Underworld (2003)(Minor Spoilers)

 

**This review contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- Selene (Kate Beckinsale), a vampire and a Death Dealer, finds herself stuck in the middle of a troubling dilemma.  A loyal and dedicated soldier in the secret generational war between Lycans and vampires, Selene uncovers a plot orchestrated by Lucian (Michael Sheen), the determined leader of the Lycans. 

Michal Corvin (Scott Speedman), a seemingly ordinary human, is targeted by Lucian. Supported by a Lycan scientist named Singe (Erwin Leder), Raze (Kevin Grevioux), and other Lycans, Lucian relentlessly pursues Michael for his blood. Unbeknownst to Michael, he is a direct descendant of Alexander Corvinus, the forefather of vampires and Lycans.

Selene reaches out to her coven leader, Kraven (Shane Brolly) for help, but Kraven dismisses Selene’s suspicions. Desperate for answers and an ally, Selene secretly takes a bold risk, when she decides to perform a ritual, awakening Viktor (Bill Nighy), the true ruler of Selene’s coven and a vampire elder, who shares a strong bond with Selene.

My Thoughts- Selene is the fierce and fearless ass-kicker, who’s emotionally rough around the edges. But as the story progresses, Selene softens up, and you’ll see a more vulnerable character. She starts out as the rebellious and no-nonsense Death Dealer, who lives for hunting and killing Lycans, but you’ll see the turn towards Selene showing more humanity throughout the movie, during her scenes with Michael, and when Selene finds out Viktor is not the savior that she always believed he was. Terrific character development.

There’s no denying Kate Beckinsale owns Selene. Good facial expressions, she’s kindhearted, when it’s necessary, and she’s believable, as a rough and scrappy fighter, who won’t quit. When you think about Kate Beckinsale and her career, Underworld should be the top pick. Why? Because she’s always consistent with her performances as the vampire Death Dealer, and it’s another case, where I have hard time picturing anyone else playing Selene. 

Details! I’m always a big fan of details, and Underworld puts a lot of effort into creating their own brand of an action/horror film, featuring vampires and werewolves. Putting emphasis on  Lycans over werewolves is one step in the right direction. Glowing light blue eyes for the vampires, blood memories, UV ammunition is used against vampires, silver nitrate bullets for Lycans, and the Lycans don’t necessarily need a full moon to transform, because older and more experienced Lycans are capable of transforming at will!

To take things further, there’s a clear separation of classes between the vampires and Lycans. There’s more structure for the vampires to the point, where they’re represented as a tight secret organization. Covens, it’s established the elders, including Viktor, Amelia (Zita Gorog), and Markus, are all-powerful vampires, who are tasked with being leaders.

The vampires are also elitists. You can see it with how the vampires dress and how they carry themselves, giving off an aura of pretentiousness. Selene, being a Death Dealer, clearly doesn’t fit in. She’s a rebel and a grunt, so of course she’s on the receiving end of snooty looks from the other high society types in the coven. 

The Lycans? A pack of “wild dogs” fighting to survive against the vampires. The Lycans are portrayed as being more barbaric (underground Lycan fight clubs!) and crass. On top of that, Lycans were forced to work for and protect the vampires during daylight hours as slaves. 

Michael Sheen’s Lucian is a perfect fit to lead the Lycans. Yeah, he’s motivated by revenge against Viktor, but at the same time, Lucian is fiercely persistent about fighting and defeating the vampires, because he knows what it’s like to live a life of servitude without any dignity.

The werewolf transformations? I wouldn’t say they’re bad, but it’s not enough for a big reaction. There’s ONE werewolf transformation (e.g. Michael’s transformation in the back of the police car) that’s pretty good, but the vast majority of the transformations are pretty basic. 

Selene and Michael’s love story? Beckinsale and Scott Speedman share believable chemistry together. Selene and Michael are two outcasts, with their backs against the wall. They need each other to survive. I get that, but the setup for the love at first sight stuff in the subway just feels a bit forced.

The original Underworld is still a strange film for me. I’ve always believed it should’ve been at a higher level? The material is right there, but Underworld is strangely missing an extra spark. 

Looking at it now, Underworld feels dated. We’re talking about an early 2000’s film, so you can see the influences from The Matrix for the aesthetics, including the wardrobes, and the overall vibe and feel of the movie. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but it’s definitely noticeable.

Underworld had the potential to be something bigger, but the overall end result is still more than satisfying. Solid and enjoyable performances from Kate Beckinsale, Michael Sheen, Scott Speedman, and Shane Brolly holds his own well enough as Kraven. But Bill Nighy takes the top spot for the best performance here. Nighy effortlessly brings an esteemed and strong demeanor, as the vampire elder, when Viktor enters the story, slowly shifting the momentum to the fifth gear.

Underworld also finds away to work every character with a significant amount of screen time into the story, ensuring each character has a meaningful role. Kevin Grevioux’s Raze fills the role of Lucian’s trusted muscle. Kraven is a whiny and entitled backstabbing weasel. Sophia Myles’ Erika sneaks around as a shameless opportunist, who gets burned in the end, and Erwin Leder plays Singe, the slimy Lycan scientist. Every character with a decent amount of spotlight directly affects the outcome of the story, especially Kahn, the weapon’s specialist, played by Robbie Gee.

Rewatching this one for the first time in years, and Kraven revealing his plans and his true intentions was still a bummer for me. Timing is the problem. They exposed Kraven’s backdoor shenanigans way too early, but there’s a big reveal that trumps Kraven’s double-cross, when Selene learns the truth about Viktor, and what happened to her family.

IF you’re going to give away a big reveal during the early stages of the movie, another swerve needs to hit at the right moment to justify that choice, and it’s truly a big shocker for a number of reasons. A nice swerve, and Beckinsale did a good job selling Selene’s heartbroken reaction.

Underworld starts off with a bang during the shootout at the subway, a good tone-setter for a movie that’s loaded with hard-hitting and fast-paced action sequences. Underworld features a good amount of bloody violence, and the ambush at the train station is appropriately brutal. Also, mixing sleek and gloomy visuals and cinematography works as another layer that helps Underworld establish its own unique identity.

It’s a movie that checks off all the boxes for a stylish popcorn action/horror flick, capped off by a strong finale, and Underworld’s story is loaded with depth. Underworld’s intricate and rich lore for the history behind the vampires, the Lycans, and the war, is simply amazing. The cliffhangers? Effectively building intrigue and anticipation for the next sequel, Underworld ends with a few big questions: What’s going to happen to Kraven? And what’s next for Selene and Michael? 

Rating- 7/10

Underworld (2003)

 

**This review contains spoilers**

The Story- Selene (Kate Beckinsale), a vampire and a Death Dealer, finds herself stuck in the middle of a troubling dilemma.  A loyal and dedicated soldier in the secret generational war between Lycans and vampires, Selene uncovers a plot orchestrated by Lucian (Michael Sheen), the determined leader of the Lycans. 

Michal Corvin (Scott Speedman), a seemingly ordinary human, is targeted by Lucian. Supported by a Lycan scientist named Singe (Erwin Leder), Raze (Kevin Grevioux), and other Lycans, Lucian relentlessly pursues Michael for his blood. Unbeknownst to Michael, he is a direct descendant of Alexander Corvinus, the forefather of vampires and Lycans.

Selene reaches out to her coven leader, Kraven (Shane Brolly) for help, but Kraven dismisses Selene’s suspicions. Desperate for answers and an ally, Selene secretly takes a bold risk, when she decides to perform a ritual, awakening Viktor (Bill Nighy), the true ruler of Selene’s coven and a vampire elder, who shares a strong bond with Selene.

My Thoughts- Selene is the fierce and fearless ass-kicker, who’s emotionally rough around the edges. But as the story progresses, Selene softens up, and you’ll see a more vulnerable character. She starts out as the rebellious and no-nonsense Death Dealer, who lives for hunting and killing Lycans, but you’ll see the turn towards Selene showing more humanity throughout the movie, during her scenes with Michael, and when Selene finds out Viktor is not the savior that she always believed he was. Terrific character development.

There’s no denying Kate Beckinsale owns Selene. Good facial expressions, she’s kindhearted, when it’s necessary, and she’s believable, as a rough and scrappy fighter, who won’t quit. When you think about Kate Beckinsale and her career, Underworld should be the top pick. Why? Because she’s always consistent with her performances as the vampire Death Dealer, and it’s another case, where I have hard time picturing anyone else playing Selene. 

Details! I’m always a big fan of details, and Underworld puts a lot of effort into creating their own brand of an action/horror film, featuring vampires and werewolves. Putting emphasis on  Lycans over werewolves is one step in the right direction. Glowing light blue eyes for the vampires, blood memories, UV ammunition is used against vampires, silver nitrate bullets for Lycans, and the Lycans don’t necessarily need a full moon to transform, because older and more experienced Lycans are capable of transforming at will!

To take things further, there’s a clear separation of classes between the vampires and Lycans. There’s more structure for the vampires to the point, where they’re represented as a tight secret organization. Covens, it’s established the elders, including Viktor, Amelia (Zita Gorog), and Markus, are all-powerful vampires, who are tasked with being leaders. 

The vampires are also elitists. You can see it with how the vampires dress and how they carry themselves, giving off an aura of pretentiousness. Selene, being a Death Dealer, clearly doesn’t fit in. She’s a rebel and a grunt, so of course she’s on the receiving end of snooty looks from the other high society types in the coven. 

The Lycans? A pack of “wild dogs” fighting to survive against the vampires. The Lycans are portrayed as being more barbaric (underground Lycan fight clubs!) and crass. On top of that, Lycans were forced to work for and protect the vampires during daylight hours as slaves. 

Michael Sheen’s Lucian is a perfect fit to lead the Lycans. Yeah, he’s motivated by revenge against Viktor, but at the same time, Lucian is fiercely persistent about fighting and defeating the vampires, because he knows what it’s like to live a life of servitude without any dignity.

The werewolf transformations? I wouldn’t say they’re bad, but it’s not enough for a big reaction. There’s ONE werewolf transformation (e.g. Michael’s transformation in the back of the police car) that’s pretty good, but the vast majority of the transformations are pretty basic. 

Viktor killed Selene’s family! A big reveal, when Kraven tells Selene the truth about Viktor. How does Selene respond? She kills Viktor to save Michael (now fully a hybrid). The setup for Viktor’s death was so good. Selene leaping in the air with the sword, Viktor, blades drawn, is ready to fight, but there’s a problem: Selene got a clean hit. The visual of a stunned Viktor standing there, while Selene shows the bloodstained sword, before half of Viktor’s head falls off? Easily the big chef’s kiss moment for the entire movie.

Lucian won in the end. Through flashbacks, it’s revealed Viktor was directly responsible for his own daughter’s death, because she was impregnated by Lucian. Lucian was forced to watch Sonja’s (Viktor’s daughter) agonizing execution. Viktor, believing he was protecting the bloodline from a forbidden “abomination,” justified Sonja’s punishment. Lucian planned to use Amelia and Michael’s blood to become a hybrid himself, but he was betrayed and killed by Kraven.

Still, Lucian got what he wanted. Viktor killed Sonja, the love of his life, to prevent the birth of a hybrid. But Michael turned into a hybrid from Selene’s life-saving bite. Selene, someone, who Viktor loved like his own daughter, fell in love with a werewolf. Add in the strange layer for Selene reminding Viktor of Sonja, and Viktor hoping he could have another chance to get it right for a father/daughter relationship, only for Selene to turn on him and kill him, because she eventually chose Michael over him. Man that’s gotta sting for Viktor. Lucian’s actions really set things in motion for one of the most brutal forms of revenge imaginable.

Selene and Michael’s love story? Beckinsale and Scott Speedman share believable chemistry together. Selene and Michael are two outcasts, with their backs against the wall. They need each other to survive. I get that, but the setup for the love at first sight stuff in the subway just feels a bit forced.

The original Underworld is still a strange film for me. I’ve always believed it should’ve been at a higher level? The material is right there, but Underworld is strangely missing an extra spark. 

Looking at it now, Underworld feels dated. We’re talking about an early 2000’s film, so you can see the influences from The Matrix for the aesthetics, including the wardrobes, and the overall vibe and feel of the movie. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but it’s definitely noticeable.

Underworld had the potential to be something bigger, but the overall end result is still more than satisfying. Solid and enjoyable performances from Kate Beckinsale, Michael Sheen, Scott Speedman, and Shane Brolly holds his own well enough as Kraven. But Bill Nighy takes the top spot for the best performance here. Nighy effortlessly brings an esteemed and strong demeanor, as the vampire elder, when Viktor enters the story, slowly shifting the momentum to the fifth gear.

Underworld also finds away to work every character with a significant amount of screen time into the story, ensuring each character has a meaningful role. Kevin Grevioux’s Raze fills the role of Lucian’s trusted muscle. Kraven is a whiny and entitled backstabbing weasel. Sophia Myles’ Erika sneaks around as a shameless opportunist, who gets burned in the end, and Erwin Leder plays Singe, the slimy Lycan scientist. Every character with a decent amount of spotlight directly affects the outcome of the story, especially Kahn, the weapon’s specialist, played by Robbie Gee.

Rewatching this one for the first time in years, and Kraven revealing his plans and his true intentions was still a bummer for me. Timing is the problem. They exposed Kraven’s backdoor shenanigans way too early, but there’s a big reveal that trumps Kraven’s double-cross, when Selene learns the truth about Viktor, and what happened to her family. 

IF you’re going to give away a big reveal during the early stages of the movie, another swerve needs to hit at the right moment to justify that choice, and it’s truly a big shocker for a number of reasons. A nice swerve, and Beckinsale did a good job selling Selene’s heartbroken reaction.

Underworld starts off with a bang during the shootout at the subway, a good tone-setter for a movie that’s loaded with hard-hitting and fast-paced action sequences. Underworld features a good amount of bloody violence, and the ambush at the train station is appropriately brutal. Also, mixing sleek and gloomy visuals and cinematography works as another layer that helps Underworld establish its own unique identity.

It’s a movie that checks off all the boxes for a stylish popcorn action/horror flick, capped off by a strong finale, and Underworld’s story is loaded with depth. Underworld’s intricate and rich lore for the history behind the vampires, the Lycans, and the war, is simply amazing. The cliffhangers? Effectively building intrigue and anticipation for the next sequel, Underworld ends with a few big questions: What’s going to happen to Kraven? And what’s next for Selene and Michael? 

Rating- 7/10

Kid Cannabis (2014)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- Nate Norman (Jonathan Daniel Brown) teams up with his best friend, Christopher (Kenny Wormald) to smuggle marijuana from Canada to Idaho. Motivated by dreams to provide a better life for his mother, Teressia (Amanda Tapping), and his little brother, Philip (Mark Hills), Nate relentlessly pursues the life of a drug kingpin.

In Canada, Nicole Grefard (Merritt Patterson) introduces Nate and Christopher (or “Topher”) to her father, John (John C. McGinely), her mother, Elke (Christina Cox), and her little sister, Ella. John, the mastermind behind growing and selling a high quality strain of marijuana, becomes Nate and Topher’s trusted supplier. And Nate further strengthens his empire by forming a partnership with Barry Lerner (Ron Perlman). 

Nate builds a team of runners, including Topher, Scuzz (Bryce Hodgson), and others. Millions are rolling in, as Nate’s team sneaks bricks of marijuana across the Canadian border. But Nate runs into some trouble during a feud with his rival, Brendan Butler (Aaron Yoo).

My Thoughts- Really? THIS guy? If you take one look at Nate Norman, you’d never guess he was capable of smoothly running a weed empire worth millions. Jonathan Daniel Brown delivers a convincing and good performance as Nate Norman. The nasally voice, Nate’s awkward demeanor, his attempts at trying to play it cool during Nate’s close calls, and Nate’s hilarious transition to being a more cocky drug kingpin. I wouldn’t go as far as calling it a show-stealing performance, but there’s no denying Brown’s dedication to playing Nate Norman.

Ron Perlman brings a strong and commanding presence to Barry Lerner. The scene in the car, where Barry warns Nate about betraying him is terrific. Perlman is genuinely menacing, while Barry calmly threatens Nate. A good scene, with a bit of humor added to it, because Barry’s young and oblivious son is in the backseat, while Barry goes over the gory details for what’ll happen, if Nate flips on him.

John C. McGinely plays the enlightened weed supplier. Together, The Grefard Family shares a bond as a carefree and relaxed clan. They’re basically stoner hippies, and with limited screen time, McGinely really nails John for one of the best performances in the movie, easily. 

Brendan Butler? Oh, boy. Kudos to Aaron Yoo for believably playing an egotistical and annoying shithead. Butler is obviously trying way too hard to be tough and crazy, because he’s a deeply insecure young man.

Nate’s empire crumbles, and he’s going to jail! Is it a big surprise? Well, no. You could see it all coming from a mile away. As soon as Topher starts complaining about Nate screwing him out of his fair share of the money, you know what’s coming. 

Someone in the crew, who was trying to make some extra money on the side gets caught, and guess what? He chooses to be an informant to save his own ass. Of course, Kid Cannabis has a heavier comedic tone, but if you’ve seen enough crime dramas, you should know there’s never a happy ending for the big kingpin. 

Although, I’ll give a thumbs up for how they presented the interrogations. Everyone in Nate’s crew turns on him. Topher is shown as the last one to expose Nate as the ringleader. Just going by his facial expressions, Topher looks like someone, who’s conflicted about giving up his friend, but he’s also angry and bitter about Nate treating him like another lackey, after they started the business together by themselves, while Topher was doing most of the groundwork and the heavy lifting. Remember, Topher is the one, who started the conversation with Nicole, a conversation that led both of them to John.

Clowns. They’re both clowns. It’s hard to believe Nate Norman and Brendan Butler were able to pull this off, building two empires, while raking in tons of cash. But I guess that’s the appeal of Kid Cannabis? The irony and the absurdity for two young guys, cosplaying as hardcore gangsters, works as a crazy story that’s almost too impossible to believe. And of course, when Nate finally realizes he’s way in over his head for trying to control his crew, while dodging the authorities, it’s too late.

Kid Cannabis follows a lot of the familiar tropes for movies based on a true crime story. I didn’t need to do any kind of research online, or use Google to figure out how Nate’s story ends. The mistrust between Nate and Topher, Topher questioning Nate’s leadership, crack’s in Nate’s crew, Nate’s greed, his ego, his carelessness, AND you add cocaine into the mix? Too many missteps and bad habits. It’s only a matter of time before it all comes back to bite you in the ass.

A strange real-life story, because I can at least understand why Nate chose a risky path. He’s a high school dropout, who works a dead end job delivering pizzas for a living. And Nate’s mother works as a waitress, so of course money is tight.

You could say being broke, and the frustrations for living a life that’s clearly going nowhere gave Nate the push that he needed. But Nate was truly inspired, when he delivered a pizza to a successful weed dealer named Taser (Lochlyn Munro). The big house, lots of women, and Taser is a wealthy and confident man. 

Is it foolish to risk your life and a lengthy jail sentence for that lifestyle? Yes, but you can also understand why it appeals to Nate. He’s a geeky and socially awkward guy, who was bullied in high school. Nate is shy and nervous around women, so of course he’s going to jump all over the chance to be the cool guy in town, knowing women will throw themselves at him, because he’s rich and powerful. Simply put, tearing off the label for being a loser means A LOT to someone like Nate.

The tedious cliches are hard to ignore. And what happened to the relationship between Nicole and Topher? Nicole just disappears, as the story progresses. No explanations, and they didn’t mention her again, after she helps Topher with one of his weed runs through the woods. Nicole is the reason why Nate and Topher were able to take their business to the next level, so the vanishing act is kind of strange.

But Kid Cannabis is still an entertaining true crime comedy. Director/writer John Stockwell makes some successful attempts to bring an energetic spark to Kid Cannabis. A handful of GoPro style shots, and the numerous scenes featuring security camera footage works to add more realism to the movie. And the violence is kept to a minimum here. You’ll only see one bloody scene, when a hitman Brendan hired turns on him by choking and stabbing Brendan to death. Giovanni (Corey Large) brutally murders Brendan, while his brother watches, one of the scenes that’s on a short list of heavy and series moments. 

Kid Cannabis features a well-rounded cast, including two notable and good performances from John C. McGinely and Ron Perlman. If we’re talking about different personalities, Bryce Hodgson’s Scuzz stands out in Nate’s crew of grunts, as the rebellious live-wire, who’s not afraid to challenge Nate’s authority. The laughs are also consistent. One scene that sticks out for me happens, when Nate, wearing an obvious fake mask, goes to visit a lawyer named Joe Loya (Ben Cotton) for legal advice. A genuinely hilarious scene from start to finish. 

Also, Kid Cannabis opens with some social commentary about “the war on pot.” Nate starts off the movie talking about the feds prioritizing spending $42 billion going after his operation over the war on terror, and stopping Osama Bin Laden. And let’s not forget Teressia tearfully dismissing Nate’s impending legal troubles, because “it’s just pot.” 

Kid Cannabis is a refreshing pick, if you’re looking for something different in the realm of stoner comedies. Maybe it’s a toss up for landing on the side of sympathy for Nate, what he did, and how he chose to handled everything. But one thing’s for sure, the story about a young pizza delivery driver turned weed kingpin from a small town in Idaho, is filled with a hefty amount of turbulent ups, downs, twists, and turns. 

Rating- 7/10

Kid Cannabis (2014)(Minor Spoilers)

 

**This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- Nate Norman (Jonathan Daniel Brown) teams up with his best friend, Christopher (Kenny Wormald) to smuggle marijuana from Canada to Idaho. Motivated by dreams to provide a better life for his mother, Teressia (Amanda Tapping), and his little brother, Philip (Mark Hills), Nate relentlessly pursues the life of a drug kingpin.

In Canada, Nicole Grefard (Merritt Patterson) introduces Nate and Christopher (or “Topher”) to her father, John (John C. McGinely), her mother, Elke (Christina Cox), and her little sister, Ella. John, the mastermind behind growing and selling a high quality strain of marijuana, becomes Nate and Topher’s trusted supplier. And Nate further strengthens his empire by forming a partnership with Barry Lerner (Ron Perlman). 

Nate builds a team of runners, including Topher, Scuzz (Bryce Hodgson), and others. Millions are rolling in, as Nate’s team sneaks bricks of marijuana across the Canadian border. But Nate runs into some trouble during a feud with his rival, Brendan Butler (Aaron Yoo).

My Thoughts- Really? THIS guy? If you take one look at Nate Norman, you’d never guess he was capable of smoothly running a weed empire worth millions. Jonathan Daniel Brown delivers a convincing and good performance as Nate Norman. The nasally voice, Nate’s awkward demeanor, his attempts at trying to play it cool during Nate’s close calls, and Nate’s hilarious transition to being a more cocky drug kingpin. I wouldn’t go as far as calling it a show-stealing performance, but there’s no denying Brown’s dedication to playing Nate Norman.

Ron Perlman brings a strong and commanding presence to Barry Lerner. The scene in the car, where Barry warns Nate about betraying him is terrific. Perlman is genuinely menacing, while Barry calmly threatens Nate. A good scene, with a bit of humor added to it, because Barry’s young and oblivious son is in the backseat, while Barry goes over the gory details for what’ll happen, if Nate flips on him.

John C. McGinely plays the enlightened weed supplier. Together, The Grefard Family shares a bond as a carefree and relaxed clan. They’re basically stoner hippies, and with limited screen time, McGinely really nails John for one of the best performances in the movie, easily.

Brendan Butler? Oh, boy. Kudos to Aaron Yoo for believably playing an egotistical and annoying shithead. Butler is obviously trying way too hard to be tough and crazy, because he’s a deeply insecure young man.

Clowns. They’re both clowns. It’s hard to believe Nate Norman and Brendan Butler were able to pull this off, building two empires, while raking in tons of cash. But I guess that’s the appeal of Kid Cannabis? The irony and the absurdity for two young guys, cosplaying as hardcore gangsters, works as a crazy story that’s almost too impossible to believe. And of course, when Nate finally realizes he’s way in over his head for trying to control his crew, while dodging the authorities, it’s too late.

Kid Cannabis follows a lot of the familiar tropes for movies based on a true crime story. I didn’t need to do any kind of research online, or use Google to figure out how Nate’s story ends. The mistrust between Nate and Topher, Topher questioning Nate’s leadership, cracks in Nate’s crew, Nate’s greed, his ego, his carelessness, AND you add cocaine into the mix? Too many missteps and bad habits. It’s only a matter of time before it all comes back to bite you in the ass.

A strange real-life story, because I can at least understand why Nate chose a risky path. He’s a high school dropout, who works a dead end job delivering pizzas for a living. And Nate’s mother works as a waitress, so of course money is tight.

You could say being broke, and the frustrations for living a life that’s clearly going nowhere gave Nate the push that he needed. But Nate was truly inspired, when he delivered a pizza to a successful weed dealer named Taser (Lochlyn Munro). The big house, lots of women, and Taser is a wealthy and confident man. 

Is it foolish to risk your life and a lengthy jail sentence for that lifestyle? Yes, but you can also understand why it appeals to Nate. He’s a geeky and socially awkward guy, who was bullied in high school. Nate is shy and nervous around women, so of course he’s going to jump all over the chance to be the cool guy in town, knowing women will throw themselves at him, because he’s rich and powerful. Simply put, tearing off the label for being a loser means A LOT to someone like Nate.

The tedious cliches are hard to ignore. And what happened to the relationship between Nicole and Topher? Nicole just disappears, as the story progresses. No explanations, and they didn’t mention her again, after she helps Topher with one of his weed runs through the woods. Nicole is the reason why Nate and Topher were able to take their business to the next level, so the vanishing act is kind of strange.

But Kid Cannabis is still an entertaining true crime comedy. Director/writer John Stockwell makes some successful attempts to bring an energetic spark to Kid Cannabis. A handful of GoPro style shots, and the numerous scenes featuring security camera footage works to add more realism to the movie. And the violence is kept to a minimum here. 

Kid Cannabis features a well-rounded cast, including two notable and good performances from John C. McGinely and Ron Perlman. If we’re talking about different personalities, Bryce Hodgson’s Scuzz stands out in Nate’s crew of grunts, as the rebellious live-wire, who’s not afraid to challenge Nate’s authority. The laughs are also consistent. One scene that sticks out for me happens, when Nate, wearing an obvious fake mask, goes to visit a lawyer named Joe Loya (Ben Cotton) for legal advice. A genuinely hilarious scene from start to finish.

Also, Kid Cannabis opens with some social commentary about “the war on pot.” Nate starts off the movie talking about the feds prioritizing spending $42 billion going after his operation over the war on terror, and stopping Osama Bin Laden. And let’s not forget Teressia tearfully dismissing Nate’s impending legal troubles, because “it’s just pot.” 

Kid Cannabis is a refreshing pick, if you’re looking for something different in the realm of stoner comedies. Maybe it’s a toss up for landing on the side of sympathy for Nate, what he did, and how he chose to handled everything. But one thing’s for sure, the story about a young pizza delivery driver turned weed kingpin from a small town in Idaho, is filled with a hefty amount of turbulent ups, downs, twists, and turns.

Rating- 7/10

Smile 2 (2024)(Minor Spoilers)

 

**This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- A drug dealer named Lewis (Lukas Gage) violently commits suicide in his apartment, passing the curse to troubled pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott). Skye, preparing for a comeback tour, slowly unravels, while fighting her inner demons, as the curse tightens its grip.

Supported and monitored by her mother, Elizabeth (Rosemarie DeWitt), her assistant, Joshua (Miles-Gutierrez Riley), and the head of Skye’s record label, Darius (Raul Castillo), Skye tries to hold it together before the tour starts. But she’s haunted by memories of a turbulent past with her boyfriend, Paul (Ray Nicholson), and physically, Skye is struggling to adjust to life after a brutal car accident. 

Skye reaches out to Gemma (Dylan  Gelula) in an attempt to repair their broken friendship. Meanwhile, Morris (Peter Jacobson), a nurse with a personal connection to the curse, cooks up a risky plan to stop the entity.

My Thoughts- Skye Riley is a diva, she’s kind of a brat, and Skye has some anger issues. But she’s feeling the pressure of making a big comeback, one last chance to get it right, and almost everyone in her circle is depending on her. Oh, and she’s the new target for the curse. 

Naomi Scott is truly fantastic here. She cranks it up to eleven for an energetic all gas, no brakes performance. Whether it’s chugging Voss water, the hysterical fits, or the scenes, where Skye is clearly hitting her breaking point, you’ll always know Scott is the center of attention in all of her scenes, because she brings a spark to Skye’s quirks and her tantrums. 

Three films in, and by now, we already know the curse is something that’s capable of driving you insane, with constant mind games. Scott never lets up, when the curse takes a hold of Skye, not once. 

Where is she getting all of this energy from! It’s a question I constantly asked myself throughout the movie. The outbursts (“FUCK the tour!”), repeatedly slapping her own face with a bloody hand, and the emotional breakdowns. So far, Naomi Scott’s performance is the measuring stick that shows how the curse will destroy your life, and it’ll completely break you, no matter how hard you try and fight back. 

Skye has her problems, and she’s not perfect. There’s no denying it, but she’s also someone, who hit a rough patch in her life. The pressures of being a big mainstream pop star, abusing drugs before the car accident, and she’s currently dealing with an addiction to painkillers. 

The flashback to the accident with Paul works to show just how bad Skye’s issues were before she hit rock bottom. She was a complete mess before her attempted redemption tour. You can see it in the scene with Paul, and the brief flashback, with Skye sobbing and tearing off pieces of her hair. All in all, Skye Riley is a complicated character, but Naomi Scott effortlessly nails each layer of the problematic pop star, who’s reluctantly chasing a second chance.

The majority of the mind games from the entity are more cruel in the sequel. The charity banquet, where Skye has a meltdown is one scene that sticks out. Paul slowly walks towards the stage, with that creepy smile on his face, and Skye completely freaks out. Paul is a ghost from Skye’s past. She’s not ready to deal with him, because Skye clearly feels responsible for what happened to Paul. Awesome scene, with Ray Nicholson’s sinister smiling facial expressions, and Scott’s reaction (“STOP SMILING AT ME!!”) to him. 

Something that’s easy to notice, is Skye and Rose’s different paths in their attempts to stop the curse. With the exception of Joel, Rose from the previous film was shunned and abandoned by her fiancé and her family, when she reached out for help with the curse. Skye? You get the feeling she actually had a more solid and caring support system around her, including her dance choreographer, Anton (Jon Rua). 

Yeah, maybe you could say Skye’s inner circle pushed her too her hard, and the big expectations played a part in Skye’s downward spiral. Maybe Elizabeth was too demanding? Having to deal with your mother, who’s also your manager is a tricky conundrum. 

Skye’s team genuinely cared about her. Skye also didn’t make things easy by sneaking around to buy Vicodin, and hiding her addiction to painkillers. Was there a chance for Skye to have a happy ending, if she just told someone about Lewis’ suicide and the curse? A small possibility for a positive outcome, but on the other side of that, Skye’s secrecy and bottling up too much works to add the essential layer for a tragic character, who just can’t catch a break. 

Smile looks and feels more established in the sequel. Parker Finn sticks with some of the dizzying and inverted shots from the previous film. Just taking a stab at this, but the topsy-turvy shots are used as a visual representation for the current cursed victim’s world being turned upside down, and there’s no way to escape it.

Rose was put on a bumpy road, but Parker Finn raises the stakes with Skye as a victim for the curse. Remember, the entity (or The Monstrosity) feeds off of trauma, and there’s one particular traumatic event that Skye just couldn’t let go of. 

To make matters worse, Skye is someone, who’s constantly surrounded by people, making it nearly impossible to avoid the demonic smiling faces. The scene, where Skye is cornered by her dancers in her apartment? Freaky stuff, especially the unified and choreographed slinking movements before the group corners Skye. 

Skye dealing with extreme amounts of stress for being a young pop star undeniably made things worse. So many people pulling you in different directions, the expectations, and the exhausting grind that never seems to end. She’s also dealing with a curse! Yeah, too much.

Morris’ plan to stop the entity was a bit too loopy. I get it. Skye needed a miracle to survive, but her chances were always too slim, especially when you know what happened to Rose.  

But there’s no denying Smile 2 is still an outstanding follow up to the 2022 film. This is you want from a sequel, a film that lets you know the original wasn’t just a flash in the pan or a fluke, and it’s one of the rare cases, where the sequel surpasses the original. And a nice effort to add some realism with Skye appearing on Drew Barrymore’s show for the first big interview before the tour.

After the first film, you know what to expect for the fake-outs and the illusions, but a few of them still managed  to catch me off guard. The argument between Skye and Elizabeth at the wellness center is easily my top pick. And the Gemma twist is a good shocker. 

The curse turns into a worldwide epidemic in the next film? Think about an arena filled to the brim with thousands of people, fans recording, and the chances for live streaming the concert. Lots of possibilities!

Similar to its predecessor, Smile 2 is consistently tense, delivering stronger thrills, while the story moves at a much faster pace. Some nice spooky moments, the right amount of bloody gore, and a handful of unnerving moments. 

The scene with the creepy stalker fan at Skye’s autograph signing is a wild one. Ivan Carlo’s Alfredo is someone, who’ll make your skin crawl. The angry screeching voice, his disgusting poor hygiene (e.g. the skid marks in his underwear), and his unhealthy obsession with Skye. A real weirdo, and Carlo is pretty damn good during his brief appearances.

Smile 2 gets an extra bump over the original for Naomi Scott’s excellent performance. Third or fourth time rewatching this one, because Smile 2 is one of my personal favorites for 2024 horror films. 

A truly bonkers horror flick from start to finish, including Joel’s (Kyle Gallner) botched attempt to pass the curse, complete with a vision of Rose engulfed in flames to maintain the continuity between both films. A frazzled Gallner makes the most of his short screen time, starting the movie off with a real bang for a smooth transition into Skye’s story. Solid emotional depth, and a balanced supporting cast for the story about a controversial celebrity, who could’ve avoided a lot of problems, if she didn’t secretly go to a drug dealer’s apartment in the middle of the night to score Vicodin. 

Rating- 9/10

Smile 2 (2024)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- A drug dealer named Lewis (Lukas Gage) violently commits suicide in his apartment, passing the curse to troubled pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott). Skye, preparing for a comeback tour, slowly unravels, while fighting her inner demons, as the curse tightens its grip.

Supported and monitored by her mother, Elizabeth (Rosemarie DeWitt), her assistant, Joshua (Miles-Gutierrez Riley), and the head of Skye’s record label, Darius (Raul Castillo), Skye tries to hold it together before the tour starts. But she’s haunted by memories of a turbulent past with her boyfriend, Paul (Ray Nicholson), and physically, Skye is struggling to adjust to life after a brutal car accident. 

Skye reaches out to Gemma (Dylan  Gelula) in an attempt to repair their broken friendship. Meanwhile, Morris (Peter Jacobson), a nurse with a personal connection to the curse, cooks up a risky plan to stop the entity.

My Thoughts- Skye Riley is a diva, she’s kind of a brat, and Skye has some anger issues. But she’s feeling the pressure of making a big comeback, one last chance to get it right, and almost everyone in her circle is depending on her. Oh, and she’s the new target for the curse. 

Naomi Scott is truly fantastic here. She cranks it up to eleven for an energetic all gas, no brakes performance. Whether it’s chugging Voss water, the hysterical fits, or the scenes, where Skye is clearly hitting her breaking point, you’ll always know Scott is the center of attention in all of her scenes, because she brings a spark to Skye’s quirks and her tantrums. 

Three films in, and by now, we already know the curse is something that’s capable of driving you insane, with constant mind games. Scott never lets up, when the curse takes a hold of Skye, not once. 

Where is she getting all of this energy from! It’s a question I constantly asked myself throughout the movie. The outbursts (“FUCK the tour!”), repeatedly slapping her own face with a bloody hand, and the emotional breakdowns. So far, Naomi Scott’s performance is the measuring stick that shows how the curse will destroy your life, and it’ll completely break you, no matter how hard you try and fight back. 

Skye has her problems, and she’s not perfect. There’s no denying it, but she’s also someone, who hit a rough patch in her life. The pressures of being a big mainstream pop star, abusing drugs before the car accident, and she’s currently dealing with an addiction to painkillers. 

The flashback to the accident with Paul works to show just how bad Skye’s issues were before she hit rock bottom. She was a complete mess before her attempted redemption tour. You can see it in the scene with Paul, and the brief flashback, with Skye sobbing and tearing off pieces of her hair. All in all, Skye Riley is a complicated character, but Naomi Scott effortlessly nails each layer of the problematic pop star, who’s reluctantly chasing a second chance.

The majority of the mind games from the entity are more cruel in the sequel. The charity banquet, where Skye has a meltdown is one scene that sticks out. Paul slowly walks towards the stage, with that creepy smile on his face, and Skye completely freaks out. Paul is a ghost from Skye’s past. She’s not ready to deal with him, because Skye clearly feels responsible for what happened to Paul. Awesome scene, with Ray Nicholson’s sinister smiling facial expressions, and Scott’s reaction (“STOP SMILING AT ME!!”) to him. 

Something that’s easy to notice, is Skye and Rose’s different paths in their attempts to stop the curse. With the exception of Joel, Rose from the previous film was shunned and abandoned by her fiancé and her family, when she reached out for help with the curse. Skye? You get the feeling she actually had a more solid and caring support system around her, including her dance choreographer, Anton (Jon Rua). 

Yeah, maybe you could say Skye’s inner circle pushed her too her hard, and the big expectations played a part in Skye’s downward spiral. Maybe Elizabeth was too demanding? Having to deal with your mother, who’s also your manager is a tricky conundrum. 

Skye’s team genuinely cared about her. Skye also didn’t make things easy by sneaking around to buy Vicodin, and hiding her addiction to painkillers. Was there a chance for Skye to have a happy ending, if she just told someone about Lewis’ suicide and the curse? A small possibility for a positive outcome, but on the other side of that, Skye’s secrecy and bottling up too much works to add the essential layer for a tragic character, who just can’t catch a break. 

Hold on a minute. Gemma was never with Skye in the beginning or towards the end? Skye didn’t bury the hatchet with her? Yep. More mind games and illusions from the entity. To take things further, Skye imagined a good seventy to eighty percent of the events in the movie! The reunion with Gemma, meeting Morris at the bar, and the fight with Elizabeth at the wellness center. None of it happened. 

Take a good look at the blue/turquoise costume Skye is wearing during the early stages of the movie, the same costume she was afraid to wear, because you could see her scar from the surgery? That’s the same costume Skye is wearing, when she snaps back into reality. 

I have mixed feelings for how the ending played out. I never believed for one second that Skye realistically had a chance to beat the entity. It would’ve been a great shocker if she did survive, but I had too many doubts. Yes, Skye, stuck in the entity’s web of tricks and mind games, survived one close call after another, but that’s the problem. After a while, it’s clear the entity is just throwing too many haymakers at her, and at some point, Skye was inevitably going to end up on the losing end of the struggle. 

Morris’ solution? Eh, it was too far-fetched to work. I get the idea of “killing” Skye, or brining her to the brink of death to break the chain for the curse. But the chances for a successful attempt were too slim, a big long shot in the realm of miraculous last-ditch efforts.

Still, Smile 2 manages to deliver a thrilling and emotional finale. Skye’s devastated reaction, when she realizes Gemma was just an illusion is terrific. Skye was clinging to the renewed friendship with Gemma for support. Gemma was supposed to be one of her anchors, and the entity used that against her.

The final moments, where Skye, now fully consumed by the curse, jams the microphone into her head to commit suicide? Nasty stuff. And some good gross out moments, when the entity appears, tearing and ripping through the smiling version of Skye’s body before stretching the real Skye’s mouth wide open. 

Parker Finn choosing to focus on the crowd’s horrified reactions to Skye killing herself, instead of showing Skye actually doing it, was a nice touch. You just see the aftermath of Skye’s corpse lying on the ground, with the microphone stuck in her head. Give the viewers a chance to imagine how horrible Skye’s demise truly is, without showing everything step by step. 

Also, taking a few steps backwards, the ending manages to deliver another good emotional blow, when you realize Skye was defeated by the entity in the form of Skye after the car accident. All the bad memories, the drugs, and her rocky relationship with Paul. She was the final demon, who Skye couldn’t overcome, the absolute worst version of herself. In the end, Skye couldn’t forgive herself for causing the car accident with Paul. The regret completely consumed her, so that was the catalyst for her undoing.

Smile looks and feels more established in the sequel. Parker Finn sticks with some of the dizzying and inverted shots from the previous film. Just taking a stab at this, but the topsy-turvy shots are used as a visual representation for the current cursed victim’s world being turned upside down, and there’s no way to escape it.

Rose was put on a bumpy road, but Parker Finn raises the stakes with Skye as a victim for the curse. Remember, the entity (or The Monstrosity) feeds off of trauma, and there’s one particular traumatic event that Skye just couldn’t let go of. 

To make matters worse, Skye is someone, who’s constantly surrounded by people, making it nearly impossible to avoid the demonic smiling faces. The scene, where Skye is cornered by her dancers in her apartment? Freaky stuff, especially the unified and choreographed slinking movements before the group corners Skye. 

Skye dealing with extreme amounts of stress for being a young pop star undeniably made things worse. So many people pulling you in different directions, the expectations, and the exhausting grind that never seems to end. She’s also dealing with a curse! Yeah, too much.

Morris’ plan to stop the entity was a bit too loopy. I get it. Skye needed a miracle to survive, but her chances were always too slim, especially when you know what happened to Rose.  

But there’s no denying Smile 2 is still an outstanding follow up to the 2022 film. This is you want from a sequel, a film that lets you know the original wasn’t just a flash in the pan or a fluke, and it’s one of the rare cases, where the sequel surpasses the original. And a nice effort to add some realism with Skye appearing on Drew Barrymore’s show for the first big interview before the tour.

After the first film, you know what to expect for the fake-outs and the illusions, but a few of them still managed  to catch me off guard. The argument between Skye and Elizabeth at the wellness center is easily my top pick. And the Gemma twist is a good shocker. 

The curse turns into a worldwide epidemic in the next film? Think about an arena filled to the brim with thousands of people, fans recording, and the chances for live streaming the concert. Lots of possibilities!

Similar to its predecessor, Smile 2 is consistently tense, delivering stronger thrills, while the story moves at a much faster pace. Some nice spooky moments, the right amount of bloody gore, and a handful of unnerving moments. 

The scene with the creepy stalker fan at Skye’s autograph signing is a wild one. Ivan Carlo’s Alfredo is someone, who’ll make your skin crawl. The angry screeching voice, his disgusting poor hygiene (e.g. the skid marks in his underwear), and his unhealthy obsession with Skye. A real weirdo, and Carlo is pretty damn good during his brief appearances.

Smile 2 gets an extra bump over the original for Naomi Scott’s excellent performance. Third or fourth time rewatching this one, because Smile 2 is one of my personal favorites for 2024 horror films. 

A truly bonkers horror flick from start to finish, including Joel’s (Kyle Gallner) botched attempt to pass the curse, complete with a vision of Rose engulfed in flames to maintain the continuity between both films. A frazzled Gallner makes the most of his short screen time, starting the movie off with a real bang for a smooth transition into Skye’s story. Solid emotional depth, and a balanced supporting cast for the story about a controversial celebrity, who could’ve avoided a lot of problems, if she didn’t secretly go to a drug dealer’s apartment in the middle of the night to score Vicodin. 

Rating- 9/10

Smile (2022)(Minor Spoilers)

 

**This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- Laura Weaver (Caitlin Stasey), with an unusual smile on her face, commits suicide in front of Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon). After Laura’s death, Rose experiences a series of strange occurrences, haunted by smiling faces and fatal threats. Frantically scrambling to find answers, Rose eventually learns she’s been cursed by an unknown entity.

Joel (Kyle Gallner), a detective and Rose’s ex-boyfriend, steps up to help after Rose realizes she can’t trust her fiancé, Trevor (Jessie T. Usher), her therapist, Dr. Northcott (Robin Weigert), her sister, Holly (Gillian Zinser), Holly’s husband, Greg (Nick Arapoglou), and her boss, Dr. Desai (Kal Penn). Can Rose and Joel solve the mystery behind the deadly curse before it’s too late?

My Thoughts- Rose slowly sinks into a deep hole after the curse latches on to her. Sosie Bacon does a wonderful job of showing how Rose unravels step by step. Rose starts out as this hardworking therapist with a good heart, but towards the end, she’s a complete mess, because the curse sucks the life out of you. The confusion, the anger, the paranoia, the desperation, and the sadness puts a stranglehold on Rose’s spirit. Rose is dealing with a whirlwind of emotions, fighting off bad memories from her childhood, and Bacon superbly captures each stage of Rose’s downward spiral.

Kyle Gallner’s Joel comes off as someone, who’s kind of dopey at first, and a bit awkward. As the story progresses, you’ll quickly realize Joel still genuinely cares about Rose. Joel is a good and down to earth guy, and Joel settles into the role of an unconventional sidekick, who wants to do whatever he can to help. A solid performance from Gallner, complete with a handful of funny moments, when Joel is clearly confused about what’s going on with Rose.

SMILE! After the first trailer for Smile was released, I was kind of worried the smiling faces would be too silly or goofy, but that’s not the case here. The scene, where Laura commits suicide sets the precedent, a clear visual of insanity that signals the victim is too far gone. There’s just something eerie and very creepy about the smiling faces throughout the movie. Seeing those wide cheek to cheek smiles serves as a warning sign that something bad is about to happen, or it’s another sign the entity is tightening its grip on the current target. 

A big thumbs up for writer/director Parker Finn’s approach to the curse and the entity. Why? Because there’s no way you can see it coming. 

The cursed characters in Smile didn’t take unnecessary risks, and they didn’t knowingly do something stupid. Going to a haunted house, digging up someone’s grave, or reading passages from an evil book, or any of the other usual horror movie missteps that could’ve been easily avoided. Just imagine this, you’re minding your own business, or going through your normal routines, and BAM! Someone, who’s cursed violently commits suicide in front of you, and now you’re stuck with the curse. 

Through the performances from Sosie Bacon, Caitlin Stasey, Rob Morgan, and  Judy Reyes, you can see how the curse is capable of ruining someone’s life at different stages. With Bacon, you get to see how everything spirals out of control from start to finish. 

Surviving the curse? Yeah, that’s not all that it’s cracked up to be either. Robert (Morgan) is a broken mess of a man, stuck in prison, because there’s only one way (kill another person to pass the curse to a living witness) to truly escape the curse. If you’re in Laura Weaver’s spot before her demise, then it’s too late. Not enough time to explain the complexities of the curse, or enough time for anyone else to grasp what’s going on. Simple as that. 

But let’s not forget about what the curse does to family members and spouses. Victoria Munoz (Reyes) witnessed her husband, Gabriel’s (Felix Melendez Jr.) descent into madness firsthand. She’s still heartbroken and depressed over Gabriel’s death, and the flashback scene, where Victoria has to identify Gabriel’s corpse, including his mangled and disfigured face? Yikes! One of the more memorable gruesome and gory moments throughout the movie. 

“You can’t escape your own mind, Rose!” Another good layer for the curse comes into play, when it’s revealed the entity feeds off of trauma to grow stronger. Rose is still haunted by what happened to her mother during her childhood. It’s not too hard to connect the dots for Rose being a workaholic, specifically as a therapist, to her mother dealing with mental health issues. Rose couldn’t save her mother as a child, BUT maybe she can save her patients as an adult. 

It doesn’t matter how far you run, or if you try to hide and isolate yourself from other people. If you’re still holding on to traumatic events, or the loss of loved ones, the entity will sniff it out and relentlessly attack. That’s truly terrifying.

Smile takes a layered approach to mental illnesses, and how people react to someone with mental health problems. Rose starts losing it. She’s cursed, but she should be able to rely on Trevor and her family for support, right? Nope. Rose is almost instantly dismissed as a crazy person. Trevor, instead of showing compassion, scolds Rose for possibly having mental health issues. To make matters worse, Trevor is paranoid about the hereditary connection between Rose and her mother, and Rose possibly inheriting her mother’s sickness. 

Jackson’s (Holly’s son) birthday party is a great scene. Rose has a complete breakdown, after Jackson opens his present, and it’s revealed what happened to Rose’s cat, Mustache. No one asks if Rose is okay. No one tries to help her, including her own sister and her brother-in-law. They’re scared of Rose, and nobody wants to go near her.

Smile does a good job of showing how other people, even those closest to you, won’t hesitate to shun or completely shut you out of their lives, if they know, or even suspect your dealing with mental issues. You’re basically treated like someone, who’s suffering from a deadly virus: go away, far away, and don’t come back until you’re normal again. 

Remember, Rose is a therapist. Rose treats people with mental illnesses for a living, so how does she feel, when she’s accused of being a nutcase, or having to deal with being labeled as someone, who’s sick in the head? It’s a jarring experience for her, you can see how much it hurts Rose, and kudos to Parker Finn for working a big mindfuck into the story. 

Smile has one predictable jump scare that you’d expect from a mainstream horror film, but it’s still a damn good movie. Consistently tense, just the right amount of bloody violence and gruesome gore, and the fake-outs are superb. There’s a scene where Rose, trapped in an illusion/nightmare, imagines herself killing Carl (one of her patients) to pass the curse to Dr. Desai, and Desai slowly rips off his own face! A good gory surprise, and it’s a callback to two similar moments (Dr. Parsons and Laura tearing the skin off of their faces) from the short film Laura Hasn’t Slept.

It’s not always easy to tell the differences between reality, and the entity’s mind games. Smile’s crafty methods for stringing you along until the reveal happens works, because each scenario is noticeably different throughout the movie. 

“Holly’s” head hanging upside down with a smile on her face is my only complaint for the fake-outs. Not because it’s bad, but they gave it away in the trailers! WHY would you give that one away? It would’ve been a great surprise. I understand the need to sell the movie, but come on now. 

Still, Smile is a refreshing horror flick, featuring a creative story, that’s loaded with some good emotional depth, because Smile is one of those horror films that simultaneously works as a psychological drama AND a horror film. Sosie Bacon is amazing in the leading role. A solid supporting cast, including Caitlin Stasey, Judy Reyes, Jack Sochet, and Kal Penn all delivering impactful performances with sporadic appearances, or a limited amount of screen time. Also, Smile easily has one of the best monster/demon reveals you’ll ever see.

Usually, I’m more on the one-and-done side for horror movies similar to Smile. Something good, with a fresh story, and a genuinely shocking ending? Leave it alone, and don’t touch it! That’s usually my first reaction, because it’s almost impossible to catch lightning in a bottle with more sequels. But Smile’s premise is full of potential to explore with more films, and different characters. I’ll always support more Smile sequels, and maybe a TV series? Okay, that’s probably going too far.

Rating- 8/10