A Disturbing Expression Holding Terror and Trauma Within

Sosie Bacon in "Smile"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Over the last few years, it seems like the horror genre has been at its best when in the realm of independent film.  However, despite this year having some indie gems like “X,” “Pearl,” and “Crimes of the Future,” 2022 has also proven to be an uncommonly strong year for mainstream horror.  We were given “Scream 5” as early as January, and since then, we’ve had films like “The Black Phone,” “Nope,” and “Barbarian.”  Now that we’re three quarters of the way through the year, I can say that given the terrific offering from both indie and mainstream studios, 2022 has been a scary good year for the horror genre, and there’s still “Halloween Ends,” “The Menu,” and “Bones and All” waiting in the wings.

However, until then, we have the latest horror movie to kick off the Halloween season, and that’s writer-director Parker Finn’s feature directorial debut, "Smile,” which he adapted from his 2020 short film, “Laura Hasn’t Slept.”  Despite the movie being similar to some other horror films, there are still many legitimate scares to be had.

One day, therapist Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) meets with a new patient, Laura Weaver (Caitlin Stasey), who says she’s being terrified by an evil entity.  Not long into the session, Rose witnesses Laura kill herself.  Afterwards, Rose begins to have experiences that become more and more disturbing, leading her to believe that she may be haunted by the same supernatural force as Laura.

Bacon delivers a powerful lead performance as someone who’s trying to keep herself together while facing traumas that are both old and new.  As an individual who starts out as a caring doctor willing to help others, Rose morphs into someone who’s becoming damaged by the horrors that become worse with each day.  As the emotional core of the movie, Bacon exhibits a full commitment to role as she adds depth to her character with having you feel how much of a psychological toll is weighing on Rose as she tries to figure out the true nature of this deadly force.

While the performances of the supporting cast provide good work, it’s Stasey who’s the standout.  In her only scene, she provides a sense of how crippling the horror is that she’s been facing in the days leading up to the events of the film.  With this performance, Stasey gives a window into what Rose will start to become as the movie goes on, offering an additional layer to this unsettling interplay.

Although Finn’s screenplay has some likenesses to other horror films like “The Ring” and “It Follows,” it’s still able to bring a bit of freshness to this similar premise by exploring it through the lens of trauma.  Given the film’s nearly two-hour runtime, the movie has plenty of time to scare you, however, it’s not all about the frights.  In between the horror, the narrative uses its runtime to flesh out Rose’s character as a means to show us the mental hardship that she has faced in the past and what she’s experiencing during the events of the movie, having the two blend in such a way that gives us a view into her thoughts and feelings.  Also, by having this length, we’re able to experience the passage of time in the film more potently as the clock ticks little by little with the limited time that Rose has to conquer this entity.

The cinematography by Charlie Sarroff helps in creating much of the film’s tension.  One of the most notable ways is how he uses empty or expansive indoor space to put the viewer on edge.  There’s a scene in the first half hour that does such a thing when Rose is in her kitchen late at night, but it’s really noticeable in the disturbing opening scene where Rose meets with Laura.  With the almost unnatural-looking emptiness of the room in which Rose and Laura have their session, Sarroff uses this to elicit a sense of unease and maintain that to build on the film’s foreboding tone.

For his feature debut, Finn shows that he doesn’t need to rely on jump scares that cheap, but instead shows an ability to time them well for a more effective impact.  Just like writer-director Zach Cregger with his film “Barbarian,” Finn isn’t afraid to let a mainstream horror movie get a little weird, whether it be with the framing or whatever might be portrayed within the frame.  He shows an ambition that we’ve seen in other first-time horror directors in the last few years, presenting the start of what could be a memorable career in the genre.

This Halloween season, “Smile” will present you with the next everyday thing that will creep you out.

Grade: A-