6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 3.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can't explain. Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality.
Starring: Sosie Bacon, Kyle Gallner, Jessie T. Usher, Robin Weigert, Caitlin StaseyHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 33% |
Supernatural | 28% |
Mystery | 22% |
Psychological thriller | 9% |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.00:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.00:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
German: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Japanese: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Dutch, Turkish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 0.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Though its name may imply otherwise (and if the creepy grin on the poster art isn't any indication), Smile is not a movie designed to make its audience happy. This is a grim picture, based on the 2019 short film Laura Hasn't Slept, about a woman who witnesses a bizarre suicide and finds herself possessed by some terrible entity that is causing her to see, experience, and do things well beyond her comfort and control. Both the original short and this film are written and directed by Parker Finn, so there is some continuity in story dynamics, but at its core is a fairly mundane, paint by number psychological Horror film that strives to comment on mental health but is ultimately just a rote procedural genre picture that is too reliant on jump scares and familiarly designed creepy imagery to really make an impact on the genre landscape.
The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.
It's easy to see that Smile's 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD presentation outclasses the companion and concurrently released Blu-ray by a fairly wide margin. As noted in the review of that disc, the Blu-ray
offers a foundationally solid and fundamentally satisfying experience. It's not a world beater by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a rock-solid
and
well performing Blu-ray image. The UHD amplifies its best qualities and characteristics and brings home a far superior presentation of the film, which
incudless less prominent noise here compared to the Blu-ray.
First, the boosts to clarity and textural finesse are obvious under the new resolution parameters. The picture is appreciably sharper, obvious
throughout
but especially in close-up; look at a haggard and weary Rose at the 51:02 mark. The clarity of skin, lips, hairs, and eyes are obvious with greater
sharpness and definition than the Blu-ray can offer, which looks not flat but certainly far less detailed in comparison. Clothing depth and density are
more refined here, too. Look at Rose's dense knitted sweater at the 1:01:49 mark for a great example. Add in the additional clarity and textural
might
granted to the various locations in the film, and the UHD shows its clear superiority in practically every frame, leaving the Blu-ray looking rather flat
and
bland in direct comparison.
The Dolby Vision color grading strengthens the picture as well. Colors are stabilized with a richer shading. Look at a barrage of natural green at the
64-minute mark in a simple overhead shot for a fine example. The palette presents here with a very natural flavor. Skin tones are a little less warm,
pushing a slight gray compared to the Blu-ray, especially later in the film as the terror begins to take a toll on Rose. Overall, though, there is no
missing
that this is a very natural, fundamentally pleasing color spectrum with well-defined contrast levels and perfect color temperatures. Blacks impress
with
solid depth, whites are bright and intense, and skin tones look very good, including the aforementioned gray push on the bedraggled Rose.
The Dolby Atmos soundtrack offers excellent audio immersion. While discrete effects are not commonplace, there is some obvious overhead engagement when the moment calls for such audio help. Clarity and seamlessness are fairly good, too, when the top end offers plain use engagement. The track further enjoys robust engagement through the larger plane around the traditional listening area. Listeners will enjoy quality depth and immersion to a blaring home alarm at the 31-minute mark. A ringing phone a few moments later pushes through the stage with terrifying volume and fill. These more intense cues, paired with various sharp-edged jump scare tactics, help create an edgy listening environment that is further defined by the eerie and effective score which is not meant to sound traditionally clear but rather uneven, unnerving, and edgy. The track makes fine use of every speaker in the configuration for fully seamless sound dispersal. Dialogue is clear and center positioned for the duration. This a is high-quality listen from Paramount and Dolby.
This UHD release of Smile includes a fairly typical variety of supplements, headlined by an audio commentary track. No Blu-ray copy is
included. A digital copy code is
included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.
Smile doesn't rewrite the genre rulebook, but it's a confident, high energy, and watchable entry that should satisfy longtime genre fans looking for something that's familiar and easily digestible, Paramount's UHD delivers great video and excellent audio, both paired with an average allotment of bonus content. Recommended to genre fans.
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