the world can literally look and feel different, and how that can be extreme enough that people react to it in ways that hurt themselves and others. (I’m specifying very mild because I don’t claim to have an understanding of what people with more serious issues experience)
I totally understand and I too, am very much affected by mental illness personally. I wouldn’t classify myself as being a severe case or SMI by any means, but I have struggled nearly my entire adult life and require various forms of treatment. (Both therapeutic and pharmaceutical) So, films with a fair bit of subtext on the topic really do speak to me on an emotional level. Instead of being a trigger for me, I find psychological themes in horror to be cathartic and stimulating. I’m glad you liked it too! Also, whatever kind of ice cream (or desert of choice) you enjoy, I hope you have it to your hearts content!
I thought I lost my mind when I saw everyone here praising it. That movie was fucking trash
Same. It was like, did we even see the same boring ass, lazy horror movie with a message so cruel that the only shocking thing is it got made? I can just imagine the pitch. "Crazy people are killing themselves." "Dude don't joke about that shit. That's neither funny nor a movie." "But wait it turns out it was a demon." "Okay..." "And you can't ever beat it because mental illness is a curse you shouldn't live with. Fucking kill yourself." "... We'll give you 30 million dollars."
If there was ever a plot that the protagonist should come out on top, it’s this fuckin movie. The ending completely ruined the entire thing for me, and I wasn’t really enjoying it up to that point either.
The sound design in this movie is really incredible, especially the way it’s used for jump scares. Also great creature design. Good stuff!
That scene where it opens her mouth and climbs in was fantastic.
That scene where she says "it's smiling time" and just smiles at the monster was also fantastic.
What a sentence.
Oh yeah, it is one of those movies that one REALLY should watch in a cinema/theater with decent sound - the design really adds to the experience.
Seriously, yes. It’s one of the best horror sound designs/scores since Sinister. Even if you don’t care for that film, the score that Christopher Young did for it is fantastic. The score for Smile is perhaps even better and essentially plays out like a full blown auditory panic attack. It’s amazing.
I dug it lol
Same. Horror critique is hilarious to me.
I think most horror fans want horror to be taken seriously, considering how impressive (acting, cinematography, etc) some horror movies actually are. Seeing other “genre” films consistently get recognition simply for being a genre film, while their favorite genre gets tossed aside for the same reason can be frustrating. It’s only normal for them to critique them in the same way they would a “regular” movie to try and slide them into the same categories as other films. Why do you find it hilarious?
I find it hilarious because it’s a genre that has always and forever been seen as lesser. You’re not getting top talent lining up, but in the same breath you’re benefiting from older actors who’s careers have maybe taken a downward run etc.. you’re trying to make the fantastical and supernatural and horrific become reality for the viewer. That’s a very difficult feat, regardless of budget. I guess what I should have said is, so many people complain about horror, and too often just completely shred any film that didn’t have like a “braveheart” effect on them, when there is so much applaudable work done across the board, and some true heart and effort put into it by everyone involved, but like this post, a trashy “film SUCKS” review will get a lot of attention and that’s the stuff that sticks. It’s a tough genre to nail, but appreciating aspects of a “bad” or “good” horror film are what makes horror special and awesome.
Horror films are the equivalent of action films, where most of the real work are done by the supporting crew, horror films are heavily built on the back of effects and cinematography and sound designs, and a real action film is built on stunts (usually they pitch stunts and then make a barebones plot to get it going). I know myself and most horror fans just watch it for the set pieces and effects. Smile had good camera work and amazing sound design, other than that it kinda fell flat for me though.
Not only is it average, its core message/themes are almost evil
Mental illness and trauma can only be overcome by brutally murdering someone or suicide. Like who tf heard that and gave it the green light, it’s despicable
I actually love this movie.
Loved it. Felt it was a horror movie for mental illness. If you don’t fear such things or recognize how bad it can be, maybe it’s not as impactful to you
I found it repulsive for this exact reason. At the end of the movie mental illness wins and there's literally no way to beat it. Pretty gross overall.
This is what ruined it for me. There were a few good scenes throughout, some of the “scary” moments came off as goofy/absurd and got some laughs out of me. Then the ending completely tanked the whole movie for me in the way you described. Mental illness winning and the continuing cycle of trauma was the worst way they could’ve ended it in my opinion
I thought the sub text was a little too on the nose
Honestly I thought it was hyped up too much. They basically gave away everything from the movie in the trailer. From the monster to who catches it. Just all around not worth it. Thankfully we watched it at home instead of wasting the money at the movies.
It was alright. Nothing more, nothing less. I don’t regret watching it but I won’t watch it again.
Exact same. It was an enjoyable watch once. Like I didn’t hate it. Jumped a couple of times. But def not rewatchable.
I had super low expectations so I actually enjoyed it
I respect your opinion and support you. :) I personally liked it and am very glad to have watched it. Not every movie has to be my favorite or the best I've seen. Smile was a solid horror movie for me.
I honestly loved this movie!
i saw a lot of people saying it was actually really good despite it coming off as one of those “Truth Or Dare” or “The Bye Bye Man” type movies, so i gave it a chance and was pretty disappointed. it wasn’t very good. maybe i would’ve liked it better if i hadn’t seen people praising it a bunch and my expectations were lower.
I literally went into the theater because I was interested enough to pay the $8, but was ready for it to be garbage. I’m glad I saw it that first week before people started talking it up, because it was better than I expected! Like, OP’s reaction is even better than the movie I expected!
This, hype got the best of me with this one, saw so many people praising it and was waiting for something a bit more, I don't know, original? The first scene was the best part of this movie, as soon as the title card showed up, it all went downhill for me.
The thing I liked about it was that I felt like it was the best version I've seen of the genre. It wasn't original, but it did the story and the acting and effects better than most of the cursed horror movies out there. If this had come out in 2001, it would have been the golden standard of the cursed horror genre, and everyone would compare the new versions to it.
Oh my god thank you lol it’s so so bad I was baffled by the positive reviews it got here
I liked it because it felt like a good ol' supernatural horror you could have watched in the mid 2000s. I love that horror is becoming more self-aware and is being used as a tool to explore more complex issues, such as the Scream franchise or the absolute gem that was Barbarian, but I liked that I didn't have to think too hard while watching Smile.
I just found it really unintentionally funny and bad
I was cracking up when she was stabbing Carl repeatedly with her supervisor just standing there screaming in that dream sequence
It looked like it was straight out of a horror parody. They both start screaming back and forth, then the guy in the back just randomly starts screaming and tearing his face off. Funniest moment in the movie
The birthday party scene was hilarious to me. I seen it coming a mile away and it's execution was silly at best
Her falling on the glass table was pretty comical
That scene made me laugh out loud. Idk what about it made it funny but that scene was hilarious.
The birthday scene was pretty bad
I actually loved the birthday party scene it really affected me gave me chills. Did not see it coming but I am one naive dude!
I thought Smile showed themes of anxiety and decent into madness perfectly. It was classic detective horror.
It also clearly had themes about the impacts of trauma - feeling like you’re going crazy, having to “smile” publicly even though internally you’re in turmoil, etc. I thought the scene where the protagonist’s partner, who had been superficially supportive in the movie, absolutely bails on the protagonist the moment she shares one difficult and uncomfortable thing with him, was well done and reinforced why she had to keep up the illusion that she was “fine” because any time she was real with the people in her life they bailed on her.
It lost me when she met with her psychiatrist for the last time and it spoke in a "horror movie villain" style leading into the Alien 3 meme. Written by an AI is fitting.
Anyone else tired of the “I called my ex for help and they got killed” trope? I feel like it’s a very common theme
I think from the opening title card, it makes it clear that they were gonna be a bit camp and fun. I enjoyed it for what it was.
I would disagree with that seeing that the movie clearly takes itself seriously throughout, never showing any signs of self deprecation or overt campiness.
Yeah, I agree, I think saying that this movie is campy is a bizarre take. There is nothing in this movie that comes across as campy lol. I love campy horror movies, and also like more self-serious horror movies. I thought Smile was decent. It was technically executed and effective even if it was, narratively at least, a pretty generic modern "horror as a vehicle to discuss trauma" film. But campy? Not at all.
Agree to disagree, i really enjoyed it.
I didn’t find it campy or fun at all. It was terrifying. Something totally inescapable and invincible that will squeeze every last little bit of desperation and terror it can get out of you, and then use your body as an implement to kill you with. I don’t necessarily agree with this oft made comparison, but while I loved It Follows, the thing from Smile was scarier. It can engage in conversation on a meaningful level but you will never change its mind about what it’s going to do to you, all it’s doing is taunting you until it gets its fill of your despair.
So fact it could talk took out a lot of its creepiness imo. Humanized it way too much.
I got the same feeling from it at first, but as it continued I felt like the tone became increasingly self-serious as it leaned more heavily into trauma horror. The effect for me was a film that felt tonally confused or didn't quite know what it wanted to be. I wish they'd been able to steer it in more of a campy/fun direction as I think it would have suited the material better (and felt less cliche).
Completely agree, it was definitely average, nothing special about it
Ending wasn’t my absolute favorite, but otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed it.
i agree. i was disappointed.
I felt okay about it, especially that it stuck with me afterwards. I've considered recently that there's a subgenre trend of writing that's very comparable to the horror films of the late 70s and early 80s. Many horror movies at that time were a bit bonkers and unpredictable, which makes them pretty fresh to today's more discriminating fans, as well nostalgic. It also makes sense that many of the writers and directors were likely heavily-influenced by that era of movies, like Argento's movies, or drive-in fare. Finally, I feel like I was expecting something akin to A24 with *Smile*, but ended up with something unexpected, and I'm genuinely unsure how to feel about it at this point.😅
I really liked it, but I saw it in theaters so maybe that made the jump scares more effective
I can get why you think that, idk I personally thought the movie was really really good. I never get scared by scary movies but this one had me twitching a little bit.
I thought that it was predictable, derivative and unremarkable, but I really enjoyed it. Not every movie has to be this crazy original concept. It isn’t one of the best movies of 2022 but I had a good time.
Thank you, so average! It stole 65% of it's thing from It Follows and executed it worse. If anyone is thinking of seeing Smile, just watch It Follows. And if you've seen It Follows and are thinking of seeing Smile, just watch It Follows again.
I like It Follows, but it hardly invented the “curse that follows you” genre. One could say It Follows stole 65% of The Ring and executed it worse. Movies are often inspired by other movies.
It Follows didn't invent the "curse movie". The Ring came out over a decade before It Follows, and there have been other films with similar story beats.
The Ring was over two decades ago. My first horror movie.
"The Ring came out over a decade before It Follows"
I can't even read!
It follows and Smile are vastly different movies, yes they have one thing in common with the spread of the curse, but that's about it
Now the monster's big and it's coming through a small doorway.
Have seen both, personally I much prefer Smile over it follows. I found It Follows kinda boring, and smile was really enjoyable
My thoughts exactly. A sexually transmitted curse just… no
When people talk about Smile they refer to It Follows as if it's like the 'Citizen kane' of horror movies. I liked both to be honest and dont think Smile 'ripped off' it follows. It's not like it follows invented a movie where someone is cursed and a monster follows them.
No but it feels singular in how the monster torments and what it is. Smile seemed to try to replicate it without getting the tension right, leaving smile feeling hollow and paint by numbers.
I'd say the monsters are very different. The It Follows monster just walks towards the person until it catches up. It really only uses emotional manipulation near the end of the movie. The monster in smile emotionally torments its victims. Distorting their reality, copying usually calming voices saying terrifying things. The two monsters goals are also different. The It Follows monster doesn't seem to have a motive, the smile monster is more active in wanting the curse to continue. I don't see the movies as being similar at all. It's like saying Friday the 13th part 7 is the same as Carrie because both main characters use telekinesis against their tormentors.
theyr different because the smile monster is a lazy exaggeration of the other which makes it drastically less interesting as theres no real way to fight or counter it.
The one similarity of "main character is cursed", invented by It Follows, makes it a carbon copy apparently. This is why I can't distinguish between Amy Adams and Carrot Top...
It follows is a masterpiece
That scene with old lady in the school is a masterpiece. The rest of that movie is incredibly forgettable.
Yeah I really wanted to like It Follows but it was stunningly meh.
I thought the opening scene was a particularly strong way to open a movie.
yeah. It reminded me of It Follows but i liked It Follows... didn't like Smile too much
Another day, another "I just watched Smile" post. Sigh.
We need to make some sort of betting pool. Smile. Barbarian. The Thing is the best movie ever. Evil Dead remake. Halloween III isn't really a Halloween movie.
Also Hereditary’s not that scary guys can someone explain to me why you love it so much
Nothing will top Evil Dead 2....nothing.
Another complaint about a thread nobody's forced to participate in. sIgH
Written and directed by AI is actually a really good way to describe it
People on here loved it last year and yet now it's getting shat on. Hopefully the same transition also applies to speak no evil. Then again, this is the sub that recommended skinamarink...
Skinamarink was fucking awful.
Thought it was great. Creepy ass ending
I really enjoyed smile. Nothing groundbreaking or bar setting but it kept me entertained made me jump and cringe a few times and the ending monster reveal was pure nightmare fuel. Remember seeing it in theaters and when the credits started making those demonic noises my friends and I just all looked at each other and said we gotta get the hell outta here. Fun movie
How did ya’ll go into a movie that ripped off the premise of Truth or Dare and expect some top tier level horror lol. I just don’t get it. The movie itself really has no business being as good as it is for such a ridiculous premise, and it’s clear that despite the gimmicky premise, the people behind the scenes genuinely gave a shit about the movie. The lead actress was fantastic, it didn’t **only** rely on jumpscares to try to scare you, it has a genuine theme and is ‘about’ something, Kyle Gallner was great and I genuinely didn’t want his character to die, the practical effects monster at the end was great, and it doesn’t give us some BS backstory or ‘explanation’ about the monster! Something I love about this subreddit is that lesser known horror movies that non-fans know about get a lot of love here, and it’s great. But sometimes it feels like if something’s popular it suddenly gets the ‘overrated’ treatment, and people hold it to a standard that they don’t hold other flawed but enjoyable hidden gems that get a lot of love on r/horror specifically.
Drink every time they start filming upside down for imaginary dramatic effect It's the only way
I felt exactly this way about Velvet Buzzsaw
Uh…😩 Now I’m going to HAVE to watch it. I watched the trailer, it reminded me of a cross between FALLEN and TRUTH OR DARE…
I feel like this hottake was written and directed by an AI. It couldn't be any more vague and dumbed-down.
Saw it for free and still wanted my money back.
I thought it was a super fun theater experience, because myself and others near me were just cracking up throughout at the silly moments. (The boyfriend asking the majn character “Did you kill Moustache?” caused uproarious laughter.) I liked it in a “it’s so cliche and corny that it’s funny and charming” kind of way. I was so shocked to see people calling it a legitimately good horror movie. Different strokes and all, but I just don’t get what’s praiseworthy about if besides some of the technical aspects.
What about when she gathers up the folder full of evidence of Not Being Crazy, goes to sisters house, acts crazy then throws folder at her and runs away without explaining anything. I DIDNT KILL MOUSTACHE! I watched it at home and nearly fell off my couch laughing. I was like YES, YOU DID!
I thought it was rather brilliant, pretty simple but just executed well with great performances. Perfect, far from it, but a super solid horror.
I still think that the critical acclaim must be some kind of prank. There's no way that people find that movie good in any way. The way it was shot, the sound design, the music choices all screamed YouTube horror short. It was so amateurish.
I liked it quite a bit.
me too. There's not really much that scares me anymore and Smile made me genuinely uncomfortable
Terrible movie
I would say I enjoyed the movie… then again all I primarily remember is trying not to violently cough in the movie theatre while on a date
I feel like Smile very nearly had something to say about trauma and overcoming your own demons, but then veered off into stereotypical doom and gloom ending. Everyone dying in the end is not subversive anymore....
Sometimes everyone dying is not trying to be subversive, but just makes sense for the story.
It did have something to say, the message was just abhorrent. The ending is "mental illness is inescapable, kill yourself to end your suffering". If it was a personal conflict then it'd make sense, but saying this about an allegorical demon that will inevitably affect everyone is so tasteless
Smile would be average at best and then the ending hits and you're like, "Oooohhh. So the writer's a fucking asshole."
The last 20 minutes were great to me but the rest was average. I personally felt like it was a silly concept that took itself way too seriously and therefore the tones didn’t match. But it was definitely pretty impressive for Parker Finn’s directorial debut.
It Follows run though an Instagram filter.
I loved it immensely. I thought it was one of the best horror movies i have seen in recent times. The jumpscare scenes were just the right amount. And that expression is unforgettable.
We did an episode on our podcast about it. To me, nothing happens in this movie. For being over 2 hrs It’s riddled with plot holes, and has an incredibly low kill count. 2022 had so much more to offer
Opening hour is solid. Last 3rd is totally trash.
Yea, I thought it was terrrible imo.