'Smile' review: Parker Finn's unearthly take on trauma will have you cringing and smiling

The phrase 'smile through pain' takes on a menacing new meaning in 'Smile,' as Parker Finn uses an internationally recognized symbol of happiness to evoke fear and hurt as part of the exploration of trauma by the movie. A smile is nothing more than a mask, and the true horror stems from the true intent behind it.

Sosie Bacon stars as Rose Cotter, a doctor who works in an emergency psychiatric unit and has been carrying a heavy burden since witnessing her mother's suicide at the age of ten. His sanity begins to deteriorate after evaluating a young woman named Laura (Caitlin Stasey) who is brought in for witnessing a suicide. Frantic and pleading for someone to believe her, Laura tells Rose that she is being mocked by a being only she can see; one who smiles and changes appearance while delivering a death threat. She then kills herself right in front of a Frozen Rose, who later discovers that whatever entity that influenced this patient has now latched onto her.

Finn fleshes out the character of Rose with stories and insights into relationships with her boss, mother, fiancé, and older sister. Rose's emotional turmoil is visually captivating following Bacon's impressive and frantic performance. As Rose grapples with disturbing hallucinations and an inability to trust those around her, she oscillates between moments of mania and disconnection. This specter of vulnerable paranoia and fear allows Finn to grapple with the multi-layered complexity of mental health as Rose tries to convince those around her that what she is experiencing is real. While this is a tedious (albeit realistic) trope in horror, these rapidly changing emotional states allow Bacon's acting to shine. Feeling alone, despite the care of her therapist (Robin Weigert), Rose finds some comfort in a police officer and former lover, Joel (Kyle Gallner), who helps her piece together the disturbing lineage of this being's victims. supernatural. While the monster's specifics are hidden, its method of execution and purpose are both revealed in a storyline that is sadly traditional and tasteless in structure.

In order to convey Rose's mental and emotional downward spiral, Finn uses a range of strong camera angles that suggest the lack of consistency in his new reality. Slow ninety-degree camera rotation, full camera inversion, invasive close-ups of character faces, and gorgeous aerial shots all set an ominous tone with an eerie sense of being studied. and chased away. The minimalist production design, courtesy of Lester Cohen, focuses on the gruesome mental state of its characters instead of painting a typical horror movie aesthetic with gothic or dark strokes. However, some color palettes do symbolize the instability of Rose's inner spirit and physical environment. For example, the hospital where she works dons light pink walls (a nod to an old study that found the Bake-Miller Pink shade to reduce aggression) while Rose often wears blue outfits, a color often representing sadness

The plot of 'Smile' is exhaustingly reminiscent of other horror predecessors such as 'It Follows', 'The Ring', 'Oculus' and even 'Final Destination'. Finn develops an infectious approach to death by considering trauma and how grief and depression can have a ripple effect, but the story doesn't entirely feel like its own beast. To enhance the film's already strong themes, composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer creates a strong soundscape of playfulness and dread that perfectly complements the juxtaposition used throughout the film's 116 minutes. The sound design and music are as unnerving as the graphic death scenes, but unfortunately come with an excessive amount of creepy jumping. And the special effects team at Amalgamated Dynamics constructs some truly arresting visuals that will both shock and deliciously disgust, especially in the third act. Their macabre prosthetic work and creative monster design have a body surrealism that will have horror fans grinning from ear to ear.

"Smile" navigates unhealed trauma through a supernatural lens and playful juxtaposition, though it feels like a shadow of other stories. With rare moments of dark comedy and irony, he is able to expose the forceful nature of society's expectation to be happy and presentable despite the suffering that may lurk under the skin. Overall, "Smile" delivers a gripping, claustrophobic mental hellscape that will make both grimace and smile.

Paramount will release "Smile" in theaters on Friday, September 30....