Character Spotlight- Skye Riley-Smile 2

 **This post contains spoilers**

Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) is back! The comeback tour is in full swing, after a successful and positive interview on The Drew Barrymore Show. The wildly popular pop star is almost ready to start a highly anticipated world tour, but there’s one big problem: Skye is the next target for the tortuous curse that already claimed the lives of Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) and Joel (Kyle Gallner).

Rose and Joel didn’t have the luxury of a solid support system around them to help fight the curse. Skye? Yes, you could say she’s surrounded by people, who actually care about her, including her mother, Elizabeth (Rosemarie DeWitt), her assistant, Joshua (Miles Gutierrez-Riley), and Darius (Raul Castillo), the head of Skye’s record label. But everyone in Skye’s circle has one main goal in common: they’re all there to keep the machine known as Skye Riley running smoothly, at full speed, and Skye is a machine that prints a lot of money. 

Is Skye a diva and a brat sometimes? Yeah, she’ll throw her tantrums and she can be demanding, but we’re also talking about a young woman, who’s clearly burnt out. Skye is cracking under the pressure in real time. Keeping up with appearances, photo shoots, dance rehearsals, autograph signings, and Skye having to give a speech at a disastrous banquet dinner. 

The life of a world famous pop star is exhausting. Always on move, constantly surrounded by people, and you’re always expected to present the absolute best version of yourself, whether it’s on stage during a performance, or if you’re just going out to do normal things that normal people do. No time to rest, breathe, or relax. It’s full speed ahead, move on to the next task, rinse and repeat, and maybe you can have some peace, when you’re sleeping. 

Labeling those closest to Skye as vultures is taking things too far. But there’s a fine line for pushing someone, when they need to be pushed, and pushing someone too hard to the point, where said person can’t take it anymore. They’re going to crack at some point, but you can sense more genuine compassion from Skye’s dance instructor/choreographer, Anton (Jon Rua). Anton is quick to suggest a break for Skye, when she shows signs of back pain. When Skye freaks out during a rehearsal after a gory mind trick from the curse, Skye berates her dancers. Anton? He’s quick to make an effort to help Skye calm down. He doesn’t get angry, or raise his voice, because he’s genuinely concerned.

The curse feeds off of trauma, and Skye can’t escape the demons from her past, a past filled with drug abuse, and a troubled relationship with her deceased boyfriend, Paul Hudson (Ray Nicholson). Skye is still carrying around the guilt for causing the accident that killed Paul. Skye also didn’t leave the accident unscathed, because she’s still dealing with chronic pain and nagging injuries. And Skye torpedoed her friendship with Gemma (Dylan Gelula).

Is Skye perfect? No, far from it, and there’s no denying she’s a flawed human being. But she’s also someone, who was clearly not ready for the spotlight at such a young age. She turned to drugs and a turbulent unhealthy lifestyle, because the pressure was just too much for her. Towards the end, you could see Skye was just sick and tired of being an icon, or in her own words, “a fucking wind-up doll.”

Skye truly suffered. She didn’t have one true moment of relief, when the curse entered her life. Eventually, it’s revealed the reunion with Gemma was just one long and elaborate mind trick from the entity, and Skye was devastated. Still, Skye tried to push forward, determined to break the curse’s chain, with some help from Morris (Peter Jacobson), a nurse, who lost his brother to the curse. The big problem with Morris’ plan to end the curse and stop The Monstrosity? Morris wasn’t real, just more mind games from the entity.

Skye pours her heart out in the freezer of an abandoned Pizza Hut, and we finally get to the root of her problems: Skye hates herself. You’ll hear bits and pieces of it, when Skye is urging Gemma to stay away from her, after Skye leaves the clinic. But Skye lets it all out in the freezer. She basically believes she’s a cancer, poisoning and ruining anything that she touches. 

Skye is a disappointment, because she couldn’t live up to the high expectations that everyone else set for her. This is what she believes, and of course the entity feasts off of Skye’s tortured soul. To make matters worse, Skye can’t forgive herself for causing the accident that killed Paul. 

Naomi Scott deserves a round of applause for her performance in the sequel. You can see and feel everything Skye is going through, including the stress, the anxiety, and the fear of not knowing what’s coming next. Scott delivers an energetic and appropriately frazzled performance. You would think Scott pounded energy drinks, or chugged a pot of coffee, because she never slows down or takes her foot off of the gas pedal, after the curse grabs a hold of Skye.

Rose Cotter was unknowingly targeted by the curse after Laura Weaver (Caitlin Stasey) committed suicide in front of her. Joel died, because he tried to help Rose. Skye? While it’s true there’s no way she could’ve known about the curse, or how truly dangerous it is, all of her troubles could’ve been avoided, if she wasn’t sneaking around to buy Vicodin from Lewis Fregoli (Lukas Gage).

You’re lead to believe Skye ALMOST defeated the curse. But in reality, Skye wasn’t seconds away from getting the better of the entity. She was trapped in an illusion. And Skye came face to face with a final boss, who was just too much to overcome: Herself. The entity took the form of the old Skye, bloody and battered, fresh off of the tragic car accident that acted as an anchor in her mind for so many years. 

There’s a lot of irony for Skye Riley’s gory and cruel ending. Under the influence of the curse, she bludgeoned herself to death with a microphone in front of thousands of her fans, while her mother, Joshua, and Darius watched in the audience. You can’t say Skye died doing what she loved, because her gas tank was empty for a number of reasons. She needed a breather, but Skye lost her life during a concert. 

Skye was trying to get away from the bright lights, the big stage, and all the fame, but doing whatever she had to do to (e.g. popping pain pills) keep her career going killed her. A screaming arena full of fans, and her loved ones watching her first concert after a hiatus wasn’t enough to break the entity’s tight grip. Instead, a shell-shocked Skye was frozen as she watched the entity, taking on the form of her current self, smiling at her seconds before The Monstrosity made its grand entrance to devour another victim. 

Character Spotlight- Joel- Smile & Smile 2

 

*This post contains spoilers**

Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) is cursed. She needs help, fast. Can she rely on her sister, Holly (Gillian Zinser)? Too much tension, bad blood, and bitterness on Rose’s side. And you can put the final nail in the coffin for the duo of two sisters working together after Holly’s son, Jackson (Matthew Lamb) receives the gory surprise of Rose’s dead cat, Mustache in a box for his birthday present.

Rose’s fiancé, Trevor (Jessie T. Usher)? He doesn’t believe Rose’s stories about “ghosts,” and he’s quick to remind Rose about the realistic possibility of suffering through a psychotic episode, and a history of mental illness in the family going all the way back to Rose’s mother.

What about Rose’s ex-boyfriend, Joel (Kyle Gallner)? Joel steps in and steps up, when everyone else in Rose’s circle shuns her, or questions her sanity. And luckily for Rose, Joel is also a detective!

You can see Joel is hesitant to believe Rose’s story about a curse, but he also realizes Rose is clearly struggling. She’s losing it, so Joel does anything he can do to help. Joel reluctantly allows Rose to look at graphic crime scene photos, surveillance footage showing a curse related death at a gas station, and Joel sets up a meeting with Robert Talley (Rob Morgan), a former victim of the curse, so Rose can find the answers she’s looking for.

Is there a chance Joel was hoping for a second shot at a relationship with Rose? Remember, Joel returned to the hospital to check on Rose, and he wasn’t interested in Nurse Wanda’s (Ura Yoana Sanchez) direct advances. Joel cared about Rose. He realized she needed help, someone to lean on, and he never turned his back on her. 

Rose believed she finally defeated The Monstrosity. She needed to feel safe, and Joel’s apartment was her first stop, after a long car ride. Why? Because Rose trusted Joel. But the reunion with Joel turned out to be another one of the entity’s clever tricks. Rose, after putting up a tough fight, finally cracked. She needed Joel, and the entity used her emotions against her one last time, while Joel (as the entity) laughed and slowly flashed a devious smile.

Fast forward to Smile 2, and Joel is a complete mess. The curse drains its current target. You can see the desperation and exhaustion on Joel’s face during the opening shot of the movie. He’s struggling to escape the curse, so Joel comes up with a plan to pass the curse to a gang of drug dealers.

It’s strange, but you have to admire Joel trying to hold on to some integrity during his final moments. Joel was desperate. He witnessed first hand what happened to Rose, dumping gasoline on herself and lighting the match to commit suicide. But Joel wanted to make sure he found the worst of the worst, so he wouldn’t feel bad about passing the curse. Find a bunch of lowlifes, who deserve a death sentence. Make sure they’re harshly punished for their crimes, and maybe Joel will have a shot at a normal life, when it’s over. Sounds simple enough, right? 

Of course, Joel’s plan horribly backfires. He unknowingly passes the curse to a petrified Lewis Fregoli (Lukas Gage), a small-time drug dealer, who obviously just stopped by to pick up his merchandise. To make matters worse, Joel is killed trying to escape a shootout, when a pick-up truck runs him over. 

Kyle Gallner easily delivers one of the best performances in both Smile films. Playing a somewhat timid, shy, and awkward guy, Gallner’s sympathetic performance adds another emotional layer to Smile and Smile 2. Also, Joel adds a few good laughs to the original Smile film, a movie that’s heavy on the drama and a handful of serious moments. 

Through a weird twist of fate, Joel reconnected with his ex-girlfriend under some bizarre circumstances. He could’ve walked away after Rose told him about the curse. Rose didn’t have anyone else to turn to. But Joel was willing to stand by her side, no matter how ludicrous the story of a curse that causes people to smile and kill themselves sounded. 

Joel paid the ultimate price in the end. Assuming Joel was just living quietly and peacefully, without too much stress, helping Rose cost him his life. The stunned and horrified look on Gallner’s face during Smile’s finale, when Rose’s body is engulfed in flames is just perfect. It’s a startling confirmation for Joel, because he realizes Rose was always telling the truth. 

Did Joel have any regrets about helping Rose? Yeah, you could say Joel’s response would be a resounding no, if he had to go back and do it all over again, knowing what’s coming once the curse grabs a hold of you. Or, you could lean in the direction for Joel and Rose being more prepared to fight together, to find a way to save themselves, possibly preventing the curse and The Monstrosity from claiming another victim. Joel and Rose clearly trusted each other, and that’s the kind of bond you’re going to need to stop a curse that feeds off of emotional pain and a dark past. 

Character Spotlight- Dr. Rose Cotter- Smile

 

**This post contains spoilers**

Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) probably expected a normal work day. But Rose’s life takes a dark turn during a tragic session with a newly admitted patient named Laura Weaver (Caitlin Stasey). Laura unknowingly passes a deadly curse to Rose, after she commits suicide in front of the good-hearted therapist. Plagued by a series of strange occurrences and creepy smiling faces, Rose’s life quickly spirals out of control.

Rose can rely on her fiancé, Trevor (Jessie T. Usher) for help and support, right? Well, maybe not. Trevor is noticeably rattled and irritated by Rose’s wild explanations for what’s happening to her.

What about Rose’s sister, Holly (Gillian Zinser)? Rose is still bitter about Holly leaving her alone with their mother, who suffered from mental health problems during their childhoods, so that’s another name to cross off the list of potential helpers. And Holly and Rose’s relationship hits another rough patch, when Holly’s son, Jackson (Matthew Lamb) finds Rose’s dead cat, Mustache in a box that was supposed to contain a toy train set for his birthday.

Noticing a pattern? Rose is relentlessly stalked by an evil entity. She needs help! Or, Rose at least needs someone that’ll listen to and understand her side of the story. Rose’s therapist, Dr. Madeline Northcott (Robin Weigert) tries to reach out after a disastrous attempt at an intervention planned by Trevor. But Rose was already at a point, where she was too paranoid to trust certain people. And the entity fooling Rose by impersonating Dr. Northcott complicated an already bizarre situation.

Joel (Kyle Gallner), Rose’s ex-boyfriend and a detective assigned to her case, tries to help, but Rose just couldn’t conquer the demons from her past. The big one? Rose’s mother. Remember, we’re talking about an entity that feeds on trauma, and Rose couldn’t move on from a stressful and traumatic childhood with her mentally ill mother. 

Trevor mentions Rose’s mother and the possibility for a hereditary connection for her problems. Mental illness is in Rose’s DNA, and she’s reached a point in her life, where it’s finally becoming a problem. Trevor’s theory kicks opens another door. Yes, Rose is cursed, but you can understand why others are quick to dismiss her side of the story.

To make matters worse, Rose is dealing with the unbearable stress of being stalked by a relentless entity, AND she’s basically being labeled as a crazy person. Rose’s primary job is dealing with and trying to help people, with mental illnesses, but now she’s on the other side of the finger-pointing. That’s a jarring whirlwind for having your world turned upside down, and you can’t go to your own sister and fiancé for support. Instead, pleas for sympathy and understanding are met with harsh accusations, scolding, and cold shoulders. Rough stuff.

Rose’s story has an ironic and tragic ending. She died in her childhood home, the place, where it all started, and the direct source for the deep wounds from her past, facing the entity in the form of her mother. Rose Cotter was a good person, a selfless workaholic, who wanted to help as many people as she possibly could. 

But you could also say Rose tried to push herself too hard. She was burnt out, working long hours, and her boss, Dr. Morgan Desai (Kal Penn) urged Rose to take a break after witnessing Laura’s suicide. Is there a chance Rose could’ve survived the entity, if she had a stronger support system? Who knows, but Rose was a prime target for the curse. Her mind was clouded by a troubled past, and you have to believe Rose dedicated her life to being a good therapist, because she couldn’t save her mother. Help others, fix their problems, be the source of comfort she never had as a child, no matter what. Maybe that’s the best way to sum up Rose’s mindset, but she still couldn’t find the closure she was looking for.

Sosie Bacon delivers an excellent performance as Rose Cotter. You can see and feel everything Rose’s is going through. The short scene, where Rose is getting ready for Jackson’s birthday party shows Rose is struggling to hold it together. You’re watching a frazzled character falling apart in real time, and the close-up shots in the mirror are just perfect.

There’s also something that’s important to remember: Rose could’ve easily avoided the curse. Go back to the early stages of the movie, and you’ll notice Rose is getting ready to leave work. Coat on, door closed behind her…..but the phone rings. And of course, Rose eventually meets Laura. Why did she go back to answer the phone? Because Rose believed she could help one more person before the end of the day, always prioritizing the patients over her own well-being. 

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

Smile (2022)

 

**This post contains 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. 

Rose returns to her childhood home to face the entity! After a struggle, Rose FINALLY defeats her demons, or did she? One final good fake-out to end the movie shows Rose’s plan failed, and she eventually succumbs to the entity’s constant attacks and mind games. 

Teasing a peaceful Rose enjoying her triumphant victory, and Rose letting go of the guilt about her mother’s death (as a child, Rose could’ve called for help as her mother was dying, but she ran away)? It was a perfect ending, maybe too perfect, and that’s why the big swerve really works. 

Rose returning to her childhood home, where the trauma started, and choosing to bravely fight the entity wasn’t enough. Rose finally cracks, when the entity, posing as Joel, reveals itself to her. That was it. Joel was the last person Rose felt comfortable enough to trust, so the last line of defense in her mind was gone. The image of Rose lighting herself on fire to commit suicide, while a horrified and stunned Joel watches to end the movie is something to remember.

The reveal for the entity’s true form was phenomenal. The pale, tall, and lanky version of the entity, resembling Rose’s mother, works as a physical manifestation of the big bad demon that continued to haunt Rose well into her adult years. The entity’s true form? A massive jaw-dropper. The monstrous size, the rows of mouths stacked on top of each other, and the look of wet, fresh blood covering its entire body! Great practical effects, and the appearance of the entity is truly a horrifying sight, definitely worth saving for the final moments of the movie. 

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

Laura Hasn’t Slept (2020)(Minor Spoilers)

**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

Laura Hasn’t Slept (2020)

 **This post contains 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.

Right off the bat, it’s easy to see something is off during Laura’s therapy session. Dr. Parsons is supposed to help Laura, but his responses are weirdly too snarky. So what’s going on? Laura is still dreaming! All of the clues are right in front of you, so the reveal/twist wasn’t a big shocking moment. Laura is pleading for help, but Parsons responses are dismissive and cold? You can see it all coming from a mile away.

Parsons’ reveal didn’t jump off the screen as a big surprise, and if being honest, I’ve watched and rewatched Smile and Smile 2 more than once, so I already had a good idea, where they were going. But the execution for Laura realizing she’s stuck in a dream still works. Dr. Parsons’ office changing into a nightmarish death trap that mirrors Laura’s dark thoughts, is a nice touch, because it signals the fact that Laura can’t escape her own mind.

Another freaky moment, when Parsons rolls his eyes into the back of his head, but nothing tops Parsons and Laura tearing off their faces! There’s a scene in the first Smile film that’s similar to what happened with Laura and Parsons here. It’s the scene, where Rose is stuck in a dream, where she murders her patient, Carl in an attempt to pass the curse to her boss, Dr. Desai.  

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