2022 has been an excellent year for horror. From Barbarian to Halloween Ends, and Scream to Terrifier 2, horror fans have gotten their fair share of spooky flicks to write home about. But one film has managed to make audiences uncomfortable without having murderous sprees throughout its runtime: Smile. A continuation of the short film Laura Hasn't Slept by Parker Finn, Smile follows Rose Cotter, a psychiatrist who witnesses an unstable patient take her life. The event unleashes a series of unsettling apparitions that lead Rose to question her own sanity, or a supernatural force behind what she's seeing. Clever and chilling, Smile isn't just another horror movie; it's a commentary on the things that linger the most inside people. Here's how Smile cuts deep.
Chilling Opening
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Horror movies are known for reeling in audiences with their creepy openings; Smile delivers with a scene that both produces a jaw-dropping experience while properly setting the film's tone. Taking place immediately after the events of Laura Hasn't Slept, Laura is brought into the psychiatric ward Rose works in. Rose tries to calm Laura from her seeming nervous breakdown, causing Laura to go into detail about what she's seeing. When Laura goes into a panic, Rose calls for help only to witness Laura brutally take her own life - then the scene juxtaposes with the opening title, Smile. This graphic scene hits harder due to Laura's varying emotional stages - she's perturbed, helpless, horrified, and lastly, unhinged.
Psychological Decline
Blood and gore excel at making squeamish audiences curl up in their seats as they watch helpless characters fall at the hands of a killer - but exploring the human psyche is an equally effective way to disturb audiences. Laura's demise is only the beginning of Rose's ordeal as she immediately starts seeing what Laura saw - menacing, smiling people in the form of everyone around her from coworkers, her therapist, to her closest family members. Rose starts questioning her own sanity and tries to justify the apparitions through logic - maybe she's stressed out by everything occurring in her life.
While it's deductive that this is the product of a supernatural happening (it is a horror film), the narrative gives way to Rose as a potentially unreliable narrator; she transforms from a composed professional to a psychologically tormented individual. The opening shot of the film shows a young Rose tending to her mother as the woman is surrounded by medication, implying mental illness Rose and her sister reference throughout the film. At several points throughout the film, audiences can ask themselves, "What if it is all in Rose's head?"
Trauma
Trauma is a primary theme in Smile. Rose becomes a psychiatrist to cope with her own unaddressed issues involving her mother's passing, notably the memories of her mental illness. The film's climax has Rose isolating herself in her abandoned childhood home to avoid passing the curse to someone when her time comes; this self-imposed isolation forces Rose to deal with her trauma. In a continuation of the film's opening flashback, it's revealed that Rose's mother immediately regretted her decision to take her life and pleas for a young Rose to call for help. Overwhelmed by her mother's illness and its effects on their family, Rose doesn't help her. With no one around to manifest itself as, the curse transforms into Rose's mother and attacks. The curse itself is a metaphor for varied trauma that passes from person to person. In Rose's case, that trauma is personified as her deceased mother.
Complex Characters
Every major character in Smile is complex. Rose carries childhood trauma but finds comfort in helping those with their own trauma, either due to mental illness or their life circumstances. Her sister, Holly, is a detached and shallow character, but she deals with the emotional aftermath of breaking away from an abusive mother to have a better life. Rose's fiancé, Trevor, tries supporting Rose through her ordeal but proves he isn't equipped to nor does he want to. Rose's former boyfriend, Joel, is supportive of Rose and goes against his work ethics to help her. Rose's mother isn't necessarily a villain, but a victim of her own mental illness and lack of a proper support system. And Laura, the opening victim of the film, is one of the most complex characters presented.
During her brief onscreen presence, Laura reflects on the outcome of someone plagued by trauma; once a promising graduate student, Laura quickly descends into shambles with no one able to help her. Whether onscreen throughout every scene or for a couple of minutes, each character is full of depth and relatable to the masses. Smile cuts deep because trauma is relatable; everyone has dealt with a traumatic experience that lingers with them for a short period or for a lifetime.