16/15
When the glass is shown at her feet, she is wearing socks
Chronology
After witnessing a bizarre and traumatic incident involving a patient, a psychiatrist becomes increasingly convinced that she is being threatened by a strange entity. Days before the September 30, 2022 release, the film’s cast showed up at various baseball games, sitting behind home plate, motionless and smiling as they stared into the camera, motionless despite the understandable concern of fans in the audience, all while wearing Smile shirts. Another quickly appeared in the background with the crowd on the Today show. At about the 31-minute mark, Rose breaks a glass when her alarm goes off.
Rose Cotter: What are you?
Seconds later, as she checks the door, she is wearing lace-up shoes. Based on what happens later at a party, there are several continuity issues that may not be “errors”; but may actually be deliberate in order to show “breaks” in Rose’s consciousness/reason. Why do you do this to me? The Monstrosity: Because your mind is so inviting.
Featured in Chris Stuckmann Movie Reviews: Smile (2022)
The opening and closing logos for Paramount have a curved line in the shape of a smile at the bottom of the mountain. Lollipop Written by Beverley Ross & Julius Dixon Performed by The Chordettes. Sosie Bacon plays an incompetent therapist who mumbles platitudes and does 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 gets a case of ghosts.
It’s stupid nonsense, but it’s excellently produced
The ghosts then follow her around, all creepy and not doing much, perhaps as an ironic form of mockery. None of the characters, supernatural or otherwise, seem to be good at their jobs. Decent acting, good cinematography, tight editing and engaging direction. It’s a good time, despite the brain-dead characters, the cut-and-paste, the terrible dialogue and the endless clichés.
It’s worth seeing, once, just for the fun of it
It’s pulpy, edgy horror, funny and sometimes effective – a highly polished turd that’s so shiny you don’t notice the smell anymore.