A Short Review Of Smile (2022)

Man we’re having a solid run when it comes to horror!
When I saw the trailer for Smile I thought yeah, it looks ok and it’s October so of course I’m going to go and see it.
But just like the last handful of horror movies I’ve seen recently I was very much surprised at how enjoyable it was.

And not just as a fun spooky tale but it’s also surprisingly well made with a bunch of creative camera work and some solid sound design that actually does the majority of the heavy lifting when it comes to the tension and scares and this combo along with a solid cast makes for an effective and chilling story.

Now as far as the premise goes it at first feels like it’s eating The Grudge’s lunch and that’s not entirely far from the truth as it follows similar beats, however Smile manages to homage that style while putting it’s own unique spin on the formula.Sosie Bacon is really good in the lead role and at this point we’ve seen our fair share of folks going bonkers in film but she’s very effective and totally sells the fear in a way that put me on edge.

Smile doesn’t reinvent the wheel and if your a seasoned horror fan nothing here will suprise you, it also gives up one of its best moments in the trailer so if you’ve not seen that then pop your fingers in your ears and keep your peepers closed until you can see it as it will heighten the experience without a doubt.
It also falls off a little in the third act as most films in the genre do, once you peek behind the curtain most of the tension gets sucked out and there’s nothing left to do but get to the finish line. It’s also however a well made and crafted bit of spooky fun that I’d definitely recommend.

I’ll be giving Smile, Three and a half unsatisfactory birthday gifts out of five.

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