Smile is a 2022 American psychological supernatural horror film written and directed by Parker Finn (in his feature directorial debut), based on his 2020 short film Laura Hasn't Slept. The film stars Sosie Bacon as Dr. Rose Cotter, a psychiatrist who begins experiencing frightening occurrences after witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient.
Plot:
Dr. Rose Cotter works as a psychiatrist at a psychiatric hospital. One day, she meets a patient, Laura Weaver, who is experiencing terrifying visions of people smiling at her. Laura tells Rose that she believes she is being haunted by an evil entity that is trying to kill her.
Rose is initially skeptical of Laura's claims, but she begins to experience similar visions herself. She soon realizes that she is also being targeted by the evil entity.
As Rose tries to figure out what is happening to her, she uncovers a dark secret about her own past. She must confront her demons in order to survive and escape the entity's grasp.
Analysis:
Smile is an effective horror film that uses simple elements to create a sense of dread and suspense. The film is well-acted and directed, and it features some truly creepy imagery.
One of the things that makes Smile so effective is its use of the smile motif. The smile is a symbol of happiness and joy, but in Smile, it is twisted into a symbol of terror. The evil entity in the film manifests itself as people smiling, and these smiles are anything but friendly.
Smile is also a film that explores the themes of trauma and mental illness. Rose's experience with the evil entity is clearly linked to her own past trauma. The film does a good job of showing how trauma can impact a person's mental health.
Conclusion:
Smile is a well-made and scary horror film that is sure to please fans of the genre. It is a film that will stay with you long after you have seen it.