Smile is a psychological horror that shakes the viewer and keeps you in suspense until the very end. A terrifying story, told in a perverse way, leaves viewers in shock long after the screening is over. The film will debut on DVD on January 25.
Promotional material for “Smile” from Galapagos Films
After Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) witnesses a traumatic incident involving a patient, she begins experiencing terrifying phenomena that she cannot explain. When overwhelming terror begins to take over her life, Rose must confront a troubled past in order to survive and escape the terrible reality.
Promotional material for “Smile” from Galapagos Films
Smile is a unique show of the talent of the debuting director – Parker Finn, who has set himself an extremely ambitious task.
I wanted to make a film that felt like a constant panic attack from start to finish,” he explains.
The chilling story of a clinical psychiatrist who, after meeting one of his patients, begins to experience terrifying and inexplicable phenomena is based on the short film that Finn made in 2020 – Laura Hasn’t Slept . The short version of the story created quite a buzz in the industry and received widespread attention, which made the producers interested in making a full-length version of the story.
Promotional material for “Smile” from Galapagos Films
In Smile, the director wanted to go a step further and involve the viewer in the process of losing control over the senses experienced by the main character.
It is like the feeling of fear we feel when waking up from a bad dream. We know the dream wasn’t real, and yet the feeling still lingers. In “Smile” I wanted to transfer this feeling to the screen – says the director.
Finn knew perfectly well that in order for the film to work the way he intended it to, he needed an actress who could handle both the film’s dramatic and horror layers equally well. According to producer Robert Salerno, as soon as Sosie Bacon met with the production team, it became clear that she was the perfect choice for the role.
From the very beginning, viewers have to identify with the character, she explains, and Sosie has something about her that makes it possible.
Both the director and the rest of the crew were well aware that the success of the film depends on the lead actress. Just like in Roman Polanski ‘s Rosemary ‘s Baby, here too the entire burden of the story rests on the shoulders of the heroine, who introduces the viewer to the terrifying world of horror. Finn Parker, who is a huge fan of the genre, had a very clear vision for this film and was well aware of how important it would be to create a believable heroine whose story would be engaging for viewers.
Promotional material for “Smile” from Galapagos Films
Even under so much pressure, Sosie Bacon, for whom this was her leading role debut, gave a spectacular performance in which it is difficult to question any of the emotions she brings to the screen.
I believe this is one of the most amazing acting debuts of recent years, admits the director. He’s in almost every scene and has an amazing palette of all shades of stress, fear and panic for most of the movie. Playing all these emotions so faithfully can really take a toll on an actress, but her dedication to the role exceeded all expectations.
In addition to the excellent acting skills and the unique script idea behind the entire film, Smile is also one of the most visually inventive genre films. It’s all thanks to Parker’s extremely fruitful cooperation with the cinematographer – Charlie Sarroff – which brought many creative ideas for transferring the mental states experienced by the heroine to the screen. All this makes the film keep the viewer in suspense and uncertainty from the first to the last scene.
The movie Smile debuted in theaters on September 30. In Poland, it was seen by 400,000 viewers. It will be released on DVD on January 25.
Special extras:
- Laura Hasn’t Slept – an original short with commentary by director Parker Finn;
- Unused scenes.