‘Smile’ – A Study in Psychological Horror and Unintended Consequences

So many times in supernatural horror stories, only one person knows the terrifying truth. The horror of being so alone with this stark, unsettling reality while everyone else thinks you’re lost to lunacy is perhaps the loneliest place in the world. 

Smile is an eloquent narration of a seemingly simple tale. While it maybe is cliché that a main character is tormented by the truth while those around find her unhinged, Smile managed to transcend familiar tropes, making me think about it long after I’d seen it.

Also, there’s a magic that happens when direction, performance, and script work so harmoniously. Smile combined all three elements well, a tribute to the skill and artistry that have gone into its planning and execution.

Despite earning resounding acclaim, the horror film Smile finally found a spot on my watchlist. When I eventually saw it, I was struck with an immediate regret for not having indulged sooner.

Unmasking the shadows

Smile appears to be about the war between sanity and psychosis while creating a unique tale of psychological terror. 

Smile presents us with Rose Cotter, a compassionate psychologist who routinely steps outside the confines of her professional obligations to help her patients, some of whom are truly disturbed. In one early scene, Rose facilitated treatment even though the patient was uninsured, which resulted in a reprimand from her superior. 

But then, a woman named Laura Weaver steps into Rose’s life, altering it completely. Laura is gripped by an unusual terror. Something – although Laura doesn’t know what – is hunting her. She sees a legion of faces, all grinning at her, pushing her to the edge of her sanity. 

When Rose tries to help Laura, it catapults her into a never-ending nightmare she can’t escape as she also starts to see it.

So what is Smile really about? For me, it’s telling that a psychologist is the main character here. It’s ironic then that she, of all people, is losing her mind. Slowly Rose turns from a confident and highly competent therapist into a former shadow of herself, all in less than four days. Instead of a healer, Rose becomes haunted as she too experiences what her patients do, which is to lose her mind over time.

Smile isn’t just about macabre terror, but rather a journey into the terrifying reality of mental decline.

At its core, Smile becomes a metaphor for the heartbreak and confusion accompanying loss of sanity as many older people worldwide find themselves experiencing as they age. Still, others with mental illnesses also experience that their minds slowly lose their moorings. This film offers a disturbing view into how a mind disintegrates over time.

For me, the film could also be interpreted as a statement about how trauma warps the mind, as many people with PTSD continue to suffer after a horrific experience that they can’t leave behind. 

The film also exploits our discomfort with excessive, inexplicable smiling. An unwarranted grin is unnerving, and Smile uses this all too human instinct to the fullest extent. It gives the uncanny valley feel throughout, where you know something is wrong but not exactly what. 

The directorial skill shines through with the inventive use of camera angles. By turning the frame upside down, the film creates the feeling of what it must be like to have your world turn upside down as you’re losing your ability to think clearly.

While I was watching it, I wondered how it would end. So many horror films start out well with a great idea but then cop out at the end as if no one knew how to finish it. But this film planned all the way to the end with a disturbing finale I didn’t see coming.  

Rose is in an impossible situation, and the suspense of her possible escape kept me wondering how she could find her way out.

But Rose also has a secret that the audience isn’t shown until later, which adds to her character’s complexity, further elevating Smile from a fun horror flick to a deeply disturbing psychological exploration about the loss of mental acuity.

Final Thoughts

Smile creates a well-crafted horror narrative, where each element compliments each other, creating a combination of anxiety, intrigue and fear.

With an ending that promises to invade your nightmares, Smile didn’t take the easy way out, but rather took a road that may etch itself into your mind for some time after you’ve watched it.

So, take a plunge into the dark depths of this film, and when you do, let me know what you think, as I always like to share ideas and observations.