I have to give this movie props for stressing me the hell out. Even the end credits didn't give me a break. It was on the level of Uncut Gems type stress-inducing filmmaking only it's horror in this case. Great film.
This movie genuinely freaked me out more than any movie of the last couple of years has. It really wasn’t even thAt scary. Just made me really uncomfortable.
Exactlyyy! Very well made! It plays with schizophrenia a lot and self harm which makes it more real. The cat scene I had to remind myself no animals were harmed😅
I agree, I was impressed with this film. I'm someone who doesn't get scared easily and loves horror, but this movie made me feel uneasy. Definitely one of the scariest movies in recent years
@@IsaacLikesGames Isn’t it. Though!! I agree with you!! Like this one took me by surprise and I’m glad I saw it without seeing the trailer it really made everything that much more terrifying
Who was it that once said: "there's two types of smiles. One is meant to show joy, the other is meant to show teeth." Seeing the trailers to this film brought that quote to mind. Not a horror fan myself, but always glad to watch a review from you Jeremy. Thank you.
@@lessismore8533 Also, the creepy evil smile is still technically joyous if you think about it. Like, its SINISTER joy, sure. But still, an expression of enJOYment, amusement, or pleasure. It's just that, the thing they are deriving joy from, being amused by, or getting pleasure from, is demented. So, I really think the only difference between the two smiles is what inspires joy in this person?
Gotta give huge credit to the sound people! They absolutely nailed it!!! Never in a horror movie have I felt unsettled soo much through the music alone!!!
I thought this would be another run-of-the-mill, dime a dozen, see it and never think of it again horror movie, and fuck me was I wrong. This movie genuinely got under my skin in a way most horror movies never have. It builds tension in brilliant ways. It conditions you to grow as paranoid as the protagonist as the film goes on. By the end you are a bag of nerves. Great performance by Sosie Bacon and well executed by Parker Finn. Highly recommend.
What made you as paranoid as the protagonist? Was it another smile person you think she’s run into? It takes heavy influence from It Follows which also did a great job with the Protagonist paranoia
@@lessismore8533 yes, definitely takes a page out of the it follows book. But I found the unpredictability of the antagonist in Smile to be more terrifying. It didn’t just blankly follow you around never stopping. It tortures you. Fucks with your life and loved ones. Let’s you believe you are ok and then smiles in your face when it lets you know you’re not. Parker Finn’s ability to up the insanity throughout the film is what did it for me. It started with a simple scene in her house where she seems someone just standing there smiling at her, which was a great scene alone. But as it progressed it became more proactive and vindictive. Also, to Finn’s credit, they shot the shit out of this movie that has no right to look this good. He had long tension filled shots where you had no idea what was going to happen. When you allow the camera to linger on scenes like that the audience becomes very uneasy. It’s as effective if not more so than a really intense score. And to add to your next comment about the jump scares, I think there are right ways and wrong way to use them. They used them to great effect in Smile. When you see a dull, forgettable horror movie that uses a jump scare a minute, it’s because they have no other options. Their film is simply not scary, so they need to force you to react. It’s like a laugh track on a sitcom; they are hoping to trick you into an emotion. They typically come out of nowhere in a scene that has no tension or buildup. In Smile, it’s used as an exclamation point as opposed to a substitute for the entire sentence. As Finn builds tension with these long drawn out shots, your nerves are starting to wear you down. You know something is going to happen but you are so consumed you can’t effectively prepare yourself for it. Plenty of the jump scares in Smile are entirely predictable, but they work because it is in service to the movie, not a substitute for something else. It’s the crescendo that marks a break in hysteria.
It’s been a while since I yelled audibly from a jump-scare (perhaps Hereditary). The part that got me the most is when Rose is at the computer analyzing the sound file and it just happens.
The bit that got me was after the imaginary stabbing sequence where Kal Penn is speaking to Rose in the car and suddenly she sees Carl bleeding from the mouth.
I really liked this film. It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The only complaint is that I wish that, since it clearly takes a lot of inspiration from It Follows, that it was slightly more subtle like that film. A couple of scenes of her going through the city and seeing people smile, wondering if it's the creature or just someone being friendly. Also, I wish the ending was slightly longer than it was. I wanted to see how the events that happened affected her family and friends since the movie did focus on Rose's relationship with them a lot.
it also reminds me a lot of the Denzel Washington movie Fallen (1998) almost identical in concept, demon makes people kill themselves and is passed on by promoxity.
I saw this movie last night and this film really surprised of how great it is!! It’s a straight creepy psychological thriller with images that will stay in your head forever! I barely went to sleep last night😭
I haven't been this scared by a horror movie in a long time. Parker Finn really knows what he's doing. There were several cheesy moments but overall excellent film and a must watch. Deserves the hype. 8/10.
I was thinking the exact thing. In fact that’s exactly what I said when I got out of the theatre. I was like wow I haven’t been that scared of a movie in a long long time. Was very awesomex
So glad that Black Phone has kind of started this trend for me where I hope a horror film that comes out of nowhere is good and it ends up being great, like Barbarian and now this. So glad it’s good
I really didn’t like Barbarian. I was only scared in the beginning. Once the titty monster was revealed all tension was lost. After that, the whole theater was just laughing. It really was a joke of a movie to me and I really can’t understand how so many people enjoyed it. I’m happy for y’all, but that movie was just not for me 😅
@@_Bren__ ngl for me it’s the misdirection that made it good, it could’ve been a throwaway slasher flick but it wasn’t, it took itself semi seriously given it’s kinda satirical and deadpan humor towards the end and I appreciate that
I had two issues with this movie. One the final death and the witness. He knew exactly how it was spread. Reviewed the cases. Yet didn’t learn from the other cases mistakes. It should have been her husband that witnessed it not the ex. My other issue was the kid that was traumatized. I felt no pay off came from seeing him stare out the window.
It would have been a fucked up pay off for the kid to have witnessed her suicide, just imagine she actually did get out of her old home thinking she won, drove to her sister instead in an attempt to make up with her only for the kid to open the door as the curse takes her over and the kid is the one to see her, just imagine how his parents would also be reacting once they stepped in, i think that would have been a truly insidious ending.
I feel that the ex would have a much easier time beating the monster. He has all the case files for evidence, and can probably call a bunch of priests and monks for an exorcism attempt.
Yea I agree with you, I think her fiance the douchebag should've gone to that shed/house and got it. The ex being there and ultimately catching the 'disease' is no way a good pay off but then again there was no pay off at all.
@@Patrick-pc3vq I think possibly the writer and director talked about it at some point but maybe couldn't do it cause the mpaa? But if they went that route with the sisters family being traumatized man that would be the ending to talk about . But I think the ending either the cop shows that from my perspective that even though good people have good intentions or try to help someone with deep trauma, sometimes its not enough , sometimes it's too late.
Once I saw you reviewed it, I closed my laptop, jumped in the car, and checked it out. Smile is a solid horror flick that forces you to listen to and empathize with the lead. A good (not excellent) psychological thriller/horror film is what the world needs today.
When watching movies, I tend to view them with the eyes of a filmmaker. And so in every scene in this film, I was completely drawn to the environment around the main character, and man… the director truly knows how to set the little things in place to give you anxiety. Some examples being the first time in her home (and every point after), the windows were never completely covered, the lights were all off or very dim, and as the movie progressed, in almost every shot that focused on a character, there was some sort of empty space next to them to make them either appear smaller or larger. As someone who can’t watch horror movies because I just see the telegraphed scares, this movie really unsettled me and I loved it.
I have to say this is the scariest and creepiest movie I’ve seen in a while. The scary movie anxiety you get during the movie is top notch. I highly, highly recommend this movie. I would give it a 10 out of 10.
@@MrSmith-1987 "I said if you were ignorant then you'd understand it was my opinion.' No need to delete your comment. I respect your opinion, but I would like you to explain it instead of just stating it with no back up.
@@coltbogan don't mind him. It was a fantastic movie and it was original, people in the room were screaming and having fun with the movie. It's rare in this day and age to experience that. So anybody saying this movie is trash just doesn't have good tastes in movies.
Let me tell you.....THE SCORE, A+! It's rare when a movie can make me feel very unsettled. The tension from the plot along with the acting and attached score was masterful. There were certain scenes when the low rumble of bass had me looking around wondering if it was coming from the theater next to us. Also the ending credits score was the icing on the cake, it had me and my family on edge.
You’re a spam bot, you’ve commented this exact comment on other reviews of this movie giving it a good review. The acting was terrible and so was the plot
The acting, score and over all of the movie was fantastic!! I love how they do these things in this movie. The cat dying upset me though, I give it a 9 out of 10 due to the cat dying.
I saw this movie last night and in the beginning I felt like it would kind of be a generic not great but not bad horror movie but I left the movie stuttering because I felt so much aftershock. I also went in completely blind and didn't even know what I would be watching until around 30 minutes before since my friend is the one who invited me and honestly loved it, even with its more "silly aspects", definitely something to recommend.
Haha I'm on the same boat never heard of it until last night and didn't know what I was gonna watch the beginning was cheesy for me but as it went on I was like okay okay I'm hooked I wanna know what's this whole smile thing is about .
I have to say I thought it would be Mike Flanagan who would make something as simple as a smile horrific. It's kinda his jam. But man this movie was good for a first timer. When I realized what the thing feeds off of that whole "is it in her head is it not" thing makes it SO much worse. And then the more I think on it, it makes sense why it would go after people physically not just psychologically. It wants to BREAK YOU to the point where you just snap. And while I'm not sure how I feel about ANOTHER horror movie having a fake out ending only for the REAL ending to happen the way it does, it makes sense. It's a lose lose situation here. Either you die horribly or you kill which is also horrible and that trauma gets passed onto someone else. It's almost like a never ending cycle.
I thought it would end with her killing herself when no one was around, thus stopping the cycle and preventing anyone else from getting hurt. (The real ending was good tho!)
@@kub3n334 THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT TOO! I was like "yes she's gonna end it, that's what confronting her past was all about-DAMMIT" lol ohhh film played me like a fiddle lol
And she never told her ex what the guy who survived the curse told her ;-; so it will probably just keep going and farming lives. I did not sleep well last night xD
@@kub3n334 omg I didn't even process that last night and now that's all I'm gonna think about today lol. I didn't get to sleep until like 3am and that was after watching Hocus Pocus 2 but THAT just made me want to watch Hocus Pocus cause it was pretty mid lol.
I watched it last night and I can't remember watching a horror movie in recent times that scared the hell or gave me the creeps as much as smile did. I thought it was going to be one of those horrors like the movie countdown but boy was I wrong. Would definitely recommend experiencing this film in the cinema
I used to watch these videos all the time back in 2012 and I wondered if you still made videos I’m really glad to see that they’re super high-quality and that you have a beard and long hair!
I don't comment at all but I have to say this became one of my favorite horror movies over the last few years. There is something about the stress level you have as a viewer watching it not really knowing what is coming next. I recommend watching it to anyone that thoroughly enjoys watching gore with psychological horror mixed in. Great review Jeremy!
I am a horror movie freak and it surprised me so much! The jump scares that were not fake-outs worked and the atmosphere was insanely well portrayed! It's definitely one of the best modern horror movies I've seen in a long time. It wasn't the run of the mill cliché predictable horror movies. I highly recommend this one!
I watched it tonight and I've never seen a horror film like this address the cycle of trauma before. I think a review would be remiss to not mention the overall moral to the story which is the contagion of trauma. A very unique take on the subject. I even think the superficial nature to the sister and her husband is to illustrate how they cope with trauma which is to just not go too deep, they cope by just not addressing it much at all.
Oh yes, I agree. What interested me is the cop dude that she liked she addressed to him that all her fake walls started to break down. So it’s ironic that her husband was superficial and fake to, similar to her sister and her husband. I know that may not be that big of a deal to people but I picked up on that lol
The opening scene/title card was dope! Definitely one of my favorite opening horror scenes alongside Sinister and Black Phone. The soundtrack was eerie and remind me so much of It Follows
It’s been 8 years since I stumbled upon your channel to this day. Man Jeremy no offense and I’m straight as a ruler but you look much better and healthier than you did almost a decade ago lol good on you Jeremy Wick.
@@supreme_zeeyus that’s what I thought too. I remember the dark bags under his eyes etc. he looked like he drank a lot. But he looks much more alive and like you said looks as if he aged backwards now.
I really love the marketing stunt of having the people sitting behind the batter at the baseball, with the big scary smile. That was enough to get me intrigued in the movie!
Fantastic marketing campaign, I was lucky enough to have seen the teaser when it was exclusively in theaters, before it was widely known. Can’t wait to see it!
I truly enjoy your energy, honesty and humor in your videos. Thanks for letting us know about movies we aren’t sure will be worth watching. You’re the best. 😂😊
The last time I saw "that guy" was in 1993. I was watching "The Pelican Brief" and I thought the guy playing the assassin Khamel (Stanley Tucci) was going to be huge one day. Cut to the Hunger Games and I wasn't wrong!😃 Great review to start Halloween Season!!
4:15 that's such a throwback and the best recommendation that anyone could give a horror film, bc doing this was one of the best parts of high school by far.
is that a throwback to his black swan review? I'm trying to remember what review it's from cause god it sounds familiar cause he brought up friends there too
I have grew up watching horrors all my life from being a kid and nothing as ever Phased me, this move right here was fantastic, it kept me at the edge the entire time, I felt like I was tripping, from a psychological perspective this was awesome 👏
Spoiler alert for ending: I thought the ending would be her thinking she's killing the demon in that house but it being the ex showing up and she kills him, realizing only afterward. Then out of pure despair, she kills herself because she thinks this will also never end but does so, unknowingly, in front of someone else who has it passed onto them. Really good movie though. Thought the sound design, soundtrack added amazing atmosphere to it making you always on edge. Even during the credits.
I thought Smile was surprisingly good. The marketing was great but the actual movie itself was something else. Sosie Bacon was fantastic, I see her in a lot more movies in the near future. The visuals and themes are enough to send chills down your spine, and the jump scares are pretty well spread out instead of being every minute. My main problem is that there are parts that are pretty silly and it takes away the mood the film is trying to give. But besides that, I definitely recommend this and I look forward to more projects from Parker Finn
@@Kxnd4ll One example I can think of without spoiling, is a scene involving a stabbing. I understand it was meant to be serious, but it just felt weird if that makes sense
@@willbraunlich I agree, I thought it was unnecessary lol. But I guess they were trying to show just how deep the gm monster messes with a person head I don’t know, they could’ve did without it tbh lol.
@@noobslayeru That's fair. I think they should've saved that for the actual movie rather than show it in the trailer. Would've made it more scary in my opinion
I saw smile today at night, and that was one of the scariest horror movies I’ve ever seen that was scarier than the conjuring two for me you knew what was about to happen, but you couldn’t get past the face only up until the end was I truly terrified and no movie has ever done that to me before
The sounds in this movie was very well done. They made me very unsetteled. I normally don't get scared of horror movies, but after I watched this, I felt that I will never be able to sleep with the lights off.
The way this film is shot combined with the minimalist sound gave me Shining vibes. The camera work feels very inspired from it. It really elevates the creepiness. Super acting chops that usually aren't found in this type of movie. Really enjoyed it.
The acting, writing and the brilliant cinematography and every brilliantly directed scene is just perfect and the music is just so unsettling, uncomfortable like makes you feel what horror actually feels like, it's a geniune underrated horror movie.
I haven't seen this movie but it sort of sounds like It Follows. Something supernatural latches onto a person and they either die a horrible death or they pass it on to someone else. While they are under the influence of that supernatural thing, they see things that nobody else sees. They get together with a small group of close friends who try their best to help but aren't really much help since they can't see the thing that's attacking the victim's mind directly and even physically at times.
This is great to hear. I saw the trailer the other day and thought it could go either way. Looking forward to watching it this week when I get a chance after school
This movie had everything I thought of when thinking horrific thoughts. Randomly, I'd picture various creatures or situations that would potentially scar me mentally because it was sort of like an intrusive thought. Just a "oh that'd be scary if this happened right now. (I'm sure others do as well, hopefully lol) It's like this film knows what sort of things would traumatize its audience. I felt things out of creepy pastas, those japanese horror comics, the various horror games were all inspiration for this.
It definitely felt like it was inspired by Japanese urban legends or creepy pastas I really enjoyed the movie even though it didn't really scare me, probably because I've become desensitized to horror because of creepypastas
I actually had those same thoughts, the movie itself wasn't truly unsettling but the concept of the creature itself is what really scares me, to be frank i don't think i'd last a fucking day once i figured what was happening.
Only seen the trailer and I'm hooked. I am invested in watching this movie as soon as I can. Since I know how brutally honest you are, it gives me glee knowing that you only had positive things to say about it. The trailer gives me goosebumps every damn time, as well as my hairs standing up (including, weirdly, on my legs). Great review. Short and to the point.
The trailer gave me goosebumps too, and then I watched the movie - trust me, there are some amazing moments they don’t come close to showing in the trailer. Some of the best imagery Ive seen in a long time
I don't watch many horror movies but this one astounded me. It feels like the jump scares are icing on the cake that gets people interested for the trailer and flashy moments but the real dread of this movie is the building fear that you feel from the scenes. You see a place where you expect a boogeyman to appear from and the scene lingers for just too long and keeps you on the edge of your seat
The same thing happened in my theatre! I was genuinely surprised because in my experience, the only time the audience applauded or cheered was during the Sonic 2 movie post-credit scene.
I could not stop thinking about the The Ring with this film. It's the same premise. You watch something, you wait for a few days, you try to investigate how to stop it, or you die. I did unfortunately see the trailer and came into it with that mindset. Oh, well just another horror flick with a rehashed plot. However as the film went on, it kept keeping me on tension. This movie did not let go a single moment. The jumpscares were really good, and one in particular (no spoilers) is executed to perfection. I could feel the audience's tension as well throughout the movie. Even the plot similarity to The Ring didn't weigh on me enjoying this film. It was so well executed that it felt it held its own on its own right. There are only two things I think stopped it from being almost perfect (well three now that I saw this review). One was the large amount of expletives. It even feels like some of them are like "ok you HAVE to say this here". They just don't feel natural, they feel forced in for some reason I cannot understand. Second, the "smiles" are really, really creepy. The actors did a fantastic job on each of them. Except for one that feels forced, prosthetic or CGI. It was not convincing at all and I couldn't help thinking about the Joker instead of the creepy smiles the film had gotten me used to. The third is the character's sister. I agree, totally forgettable. Another great thing was the plot twist, which again I won't spoil, but was awesome. The whole audience gasped when it happened. Few movies command the attention and tension build-up like this movie. Now that I think about it, yes it's kind of like The Ring's final jumpscare which was majestic as to how it was delivered to the audience. I swear I pulled up my legs when I saw it for the first time. So, this movie grew on me and I definitely enjoyed it despite its few flaws. One of the most gratifying experiences in modern horror movies to me.
Yes the main actress was off the richter scale full on phenomenal, I thought that the female patient in the beginning was outstanding also, phenomenal acting
watched it last night. had a family movie night with my wife and 3 little boys who love getting the crap scared out of them for some reason. they've seen everything from the original jeepers creepers to malignant and they love that sht. they loved smile, even took home some souvenir posters the theater was giving away of a twisted pain chart. for me it was definitely reminiscent of the ring and grudge but with move blood in it. it had some creepy scenes and most jump scares worked for me and since i had only seen the teaser trailer at the movies a while back ago i had almost no clue what it was gonna be about. not a bad movie and its definitely good date night material, its just that if you've seen some of the early-mid 2000's horror movies, u have a pretty good idea on what to expect. 👍🏼
When you go to see a movie at a theater, a lot of factors go into what you get out of the experience. Perhaps one of the more understated factors is how the rest of the audience behaves. This is especially true for horror movies. The whole theater was cracking jokes watching Smile. Nobody got mad about it either. Everyone was just heckling the shit out of it the whole time. I don't think anyone in that theater liked the movie But I think the entire theater had a great time. One of the strangest experiences I've ever had at the theater.
This was an incredibly good movie and the cast was stellar. So glad I've finally seen it. Yeah, jumpscares were over the top and needless, the atmosphere was already so opressive and tense without them.
Fwell for me this movie hit me hard for personal experiencies. Second This movie for me is diferent because it moves away from the cliché horror movies: Whenever the protagonist is in danger, he either fights and survives or they have someone help him fight against that entity and it ends up being an ordinary action movie. And third Im still worried of the cat. they get a real corspe cat? If is im gonna cry. that would be very terrified and tragic
