Smile - Siehst du es auch?

Sosie Bacon plays an incompetent therapist who mutters platitudes and stands about doing precisely nothing while bad things happen to her patients.

After demonstrating her inability to administer basic first aid to anyone within a fifty mile radius, she catches a case of the spooks. The spooks then follow her around being all creepy and not doing much, perhaps as an ironic form of mockery. None of the characters, supernatural or otherwise, seem to be any good at their jobs.

This is dimwitted nonsense, but it's excellently produced. Decent acting, good cinematography, tight editing and engaging direction. It's a good time, despite the braindead characters, copy-paste writing, appalling dialogue and endless cliches. It's an amusing and occassionally effective pulpy jumpy horror - a highly polished turd that is so shiny you stop noticing the smell.

Worth a watch, once, just for fun.

This movie had me scared and on edge from start to finish. It's been a long time since I saw a horror movie this good.

The story is a bit cliche at some points, but it is well written and well made most of the time. The acting is great as well, which is not always a common thing when it comes to horror movies. It is very well directed and the atmosphere is really eerie.

The first girl to die in the movie probably had the most unpleasent smile I have seen in maybe my whole life. Especially when the therapist started seeing her in the darkness as an hallucination. That really gave me the chills. Then there were some smiles that was not very scary, like the patient Carl. The pacing of the movie was excellent. It got more and more creepy as the story progressed. The ending really etched into my brain, and I actually thought I was gonna have nightmares that night, which does not happen to me very often. The day after I saw this movie, a car passed me by, and the old man driving looked at me and smiled... The only thing I could think about was this movie.

This was Parker Finn's first feature film. I really hope he makes more films like this one. A good start on his writing/directing career. Well done!

Literally just wanted to pull my heart out. When would the heart racing adrenaline end! Cinematography was amazing, loved the lighting. The sound was out of this world, so don't skip out on the "special sound" showings. It was unpredictable fresh horror in my opinion, this along with barbarian pair for some of the top horror films in I would say in the last couple years. Give it a watch and really think of the moral here. There was more to the story than what was shed into the light. For those whom call this a snooze fest don't understand the meaning of popcorn flick. Just good classic horror actually keeping you at the edge of the seat continuously guessing. Solid film, great acting.

The plot was basically a mixture of Lights Out and It Follows, two fantastic horrors. SO.. the actual plot of this movie owes a lot to the tropes within the genre It shouldn't work, there's not much fleshed development behind "the why" of the monster so this movies spends a while figuring out "the how." It was a bit tedious to discover what was happening in terms of the curse, the way it jumps from person to person. The typical "main character is not believed because she's a hysterical woman" plot device. I mean, that's been going on since Rosemary's Baby, but that plot was much more developed and there was reasoning behind it.

There's a wonderful performance from Sosie Bacon at the helm. You really root for her character. But the fiancé is a cliche, you wonder why they're even together.

Overall, what makes this movie are the jump scares. They are effective and unpredictable. The cinematography is also very moody and atmospheric.

You will be frightened. A good effort and looking forward to more from the writer/director.

Rose Cotter is a therapist in an emergency psychiatric ward. One day, Laura, a young student, is brought in for observation. After witnessing the brutal suicide of her professor, she seems to be suffering from extreme post-traumatic stress disorder. As Rose talks to Laura, the girl gets increasingly frightened, claiming an unseen entity is about to kill her. Suddenly, she becomes calm, smiling unnaturally, before slitting her own throat. Afterwards, bizarre events convince Rose that the entity is now stalking her; and that she is its next victim.

An unnerving horror, Parker Finn's 'Smile' is a creepy examination of the lingering effects of trauma. Finn's narrative contends that trauma effects every aspect of one's life, and can be passed onto others through one's actions. Although comparisons to David Robert Mitchell's 'It Follows' are inevitable, Parker's handling of the film's thesis feels fresh and innovative. Traumatic effects- such as hallucinations, paranoia and guilt- are interwoven cleverly into Finn's narrative, adding to the psychological horror therein.

The film is suspenseful, having a heady atmosphere of dread throughout. Although the ending is underwhelming, the journey there is an engaging, sinister one. Finn makes excellent use of jump-scares- which often feel like a cheap way to make viewers jolt. They don't here, as they intensify the paranoid state Rose is in. His characterisation is strong, as is his dialogue, and we believe and sympathise with Rose; even if we're unsure whether or not we can trust her version of reality. Culturally relevant and unsettling, Finn's film makes for a wild and devilish ride.

For a horror to be successful, good sound design is necessary; Finn's sound department have created an immersive and disquieting environment of terror. Cristobal Tapia de Veer's score adds to the discomforting atmosphere, becoming chaotically dissonant as Rose descends further into paranoid fear. Reminiscent at times of Dario Argento and Goblin's score for 'Suspiria,' Tapia de Veer's work enhances the film's impact immensely.

Similarly, Charlie Sarroff's unconventional cinematography heightens the picture's uneasy ambiance. Distinct and creative, his utilisation of low angles, handheld shots and zooms fosters a sense of unpredictable instability. Under Finn's direction, his implementation of lighting creates contrast and mood, while his composition of images also adds to the film's horror. He uses symmetry, asymmetry and negative space to create imbalance, tension and emptiness; depending on the needs of the scene. Striking and memorable, Sarroff's work is captivatingly disturbing.

Furthermore, Lester Cohen's minimalist production design creates a stark, cold world for Rose to navigate. Cohen uses simple, sparse sets and props to create a sense of realism, emptiness and isolation. Moreover, Alexis Forte's costume design adds to the film's horror, as her use of colours, fabrics and differing styles creates contrast, character and symbolism. Additionally, the picture is well edited by Elliot Greenberg, whose work gives 'Smile' a rapid, tense pace that vastly intensifies proceedings.

Sosie Bacon stars as Rose, delivering an impassioned, nuanced performance, acutely showing Rose's psychological disintegration. Feverish and powerful, Bacon's work is not to be forgotten. Alongside her, Kyle Gallner plays Jake, a cop who is Rose's ex-boyfriend, and the only one who believes her story. A steady presence throughout, Gallner does fine work in a role lesser actors would have overplayed. Robin Weigert and Gillian Zinser- as Rose's psychiatrist and sister, respectively- both impress with their range and ability, while Caitlin Stasey is terrific in the all too small role of Laura; portraying her immense fear astutely.

An entertaining, tense horror about the devastating effects of trauma, Parker Finn's directorial debut 'Smile' lingers in the mind long after the credits have rolled. Boasting an engaging narrative dealing maturely with its themes, an atmospheric score and striking production design, it is a riveting watch. Although the ending is anticlimactic, the compelling performances from the cast- especially Sosie Bacon- keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. Creepily captivating, this film will surely not leave you with a frown.