Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Smile Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 20, 2022

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.

Laura (Caitlin Stasey) is visiting Psychiatrist Dr. Rose Cotter (Sossie Bacon). Laura is not crazy – she is Ph.D. candidate – but she certainly sounds crazy. She’s seeing visions of people, or they seem to be people, who smile at her in the worst way. It’s gone from scary curiosity to terrifying, perception-destroying, and life-altering trauma. Laura is convinced that she is going to die, and sure enough, she does, by her own hand. During the session, Laura begins to smile that horrible smile, slits her own throat without changing her facial expression, and dies on Dr. Cotter’s floor. It is understandably a traumatic moment in Dr. Cotter’s life. Soon, she begins experiencing visions she cannot explain, begins doing things beyond her control, and she, too, like Laura, begins a slow descent into madness.

The film's structure is very familiar: Rose witnesses the suicide and gradually finds herself plummeting into the same emotional depths as the dead patient. The film follows her descent into madness and the impact her ravings and odd behavior have on the world around her. Her story unravels as her mind unravels, offering something of an engaging parallelism that allows the viewer to experience the decay on the road to destruction, and even if the audience, and Rose, for a good bit of the film, know what awaits, the journey through the degradation, the building fear, and the scramble to make sense of it find a solution is where the movie makes its money. It's not the best thing ever introduced into the Horror genre, but it is certainly a workable picture that gives the audience reason to think and consider, not merely watch blood splatter all over the screen, but ultimately the story depth and novelty are not enough to elevate the film much about the "passable" level.

On the technical end of things, the film offers satisfying performances, particularly from its lead. Bacon capably portrays the psychiatrist whose own mental deterioration and fall into madness takes center stage, and she makes it interesting to watch her character unravel and attempt to deal with the problem as best she can. There's a depth of emotion, heart, and fear present in the role that sells the material, however derivative it may be at its core, very well. Production design offers impressive makeup and gore effects, which when combined with the film's unnerving score and Finn's eye for composition and narrative structure all make Smile a better film than it deserves to be, even if it's not a particularly great film even as it is.

Smile Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Smile's 1080p transfer may not leave seasoned Blu-ray viewers grinning from ear to ear, but the image is no joke, either. This is a very good, if not very typical for a new release digitally photographed motion picture, presentation. The image is confidently sharp, featuring accessible and satisfyingly complex clarity on environments, clothes, and skin, the latter of which reveals various pores and moles and hairs with plenty of visible depth and clarity. The image holds sharpness throughout, even in low light and across some varied environments, ranging from relaxing counseling offices to more utilitarian hospital rooms. Color output is likewise solid, offering good foundational depth and accuracy across both well-lit interiors and exteriors, bright daytime shots, and dark nighttime scenery. Colors are not overly vivid, nor are they dull and muted, enjoying a stable, natural middle ground. Black levels are nice and deep without veering into heavy crush. Whites are well balanced and skin tones look fine. There is some prominent noise in low light (look at the 31-minure mark) but the image is not saddled with any other source blemishes or encode maladies. This isn't a Blu-ray that is going to dazzle format veterans, but it's also a very safe and effective image that carries the film well.

Smile Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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.

Smile Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Smile includes a fairly typical variety of supplements, headlined by an audio commentary track. A digital copy code is included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• Audio Commentary: Director Parker Finn explores the film.
• Something's Wrong with Rose: Making Smile (1080p, 29:07): A lengthy exploration of the original short film that inspired Smile, adapting the short to feature length, characters, cast and performances, locations, sets and production design, narrative depth and the role of mental illness in the story, and much more.
• Flies on the Wall: Inside the Score (1080p, 8:50): As the title suggests, this piece offers access to "fly on the wall" footage featuring the creation of some of the film's unique musical elements.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Included are Panic Attack (9:03) and You're Gonna Be OK (2:36). With optional Parker Finn commentary.
• Laura Hasn't Slept - Original Short Film with Introduction by Director Parker Finn (1080p, 11:19): The original award-winning short film that inspired Smile.

Smile Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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 Blu-ray delivers satisfying video and excellent audio, both paired with an average allotment of bonus content. Recommended to genre fans.