The trailer for Parker Finn's feature film debut Smile enticed the internet and drummed up intrigue for this high-concept horror when it was posted to YouTube in June of this year. Smile follows Dr. Rose Cotter as she is relentlessly stalked by a terrifying supernatural force that manifests in the smiling faces of those around her. The patient that seemingly infects Rose claims she can see people smiling at her when no one else can. The film has already garnered comparison to popular horror films such as It Follows and The Ring for its premise, involving an unseen terror threatening an untimely end. In a featurette uploaded earlier this month, Finn says that he wanted to make "a film that feels like an escalating nightmare." If his previous works are any indication, he's certainly capable of capturing nightmarish horror.
How Can I Watch Smile?
Though originally slated for a Paramount+ release, Smile was moved to a theatrical release after overwhelmingly positive test screenings. The film premiered in theaters on September 30, 2022, and there are still a handful of theaters showing the movie. You can check the film's official website to see the film's show times at your local theaters. Now for the really good news, in case you've been kicking yourself over having missed the film when it hit your local theater, you can now watch Smile from the comfort of your own home. The movie was released on Paramount+ and Digital on November 15, 2022. In case you don't have a subscription, the streaming service offers plans starting at $4.99 per month.
If you're not a Paramount+ subscriber and want to watch Smile, fret not, as of February 21, the film is available to stream on Prime Video as well.
Who Has Been Cast In Smile?
Smile stars Sosie Bacon, daughter of Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick. Fans of MTV's Scream: The TV Series will be happy to see Bacon return to the genre, this time as a leading scream queen. Jessie T. Usher, best known for his role as The Flash parallel A-Train on the Amazon Prime series The Boys, has been cast in a supporting role, though he is not shown in the trailer. Interestingly enough, another TV hero with super speed also appears in the film. Castmate Kyle Gallner played Bart Allen on Smallville. Gallner has an extensive horror resume, with credits including The Haunting in Connecticut, 2010's A Nightmare on Elm Street, and everyone's favorite goth boy, Colin Gray, in the cult classic Jennifer's Body. Actor Kal Penn, recognizable to comedy fans as the titular Kumar from Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle and its resulting sequels, plays Dr. Morgan Desai and is shown questioning Dr. Cotter in the trailer.
Where Can I watch Parker Finn's Shorts?
Writer and director Parker Finn previously released two horror shorts, The Hidebehind and Laura Hasn't Slept.
The Hidebehind won the Special Jury Award at the 2019 South by Southwest Film Festival and the Jury Award at the 2019 Portland Horror Film Festival. It's no surprise the film won in Portland with its hipster lumberjack protagonist, familiar forest setting, and the inclusion of an urban legend specific to the American West. The legend of the hidebehind was used to explain the disappearances of loggers in these dense, unincorporated areas. In recent years, the cryptid stepped further into the mainstream consciousness after appearances in the book version of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and the Gravity Falls shorts Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained. Though the creature is typically described as nocturnal, Finn made the decision to shoot the film during the day. This was not only a smart decision as a low-budget, independent filmmaker but a truly terrifying one. The Hidebehind will have hikers and horror fans alike looking over their shoulders. The short is currently free to watch on ALTER's YouTube channel.
Laura Hasn't Slept was the inspiration for Smile, and unfortunately, the film seems to have been removed from the internet. However, if you don't mind potential spoilers, a tech-savvy Redditor posted an archived link to the short in the community r/horror via the Wayback Machine. The film takes place during a therapy appointment and slowly descends into reality-warping madness. Actor Caitlin Stasey, who plays the titular Laura, is the patient seen in the Smile trailer. It is unclear if this patient and Laura are one and the same.
Horror Movies Like Smile Available to Watch Now
It Follows - It Follows is one of the most visually striking and memorable horror films from the 2010s. The movie functions as an allegory for sexually transmitted diseases in teenagers. Through its purposeful "out-of-time" mise-en-scene, the relevant message transcends generational lines. With the release of Smile's trailer, the two films immediately drew comparisons for their use of supernatural forces that inhabit the bodies of others to stalk their victims.
The Ring - The other film horror fans have already compared Smile to is the iconic film The Ring. Rivaled only by films such as The Grudge and the Saw franchise, The Ring may be the most classic and recognizable horror property to come out of the early 2000s. With the incredible cultural impact this film had, it would be unsurprising to learn filmmaker Parker Finn was inspired by the film's use of psychological stress by taunting the protagonist with their own death.
The original Japanese film that started the franchise, changed J-horror forever, and inspired countless American-Japanese horror remakes, Ringu, has many of the same elements as the American remake but is much more avant-garde and disjointed. The movie has drawn comparison to the style of David Lynch and is closer to a series of nightmares than a straightforward plot.
Men - Released earlier in 2022, Men is the newest film by writer and director Alex Garland (Ex-Machina). The A24 movie follows a traumatized woman who sees the same face on every man she meets, including a child. The narrative works as an inversion of the "good-for-her" trope to comment on how societal misogyny has caused traumatized women to be radicalized into the rise of gender-critical feminism and bio-essentialism in the U.K. in a disturbing and unique way. Be warned, the last few minutes are brimming with body horror. This film is not for the faint of heart.