Post by cbjones on Nov 12, 2022 21:12:32 GMT
Fair warning: Spoilers will be discussed in this thread!
Saw this last night and the more I think about it, the more I dislike it. It's a well-made film in terms of acting (by its lead actress), cinematography, set-design, and score. In theaters, it plays out like a fun rollercoaster ride with plenty of jump scares and creative horrors. It's a film that, for better or worse, wears its influences proudly on its sleeve yet never rises above or even meets the source material. The two films it cribs from most heavily are THE RING and IT FOLLOWS. Going so far as to carbon copy one of THE RING's most famous scares (I saw her/his face).
My biggest issue with the film is that in its attempt to crib from previous films, it tries to elevate its material by throwing the en vogue "trauma plot" into the film. I think there is a general fatigue among audiences (especially horror fans) with this subtext. The problem that SMILE runs into with utilizing this is that it doesn't seem to have much to say about it, instead using it to appear smarter than it is.
What happens is that when the movie roles around to its inevitable fake-out ending, it is left with a bleak message that seems accidental and unearned. The message is this: You cannot defeat your trauma and you can't help but pass it onto others and you should just kill yourself to stop the cycle.
Now I could reckon with some bleak thesis like this, the idea that you can never defeat your trauma and it will kill you eventually. Hell, I've read a Ligotti story or two. But there is nothing in this film that suggests I should give it that kind of credit. Instead, the trauma aspect of this film comes off as an afterthought, something thrown in because all of the cool kids are doing it.
Saw this last night and the more I think about it, the more I dislike it. It's a well-made film in terms of acting (by its lead actress), cinematography, set-design, and score. In theaters, it plays out like a fun rollercoaster ride with plenty of jump scares and creative horrors. It's a film that, for better or worse, wears its influences proudly on its sleeve yet never rises above or even meets the source material. The two films it cribs from most heavily are THE RING and IT FOLLOWS. Going so far as to carbon copy one of THE RING's most famous scares (I saw her/his face).
My biggest issue with the film is that in its attempt to crib from previous films, it tries to elevate its material by throwing the en vogue "trauma plot" into the film. I think there is a general fatigue among audiences (especially horror fans) with this subtext. The problem that SMILE runs into with utilizing this is that it doesn't seem to have much to say about it, instead using it to appear smarter than it is.
What happens is that when the movie roles around to its inevitable fake-out ending, it is left with a bleak message that seems accidental and unearned. The message is this: You cannot defeat your trauma and you can't help but pass it onto others and you should just kill yourself to stop the cycle.
Now I could reckon with some bleak thesis like this, the idea that you can never defeat your trauma and it will kill you eventually. Hell, I've read a Ligotti story or two. But there is nothing in this film that suggests I should give it that kind of credit. Instead, the trauma aspect of this film comes off as an afterthought, something thrown in because all of the cool kids are doing it.