Smile (2022) || Creepy but Familiar

The world felt smaller as the sounds of rain tapped on my window. The noises outside were muffled and I was cocooned indoors so I thought it the perfect weather for a horror film. At least a thunder clap could help heighten my watching experience. Bored of the movie list I made from other people’s recommendations, I decided to curate this one out myself.

The title seemed creepy enough so I gave it a go. It’s one of those horror films that knows exactly how to get under your skin. Although it uses a little too much of familiar horror tricks, I still found it creepy and pretty much unsettling. It’s also the kind of movie that leaves you side-eyeing anyone who grins at you for too long.

The story follows Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon), a therapist who witnesses a traumatic incident involving a patient. From there, her life starts unraveling as she begins seeing people with these terrifying, unnatural smiles and the line between reality and hallucination blurs fast. What’s stalking her? Is it mental illness? Is it something supernatural? The movie keeps you guessing… for a while, at least.

What works? The atmosphere. At this point it’s okay to infer that the director (Parker Finn) has a real knack for stretching out dread. Long silences, lingering shots and then there’s that awful anticipation of something lurking around the corner. It's classic horror technique, but done well. The “smiles” themselves are unexpected but deeply unnerving. They look wrong in a way you can’t quite shake.

Sosie Bacon carries the film on her back. Her character, Rose is exhausted, traumatized, spiraling and you believe every crack in her sanity. She grounds the movie, which could’ve easily slipped into camp, but instead stays frightening because she plays it so straight.

But here’s the thing though, as scary as it is in the moment, the story isn’t all that original. If you’ve seen The Grudge, you’ll recognize the formula. An unstoppable curse, a countdown to doom and an attempt to break the chain. This movie doesn’t really add much new beyond its creepy grin gimmick. And by the third act, it tips into over-the-top CGI territory that undercuts the quiet dread it built so carefully.

That said, I can’t deny it works as a crowd-pleaser horror. It delivers jump scares very well, it makes your skin crawl and it leaves images in your head that are hard to shake. The problem is that it doesn’t leave as much substance once the credits roll.

Would I recommend it? Yeah but especially for horror fans looking for a good scare. Just be aware that it’s got a familiar plot if you’ve seen too many horror films. This one is just one of those comfort food horror; familiar, effective and creepy enough to make you think twice about strangers smiling at you.

Rating? Well a 7/10.