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Horror fans are saying that the disturbing new horror movie Smile is going to ‘f*** people up’ now that it has arrived in cinemas.
The film, which is written and directed by Parker Finn, is one of the most hotly anticipated films of 2022 thanks to its incredibly creepy trailer and marketing.
Smile tells the story of Dr Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) who is being haunted by a malevolent entity with a horrifying smile that no one else could see.
Watch the trailer for Smile below…
The official synopsis of Smile reads: “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.”
Fans have been quick to share their praise for the movie after watching it in cinemas.
One Twitter user wrote: “Smile is gonna f*** people up. Truly. Deeply. F***. Them. Up. So many terrifying, disturbing images: hardcore horror that doesn’t hold back and never flinches.
“So many of the visuals and scares have stuck with me.
“Not since Hereditary has a mainstream movie gone this hard. Love it or hate it, it’s one that’s going to haunt you well after.”
Another said: “There’s one specific moment (you know the one) that is gonna be nightmare fuel for a long time to come. It was actually petrifying.”
While another wrote: “Just saw Smile in the cinema and no one is ever allowed to smile at me again.”
The film marks Finn’s first time directing a full-feature movie and the concept was actually inspired by one of his own short films, Laura Hasn’t Slept.
He described Smile as: “A mysterious, nightmarish, rollercoaster of an experience that I think you are gonna talk about with your friends as soon as it’s over.
“I wanted to make a movie that felt like a sustained panic attack from start to finish.”
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He explains the concept of using a smile as a sinister horror tool, rather than a warm, happy emotion that the audience is usually accustomed to.
Finn continued: “We chose to use the smile to represent the evil in the film because of the strength of the apparent contradiction.
“I wanted to see if I could turn a smile into a threat, something that feels dangerous and evil and see if I could use that to creep audiences out.”
As of the time of writing, Smile has a 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviews for the film being largely positive.
Tessa Smith, from Mama’s Geeky, wrote: “Packed with insane visuals, multiple jump scares, and truly compelling lore, Smile has the potential to be a long-running franchise.”
Marisa Mirabel, a writer for Indiewire, added: “Smile navigates unhealed trauma through a supernatural lens and mischievous juxtaposition, despite feeling like a shadow of other stories.”
Owen Gleiberman, a critic from Variety, also wrote: “Smile will likely be a hit, because it’s a horror film that delivers without making you feel cheated.”
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There was also a lot of praise surrounding Bacon’s performance as Dr Rose Cotter.
Film reviewer Perri Nemiroff shared on her YouTube channel: “A catchy and unsettling urban legend-like concept with a phenomenal lead performance from Sosie Bacon at its core. Smile marks yet another win for horror in 2022.”
Meanwhile, Julian Rowan for Movieweb added: “Sosie Bacon gives an emotional and gut-wrenching performance as a woman haunted by an evil entity. Smile has legitimate scares that pack a wallop.”
Smile also stars Jessie T Usher, Kyle Gallner, Rob Morgan, Kal Penn, Judy Reyes, Gillian Zinser and Caitlin Stasey.
Smile is now available to watch in cinemas.
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