Fantastic Fest 2022: Smile — A Solid Installment In “Transferrable Curse” Subgenre
After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can't explain. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality.
Writer/director Parker Finn delivers solid genre thrills in his familiar yet effective feature-film debut, Smile. The film is the latest installment in the “transferrable curse” subgenre, and while it does nothing to push the genre in a new direction, it walks very confidently within it. It relies on the usual bag of horror tricks, like the jump scare, but it employs them quite effectively. Imagine Ari Aster directing a trauma-centric It Follows/Ringu hybrid with a dash of Nightmare On Elm Street, and you’re close to the mark.
The film is based on Finn’s 2020 short film Laura Hasn’t Slept, which centered around a desperate young woman seeking the help of her therapist to rid herself of a recurring nightmare. The short made big waves at the SXSW Film Festival and caught the attention of the executives over at Paramount Pictures, who tapped Finn to write and direct a feature adaptation of the short. Instead of using the opportunity to tell the same story on a larger scale, Finn cleverly decided to go in a different direction, using the short as a springboard to tell another story entirely with Caitlin Stasey’s Laura as a connector (or curse-giver, if you will).
In Ringu, the curse was passed by video tape; in It Follows, it was sexually transmitted; in Smile, trauma begets more trauma. The film uses the subgenre to explore the impact and harm unhealed trauma has on an individual and how it can ripple into those around them. It wrestles with heavy themes and dark subject matter, but it’s also laced with quite a bit of levity (and jump scares), undulating between creepy and comedic, which helps to maintain interest but also creates some tonal imbalance in the process. Its derivative feel and reliance on gimmicks should be more of a detriment, but the film is lifted up by Finn’s controlled direction, Sosie Bacon’s performance, and the incredible score from Cristobal Tapia de Veer.
Finn’s direction is smooth and assured. He makes good use of creeping, tilting, and twisting camera moves to create a sense of unease and keeps the energy raised. He also utilizes a lot of centered framing in the film to amp up the uncomfortability, similar to how Jonathan Demme does in Silence Of The Lambs. The score really helps to elevate everything on screen, and it establishes an unsettling mood. There’s jangly keys and creepy chimes, ominous synth drones and whispery voices; anything you want out of a horror score, it’s pretty much got it. The real standout of the film is Sosie Bacon, who really commands the screen in her first leading film role. She fully commits to the crack up and really sells the horror and the anguish of the mental hellscape the curse puts her through.
Even though it comfortably walks within familiar genre terrain, Smile manages to be an enjoyable watch thanks to its chilling score, solid lead performance, and confident direction. It’s a little too long and it falters a bit in its third act, but it ultimately finds a satisfyingly bleak close. It might not be wholly original, but it’s pretty effective in its execution, and even though it gets silly at times, it’s still got enough genuine creep factor to keep you engaged.
Recommendation: If you’re looking for something solid and creepy this spooky season, Smile will certainly do the trick!
Hunger for more?! Check out the links below:
Fantastic Fest Q&A: Smile w/Parker Finn and Sosie Bacon
Fantastic Fest 2022 Diary: Day One
Fantastic Fest 2022 articles
Fantastic Fest 2022 reviews
Fantastic Fest 2022 podcasts
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!