**This review contains MINOR spoilers**
The Story- Plagued by a series of alarming dreams, Laura Weaver (Caitlin Stasey) seeks help from Dr. Parsons (Lew Temple), but Laura’s therapy session takes a bizarre turn for the worse….
My Thoughts- Caitlin Stasey immediately catches your attention during the opening moments. She’s completely fried, and desperately looking for answers. Laura knows something is wrong, but she can’t escape the smiling faces. Caitlin Stasey delivers a believable and good performance as Laura. The confusion, the sadness, the anger, and the frustration for not being able to fully understand what’s going on. Stasey does a wonderful job of quickly hitting all the checkpoints for Laura’s speedy descent into madness, truly an impressive feat.
If you’ve already watched both Smile films, there’s a good chance you’ll know what’s next after Dr. Parsons reveals his true identity. But Laura Hasn’t Slept is still a good horror short. Parker Finn crafts a speedy and tense nail-biter, while Laura is trapped in a spooky and claustrophobic setting. Finn quickly takes the story to a boiling point within a tight time frame (just a little under twelve minutes), and Lew Temple’s cold and sinister performance really works as the essential lynchpin that holds everything together.
Caitlin Stasey is terrific in the leading role. Limiting the cast to two people was the right approach. As the story develops, it’s clear Laura can’t trust Dr. Parsons, playing into Laura’s paranoid mindset and her fears, because Laura desperately needed Parsons’ help. Now? She’s alone. No help, and no one else truly understands what’s going on with the entity.
Laura Hasn’t Slept is worth checking out, if you’re interested in the origins of Smile, and how the seeds were planted for both full-length feature films. A demented smiling face, you’ll see more of Laura Weaver, and the inspiration for a scene (Dr. Desai ripping the skin off his face) from Smile (2022). I know it’s a short, but so far, the Smile series doesn’t have any bad films. No stinkers, not one. Hopefully things stay that way!
Rating- 7/10
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