Is Smiling Terrifying? A Review of Smile

Alexandra Kouropteva, Staff Writer

   Released on September 30th, the horror movie Smile changed many people’s perspectives on whether smiling is either gratifying or horrifying. 

   The movie picks up speed right in the beginning, immediately foreshadowing the upcoming events and giving the viewers an understanding of what’s to come. Smile has many suspenseful scenes along with various jumpscares, but the jumpscares are quite similar and do repeat themselves often. As you continue to watch the movie the jumpscares become less menacing and more expected. 

   Nonetheless, the movie earns its horror movie title with its gory and psychological scenes that really give the viewers a thrill. Even though some of the scenes may seem predictable, there is a plentiful supply of plot twists and mind-blowing chunks that are gruesome and gory, and that can be difficult to watch. 

   One of the great things about Smile is its thrilling and suspenseful music. Instead of using regular sound effects like other horror films, they use creative sounds like cars honking and glasses dropping. Smile also circulates around mental health and how important it is for one’s safety and well-being. Not only does this lead up to and create the plot but it also resonates with viewers as lots of attention has been brought to mental health awareness in recent years.

   Smile is an overall good movie, but something that drastically changes its rating is its ending. Toward the end, there is a scene that would have been a perfect place to conclude the movie, but it gets dragged out even longer. The ending makes the plot of the movie pointless, as it is something that the main character could have done in the beginning and not wasted time on in the end. It leaves the viewer on a cliffhanger, sparking curiosity for what’s to happen next. The actress Sosie Bacon did a perfect job of representing how horrified and unwell the main character was. In general, it is a solid 3 out of 5 with a good plot but a not-so-well-executed finale.