Movie Review: Smile

Directed by Parker Finn 

4 Stars 

Smile, a film written and directed by Parker Finn, follows the story of a curse that causes the afflicted to commit suicide while smiling. It was originally a short film called Laura Hasn't Slept but then later got adapted into a feature film. When the person commits suicide in front of a person, the curse is then transferred to that person, and when time runs out, they become possessed and forced to suicide. The movie is, for the most part, great. It's quite engaging and kicks off fast from the start. I especially like Kyle Gallner's character and acting. I feel that his acting really stood out and that the film might not have been as good with a different actor in the role of his character. It effectively depicts suspense, dread and, well, tension in general. Oh, and it's a Blumhouse movie, and Blumhouse generally knows what they're doing! Although, its weak point is the climax. I feel that it was forced, and if the writer really wanted to end it with the general idea that it did, it definitely could have been executed better. Endings are really important; if a film is good before its climax, but then the climax fails to deliver a satisfying end result, well then, the whole movie ends up feeling unsatisfying. Similarly, if a film is not so good before it reaches its climax, but the climax is amazing, well, then the watch ends up still feeling worth it. Overall, it is a good film, but because of the ending, I rate the film a 7.8/10 or 4 stars.   

Reviewed by Arshveer 

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