2022 has been an incredibly good year for horror hounds. With such jewels as X, Prey, The Black Phone, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Nope, and most recently Pearl having already scared up plenty of attention this year, it’s quite an unexpected surprise that we get yet another gem to add to the year’s bulging list of horror must-sees.
Built out from his festival-favorite short film Laura Hasn’t Slept, and representing his feature film directing and writing debut, Parker Finn’s Smile comes at us with more than its fair share of genuinely hair-raising moments. His film, without question, deserves a spot on this year’s list of horror bests, and instantaneously vaults Finn into the horror spotlight. Keep an eye on this guy.
Though not totally original and often a bit too reliant on pesky dream sequences that may or may not be reality, his film effectively utilizes supernatural elements, intelligent fake-outs, and even some well-timed jump scares to prey upon the psychological horrors that haunt us all. Though Finn does run through some familiar horror tropes, it’s his use of a genuinely creepy atmosphere that keeps us unbalanced and slightly askew the entire time.
Smile is a rather old-fashioned horror film in that it relies on terror that emanates from within the human mind rather than from some deranged knife-wielding monster - even though knives get plenty of screen time. Chills come from things seen barely off screen, or shadows in the background. However, when it’s time for in-your-face horror, Finn’s use of some wicked cool practical effects from makeup effects master Tom Woodruff, Jr. (The Predator, Godzilla vs. Kong) are both extremely imaginative and genuinely scary.
As the film opens, we meet Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon - daughter of Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgewick), a frazzled, over-worked emergency therapist who accepts one last patient at the end of her busy shift at a local psychiatric hospital.
The young woman (Caitlin Stacey, Laura Hasn’t Slept) is hysterical as she talks about witnessing her college professor bludgeon himself to death with a hammer a few days earlier. If that weren’t traumatizing enough, she goes on and on about some invisible force that has taken over and is hiding inside her.
As Rose watches in horror, the young woman tips her head forward, contorts her face into a distorted smile, then slices her throat open with a piece of broken glass. Finn’s camera holds nothing back. We watch in horror as her throat opens up and buckets of blood stream down the woman’s body as she crumples into a heap on the floor. Still having trouble shaking this one.
We don’t know why or what caused her to do it, but we spend the remainder of the film trying to figure it out. Whatever it was, it is contagious, causing a chain reaction as it infects the next person who witnessed the smile, giving them about a week before they hand it off to the next victim… and so on. At this point, Smile becomes somewhat of a mystery as Rose, along with ex-boyfriend and now police detective (Kyle Gallner) delves deeper into why she has begun to experience anxiety, hallucinations, and visions.
Sure, it’s actually a pretty silly premise, but Finn’s deft direction, whip-smart script, and technical prowess always keeps things fun and engaging as we watch – through parted fingers – Rose’s life unravel. As the final scene fades to black and the credits roll, Finn runs a certain bright and cheerful pop song (I won’t spoil it here) under the rolling credits. Yet one more cunningly disarming tactic to keep us just a touch off kilter as we walk to the parking lot.
4K Ultra HD + Digital
Home Video Distributor: Paramount
Available on Blu-ray - December 16, 2022
Screen Formats: 2.00:1
Subtitles: English, Spanish; French
Video: Native 4K HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos; English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Discs: 4K Ultra HD single disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free
Parker Finn's brilliant little psychological horror film, Smile gets some much appreciated loving attention from the folks over at Paramount who have put together a fantastic little 4K Ultra Hd + Digital Code Edition. In addition to a wonderful Dolby Vision/HDR10 transfer, included is plenty of bonus material to satisfy the film's fans. DVD and blu-ray folks will be disappointed however, as this is a single disc affair.
Video
This isn't a film with loads of beautiful vistas and landscapes, so it won't knock you socks off with its 4k splendor. However, on the technical front, it is practically perfect with no noticeable flaws or oversights.
The films plays out mostly inside buildings or homes, so it's mostly dimly lit, but the details are superb and very faithful to the cinematic showing. There is plenty of vibrant color and the contrast of those color pops against blacks and darks is much appreciated. Stand in awe as the red of the blood takes front and center. Fast-forward to the throat-slitting scene to see for yourself.
Audio
Included are a Dolby Atmos track as a well as a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track. We listened to the Dolby Atmos and were pleasantly surprised at how active the sound was. Particularly from the sound track and foley effects (and jump scares) which attack from all sides.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- Feature-lenght commentary track with director Parker Finn
Special Features:
Here's where Paramount steps up and gives the film's fans what the want. In addition to a fascinating feature-length commentary track by Finn himself, there is also a 30 minute making-of piece, an EPK bit on the score, and a couple of deleted scenes.
But the best of the box is the inclusion of Finn's original short, Laura Hasn’t Slept which gave birth to this wonderful gem. Dig in! But just don't smile!
- Something’s Wrong with Rose: Making Smile
- Flies on the Wall: Inside the Score
- Deleted Scenes (with Optional Commentary)
- Laura Hasn’t Slept – Original Short with Introduction by Director Parker Finn
Movie | ||
Video | ||
Audio | ||
Extras | ||
Composite Blu-ray Grade
|
MPAA Rating: R for strong violent content and grisly images, and language.
Runtime: 115 mins
Director: Parker Finn
Writer: Parker Finn
Cast: Sosie Bacon; Jessie T. Usher; Kyle Gallner
Genre: Horror | Thriller
Tagline: Once you See it, it's too late.
Memorable Movie Quote:
Theatrical Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Official Site: https://www.smile.movie/
Release Date: September 30, 2022
DVD/4K UHD/Blu-ray Release Date: December 16, 2022
Synopsis: After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can't explain. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality.