Smile

Desde el punto del guión, una versión más pobre de It Follows, pero sólo en términos de innovación. Psicológicamente, está construida con cuidado, casi procedimentalmente, sin un solo punto débil. Bien rodada técnicamente, muy intensa en suspense y sustos, con un diseño de sonido brillante. Y con la gran recién llegada Sosie Bacon en el papel principal. El director Parker Finn nos seguirá sorprendiendo. (09.10.2022)

La próxima vez que quiera una experiencia visual similar, le daré las doscientas coronas que pagué para ir al cine al desamparado más cercano para que fuera a mi casa y durante dos horas me asustara un poco cada dos minutos. Me ahorraré un viaje al cine, haré algo bueno, y con su aliento a alcohol, incluso tendré la experiencia como si fuera 4DX. Técnicamente está bien rodada, los efectos son buenos, no ofende en absoluto, y a pesar de su falta de originalidad tiene una sólida temática de terror, pero ¿de qué sirve todo eso si los cineastas sustituyen la atmósfera de terror por constantes sustos baratos? Incluso las transiciones entre escenas están montadas rápidamente y con un fuerte efecto de sonido para que fuera algo especial. Para mí, como espectador, la experiencia es muy cutre, no me gusta. Esas dos horas fueron insoportables. (16.10.2022)

Cuando The Ring (La señal) se mezcla con Destino final y se añade un ingrediente crucial – nace Smile. Y es una película de terror realmente muy buena, en cuyo caso temo que esa sonrisa loca y aterradora me perseguirá en mis sueños. (06.04.2023)

Now, if I wanted to laugh at Smile, I'd find reasons to do so, because the criticisms you read about the generic script are true (for example, it borrows not only the premise, but entire scenes from It Follows), and the scene where the main character goes around to her relatives, friends and acquaintances and tries to convince them that she's cursed is written in a funny way. But I decided to be sympathetic to the film, and that's because at a time when a large number of genre films forget the most important thing, i.e. trying to scare the viewer, Smile tries damn hard. It doesn't always work out, but I though about the horror films that have been released in Czech cinemas so far this year, and Smile is by far the most effective in this respect. If the script was polished in terms of the behaviour of the characters and the depth of the topics discussed, it would be satisfying even with undiminished expectations; the craftsmanship is more than solid. But I’ll look the other way and I’ll give it a seven. (30.09.2022)

A surprisingly good little mainstream horror film from a debutant that could be an asset to the genre in the future. I was expecting a flop from Smile after the trailers, one that would end up in the 40-50% range, so the result is very satisfying. It's a combination of It Follows and Truth or Dare, but it takes only the best of both and even surpasses them both in quality. It's got a fine mystery around mysterious suicides and I enjoyed a lot the gradual discovery of what's behind it. The main character slowly starts to get paranoid, ugly things happen to her and her life slowly falls apart. The film has a slower pace at times, especially in the middle, but when it comes to the scares it's honest and effective. There are only a few scares but they work well, the atmosphere can be chilling and I liked the finale where there is a decent amount of creepy shots, and there was actually a bit of violence which I wasn't expecting here at all (when the entity rips the skin off its face I was thrilled). So all in all, a nice surprise, but it won't be quite for teenage girls as it seemed at first glance, they will be laughing most of the time in the cinema. 7/10 (15.10.2022)