Smile is derivative but worth a look for horror fans 

What’s it rated? R

What’s it worth, Glen? Matinee

What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee

Where’s it showing? Colony, Downtown Centre, Park, Stadium 10

In his feature-length debut, writer-director Parker Finn delivers a psychological horror thriller about Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon), who witnesses a traumatic event concerning a patient. Soon after, she begins seeing unexplainable visions that force her to confront her past. (115 min.)

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• PHOTO COURTESY OF PARAMOUNT PLAYERS AND TEMPLE HILL ENTERTAINMENT
• COMING FOR YOU Dr. Rose Cutter (Sosie Bacon) begins seeing disturbing things after witnessing a patient’s traumatic behavior, in Smile, screening in local theaters.

Glen We've seen this premise before. Fallen (1998), Final Destination (2000), The Ring (2002)—it's the old pass-along-evil and your-death-is-inevitable cha-cha-cha. So yes, the plot is fairly derivative, but Finn conjures some effective atmosphere, helped in part by Cristobel Tapia de Veer's score—twanging, shimmering, and sinister. There are also some effective jump scares, some creepy special effects, and some committed acting. Part of the fun comes from the detective work from Rose and her police investigator ex-boyfriend, Joel (Kyle Gallner), who discovers the death pattern that's now haunting Rose. How can she break the curse? This isn't as interesting or as effective as the last horror film we saw, Barbarian, which came out last month, but it's far from terrible ... or terrifying. I fear I'm beyond being scared by a movie.

Anna Evil possession isn't my favorite horror movie trope; however, I do prefer the sort of unknown evil entity used in Smile to demonic possession (I'm looking at you, Prey for the Devil trailer). I definitely was creeped out by the smile that took over the faces of people—it's totally unsettling—but there wasn't a whole lot here that got me. Like you mentioned, the soundtrack really does add to the atmosphere, there was some cool camerawork that messed with the audience's perspective, and a few jump scares really got me. These days I feel like I need a bit more than the usual horror trappings; I need to feel a real sense of "what is going on here?" like I did when I watched films like Men and Midsommer and Mother. This certainly isn't a bad film, but it isn't going on my short list to revisit when I'm in the mood to be spooked.

Glen I concur. But if you're a horror film fan, it may be worth a trip to the theater. All the high-angle shots give you a sense that something unknown is looking down from above, and the landscapes that invert also are unsettling, but even the camera work, in this case by Charlie Sarroff, has been done before. It's a good-looking film that won't translate the same way to your TV. That said, if I missed seeing Smile altogether, I wouldn't feel diminished. Bacon was great as Dr. Cotter—a woman with a haunted past who entered therapy work because, let's face it, she needs it herself. The tension between her sister, Holly (Gillian Zinser), adds more layers of drama, and Robin Weigert as fellow therapist Dr. Madeline Northcott was typically terrific. What's real and what's in Rose's head? There are enough surprises to keep horror fans engaged.

Anna For me, the idea of everyone around you thinking you're losing your grasp on reality is the most terrifying thing. No one believes her except for Joel, who comes to her side reluctantly. She's isolated from her current fiancé, who doesn't seem to be interested in being around when things get hard. Her therapist crosses some very uncool boundaries. Her sister's picture-perfect life can't include a seemingly mentally ill sister. I was impressed with Bacon, too. She conveyed terror well—I don't think there was a moment she wasn't fully in the torture her character was experiencing. It's certainly worth a matinee for horror fans who don't mind a film that doesn't go for wildly inventive twists and turns. However you watch it, do it in the dark—this film needs its atmosphere to give you the best experience it can. Δ

Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Split Screen. Glen compiles listings. Comment at [email protected].