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.
Chuck says:
2022 has been a good year for the horror film, as new twists on familiar tropes have proved effective, while more than a few innovative features have graced the screen. However, for me Parker Finn’s “Smile” proves to be the highwater mark as it not only provides some effective jolts, but more importantly, burrows into your mind. Thanks to its effective use of symbolism and metaphor to explore the impact of trauma and guilt to horrifying and poignant effect, “Smile” elevates itself above other genre entries, determined to address genuine fears rather than deliver empty scares.
From the start, it’s obvious that therapist Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) is on edge. Yet, that’s to be expected, what with working in an emergency psychiatric unit where people in extreme mental and emotional distress are brought. Laura (Caitlin Stasey) is such a case, distraught and manic after having seen one of her professors bludgeon himself to death with a hammer. Since that incident, she claims to be seeing people others can’t, smiling at her manically and wishing her harm. Convinced she’s being attacked by such an entity, Laura commits suicide, an act Rose witnesses to her detriment for she soon begins having the same experience.
On the surface, this seems like a silly premise, but it morphs into something horrific and relatable as Rose uncovers the reason behind the curse is related to an unresolved trauma from her past. When it’s revealed she is but the latest in a long line of victims of this curse, Finn keys in on a societal malaise so many are suffering from. You’d be hard-pressed not to relate to Rose as she continues to increasingly tell those around her “I’m fine. Everything’s ok,” with an increased lack of conviction. The smile she puts on belies her true state, much as the disingenuous grimace her persecutors wear serves as a sign of torment rather than an inviting welcome.
Bacon puts herself through the ringer to marvelous effecting. Rose’s continuing denial regarding her past sends the character on a downward spiral that proves not only harrowing but moving as well. Bacon perfectly captures her despair, disintegrating before our very eyes as these creatures plague her. She comes to realize that, like the past that haunts her, the only way to combat them is to face them. There’s a ferocity to the actor’s approach throughout that makes Rose, though damaged, admirable, and relatable which allows us to sympathize with her plight.
Once Rose’s trauma manifests itself, Finn uses practical effects to great success. This allows the creature she ultimately faces to feel more present and intimate. By not employing a disconnected computer-generated effect but rather one with genuine presence, it makes the connection to our heroine all the more genuine.
The best horror films are those that speak to our most closely guarded fears, those that we dare not admit, the ones we keep tucked away in the recesses in our minds. Vampires, werewolves and zombies aren’t frightening; revelations of what makes us feel vulnerable, weak and afraid are what cut to the core. “Smile” is proof that Finn knows the scars we carry, try as we might to hide them, manifest themselves in the most unexpected ways. Often, we ignore them, tucking them back into our subconscious from where they’ve escaped. In the end, “Smile” proves to be a powerful cautionary tale, one that warns of the dangers of not addressing the hurt we carry within. It speaks to those who long to wrestle with their demons, yet don’t know how.
4 Stars
