I'm usually an easy grader, seeing the best and noteworthy in each horror feature. This time, I found myself checking the remaining play time and anxious for it to finish already only 45 minutes in. I was simply bored, and this, to me, says everything.
The idea is spectacular, focusing on just how horrifying a malevolent smile could be. The execution, however, is disappointing to the point of frustration. If the point was to show yet another human document dealing with the cold and lonely descent to madness - why hadn't the trailers and teasers focused on that? If they wanted to, again, for the billionth time, show how difficult it is to have nobody believe you when you're seeing a monster - why create such a buzz around the smile phenomenon?
Unlike what the trailers had made us think (and quite deliberately, I'd say), this is a movie about coping with mental issues (not done as well as The Babbadook, for instance) and having nobody believe you about being haunted by monsters (not done as well as the original Nightmare on Elm Street, like 40 years ago).
Now, to be honest, the acting is absolutely superb, from the leading roles to the supporting cast to characters with two lines. The dialogue, and especially the non-verbal relaying of emotion and state of mind are just spot on, seriously, a huge round of applause for the entire cast. Everything else was simply disappointing, wanting and badly done. I really hope that some day we'll see better uses of the whole 'scary smile' trope, it has much potential and deserves much, much more than what Smile actually is.
The idea is spectacular, focusing on just how horrifying a malevolent smile could be. The execution, however, is disappointing to the point of frustration. If the point was to show yet another human document dealing with the cold and lonely descent to madness - why hadn't the trailers and teasers focused on that? If they wanted to, again, for the billionth time, show how difficult it is to have nobody believe you when you're seeing a monster - why create such a buzz around the smile phenomenon?
Unlike what the trailers had made us think (and quite deliberately, I'd say), this is a movie about coping with mental issues (not done as well as The Babbadook, for instance) and having nobody believe you about being haunted by monsters (not done as well as the original Nightmare on Elm Street, like 40 years ago).
Now, to be honest, the acting is absolutely superb, from the leading roles to the supporting cast to characters with two lines. The dialogue, and especially the non-verbal relaying of emotion and state of mind are just spot on, seriously, a huge round of applause for the entire cast. Everything else was simply disappointing, wanting and badly done. I really hope that some day we'll see better uses of the whole 'scary smile' trope, it has much potential and deserves much, much more than what Smile actually is.