Smile

Smile presents a gripping psychological horror rooted in dread rather than jump scares, yet it falters with a weak story foundation and underdeveloped character arcs. While the visuals, sound design, and unique camerawork build suspense effectively, repetitive effects and a predictable ending slightly dull the impact. Despite strong moments from the lead actress, inconsistent performances and unresolved plot elements leave this debut feeling intriguing but incomplete. Read the full review here: (Indonesian version : alunauwie.com) and (English version : uwiepuspita.com)

"_It's the worst smile I've ever seen in my life._" I would say this was a little predictable from the middle to the end, but it's still enjoyable. The whole third act might haunt you if you are not used to disturbing scenes, but it made the movie for me. Reminds me of It Follows.

I liked Smile. It’s a solid horror movie that kept me engaged, but I couldn’t help feeling like it was missing something. The premise is really strong, and it teases a deeper psychological exploration that I was excited for, but it didn’t fully deliver on that front. Sosie Bacon gave a good performance as Dr. Rose Cotter, and the film did a great job building tension and delivering scares, but the direction and script felt like they held back from something greater. Interestingly, the movie was made on a $17 million budget and ended up grossing over $217 million worldwide, which is seriously impressive. It was originally planned for streaming, but after strong test screenings, it got a theatrical release, and I can see why. The cinematography and atmosphere work so much better on a big screen. I appreciated the effort Parker Finn put into creating a creepy, unsettling vibe, especially for his feature debut, but I wish the story had gone a bit deeper into the psychological themes it hinted at. Overall, it’s a decent horror film that does enough to entertain and has some genuinely tense moments.