Smile review

 

I was lucky enough to see Smile a couple of days before official release and boy oh boy what a trip this movie is. Smile is a psychological horror much in the same vain as say something like The Ring or It Follows but Smile is on another level entirely thanks to an incredible performance from lead actress Sosie Bacon who fully commits to the role on all levels. Smile follows a Psychiatry Doctor named Rose Cotter who after witnessing a patient kill herself in front of her begins to experience truly horrible situations that nobody but her can see which leads to everyone thinking she has completely lost her mind. 

Smile is a masterfully made horror movie filled to the brim with jumpscares, bait and switch moments and plenty of tension. It has a great pace for the most part as Rose Cotter's seemingly perfect life goes from bad to worse to complete torture. It's obvious from the get go that Smile is a lot more to do with mental illness and it is a great very effective metaphor for mental illness and trauma. 

Smile is a great time to be had at a theater full of people, you'll jump you'll feel the tension and you'll maybe even smile. With all that being said there is some problems here more so in the movies third act which goes full on a full CG type monster deal and while it works in story it just hurt everything that came before. When Rose is isolated and alone is when Smile is at it's best when she is not it struggles. There is a balance to be had and this movie almost nails falling just short of the mark. Sosie Bacon is remarkable and carries the movie to extreme heights that I did not expect heading into the theater. Smile is absolutely worth your time, just remember once you see it it's already too late. 

★★★