Cert 18
****
Sosie Bacon (Loverboy) - daughter of the legendary Kevin Bacon and actress Kyra Sedgwick - delivers a solid turn in this creepy horror from first time feature director Parker Finn. Starring Jessie T. Usher, Kyle Gallner, and Harold and Kumar star - and real life former Obama administration staffer - Kal Penn, Smile is adapted from Finn’s own 2020 short film Laura Hasn't Slept.
Overworked, underpaid and under-appreciated, ER psych ward doctor Rose Cotter (Bacon) goes into meltdown after witnessing a shocking incident which saw one of her patients (Caitlin Stasey) take her own life in front of her. Rose is thrown into a tailspin by the events, leading her to sleepless nights and hallucinations. Ordered to rest by her boss (Penn), Rose takes some time off work, but soon finds that not even her Fiancé Trevor (Jessie T. Usher) is willing to believe what is happening to her.
Despite openly borrowing from every half decent horror film made over the last decade - there are hints of It Follows, Drag Me To Hell and even Midsommar - Smile is undeniably fresh and original. There is something about Finn’s film which somehow feels more authentic than almost every other mainstream horror movie made over the last 5 years.
Perhaps the thing to take away from Smile - terrible title aside - is how horror-literate its writer-director manages to be without ever falling into the usual hackneyed tropes, jumpscares and predictable spoon-feeding.There is absolutely no doubt that this is just the start for Finn’s career and one hopes that even if this turns into an overstretched franchise, his vision could at least be maintained.
This is a genuinely creepy, unsettling and all-around surprisingly hugely watchable modern horror film which is never afraid of wearing its many influences on its sleeve. What is even more impressive is the dexterity with which Finn has executed this impressive debut. Providing one is willing to ignore some of the more obvious nods to earlier horror endeavours, there is plenty here to love, admire and ponder upon. A true filmmaker star is born, and I cannot wait to see what he does next.
