too long . too boring and predicatable , big let down ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
I went into this movie expecting better: its hook, about a soon-to-die character's smile, was a good one. And to be fair, for much of the film, it's all pretty watchable. Then you get to the ending... oh dear. I won't say much as I don't want to spoil it but I doubt many viewers will care by this stage, as we reach the predictable realm of 'CGI ghosts'. This recourse has spoiled many a supernatural movie before and I dare say will again.
So by all means watch but be prepared for an underwhelming ending. Pity.
This has been compared to ‘It Follows’; while I didn’t enjoy that, I had a great time with this. The nature of the evil being passed from person to person is much more solid here and smacks less of the superficial titillation the earlier film is guilty of. If it reminds me of anything, it would be ‘The Ring’.
Plenty of frightening moments and jump scares enliven a fairly slow-burning story that could easily have fallen into a pattern of repetition. Director Parker Finn accomplishes this with imagination, and a true sense of unease, helped enormously by Cristobal Tapia De Veer’s kaleidoscopically manic soundtrack.
As the threat becomes more tangible, the ghost of CGI threatens to cartoon-ify some climactic scenes, but they are subtly used and so much more effective for it. While the story uses many set pieces that have been done before, the acting is strong enough to keep it entertaining. I was pleasantly surprised by ‘Smile’, and am glad it appears to have become 2022’s Halloween ‘hit.’ My score is 8 out of 10.