I initially disregarded this movie as one of those Halloween blockbusters for teens because of the title. I wish they'd kept the original name, which is much creepier. I'm not too crazy about the whole smile plot device but it's a surprisingly decent scary movie regardless.
@@chickenandksivideoreviewer9739I agree, however the original title provokes me to watch it more bc I want to find out what happened to Rose. It sounds more ominous.
I think my favorite detail someone else pointed out to me is how the entity in its final form looks like a bunch of bodies that have been stuffed into one another over and over and have decomposed over time. As if it's still wearing all the masks it's ever taken. Which also explains the many rows of smiling teeth.
DAMN that’s really cool design elements I didn’t notice, I thought that was just to show the grotesque nature of smile and that it doesn’t even have body, looking like a pretty fucked up snail leaving from it’s shell to unite itself to another host
My sister pointed out how much Rose looks like her mother, while Rose's sister straightens and dyes her hair blonde, as if trying to push away all similarities, even physical ones, with their mom. I also noticed that Rose wears blue in every scene until the finale, which foreshadowed to me that she was probably done for, wearing brown like the earth she'd be buried in, and gray in the end, like ash.
This movie freaked me out. I'm blind and the audio description was top notch. It almost felt like it added to the horror of the movie because I felt like I had an unreliable narrator on top of the fact that the freaking world was unraveling for everyone involved. Sometimes as a blind person, the world just feels so big and empty, and on top of everything, you've got your own mind running wild. Sometimes there's like this hard limit you hit where you just can't function normally, and all you can say is "Fuck!" The sound design also freaked me out majorly. This is another movie that left me wondering what I'm missing out on. Like, how different is my reality from everyone else's, and how does that effect my mental state.
I took the ending as “take care of your mental health before it’s too late” cuz she really did wait until the last second and didn’t even fully process everything she had been through
I don’t think it even did that well. The movie feels cheap to me because it is very obvious that the writer/director first thought of the monster and only then thought “well how do I put together a movie around it”. They just focused on the ending scene but had no logical way to lead to it. It’s like a comedy of errors type of film. Stupid like the Final Destination films or the multiple sequels to Halloween and Friday the 13th.
This movie did something I really like in horror movies that i feel isn’t so common, where a scene later in the film (the end with the demon in this case) makes a scene earlier in the film way scarier. The freakout her patient has at the very start is already really scary and mysterious, but to me finding out what it was she actually saw and experienced makes it so much more haunting in retrospect. Knowing that she was choking because this invisible thing is crawling its way into her face in some sort of alternative nightmare reality is just sickening.
The best part of that scene is when Rose turns around to see if the entity is really there. Either she really sensed something she couldn't actually see, or her carefully cultivated clinical skepticism about her patient's delusions slipped for a moment, and she started to BELIEVE that an evil entity she couldn't see was actually in the room with her. Either option is frightening.
I like the ending relating to trauma and grief in the babadook a lot more, that you may never actually defeat and destroy trauma, but you can make it so that it doesn’t control you and you can live with it and move forward in life
I liked that ending a lot more, too. So often evil is "defeated" in Western storytelling, and in real life that's hardly ever true. Smile as it relates to generational trauma was a bit of a downer, as it's basically saying that generational trauma will get you in the end. And I suppose in many ways that's true, but it's a 50/50 shot. Many people who are abused or grow up in broken homes don't go on to perpetuate abuse. But many do, and succumb to alcoholism and drugs. I guess it was like Lights Out where the Mom kills herself. I would have preferred a better ending than the dream fake out ending.
I agree. I watched both "Melancholia" and "Babadook" during a time where I had severe depression and I can say the difference in how they approached trauma and sorrow was insane to me. The ending of Melancholia made me feel completely alone and terrified that I'd never get better and the only way to not suffer was to just wait for death - Which I certainly hope wasn't the intended message, but that's what I experienced. With The Babadook, I felt a modicum of reassurance that while I can't "win" today, I can manage. Ever since the night I watched Melancholia, I've hated the endings that give the "trauma stories" a death ending. It can probably be a lot more nuanced than what I've experienced - But I never want to feel like that again and it's left a bitter taste over these kind of bleak endings.
However we never see a glimpse of that imo. In the movie, the demon wins every time, and while it is ok for the story to have a bleak ending, it paints a bleak metaphor for people who may identify with the themes.
@@RyanHollinger I just wish more people would give Eight for Silver a try, it's my favorite film of 2022. And a very refreshing take on a werwolf story.
I like the interpretation that was discussed on the Dead Meat Podcast. That the message isn’t that all of the effort was futile, but that it needs to be handled in a way that can’t be done in a movie. And that it needs to be addressed and coped with over a long period of time rather than just a few days.
I have only consumed this video and the trailer. As someone with cptsd, I think that's accurate to dealing with trauma. You don't get better, you get better at dealing with it. It takes time to heal and go from victim to survivor. We tend to want instant healing but that's not reality. Same with weight loss. Everyone wants to be done dieting in a week but it takes months or years to do and you have to deal with what caused it in the first place along the way
@@theblobconsumes4859 I feel the Babadook tackles depression from grief while Smile tackles depression and the reactions from others around it. Babadook is the superior film but they are not in the same ball park
@@MorbidlyObscure though Rose dies/fails at capturing her trauma, it feels like she was never supposed to do it alone, and supporting characters/isolation are the catalyst to the demon succeeding. Smile is commentary on the stigma of mental health rather than a story about a person with trauma and depression overcoming their obstacles and feeling a sense of closure, this direction of the demon and it's curse are more realistic and as someone struggling with mental health I feel the film spoke more to me from Rose being sent home from work and forced to sit with her thoughts. I am convinced this isolation and burden of feeling like a problem is the point of the entire film and what it wants to convey
I remember seeing a screenshot on Twitter of the monster when it’s just all exposed muscle and rows of teeth and thinking “holy shit that’s from Smile?!” It’s what made me watch the movie lol
Truly when “Lollipop” started playing as the credits rolled, I was in a state of shock that she burned herself. This whole movie was terrifying but that really was wild
The scariest part of the movie was rose actually being corrupted by the “monster”. She’s the one horror movie protagonist that I genuinely wanted to see survive and conquer…Throughout the movie people from all aspects of her life are summing up her encounters with the entity to be related to her mental state. Which only made her even more lonely in her fight (Aside from her Ex) Her Fiancé her sister and essentially everyone else has given up on her and only we know as the audience know she’s telling the truth and she’s going through something horrible…Her character went through so much mental trauma that I wanted her to win and when she doesn’t it’s hard to watch especially her screams when the monster lurks closer knowing that she has run out of time it was so devastating that it made me emotional.
I also see this as a sort of symbolism for mental diseases that even if no one believes you it doesn’t necessarily mean that you should face this problem alone and hoping everything goes well in the end(just like Rosa as she burned the entity in old house) because it’s the illness that messes with your mind and you NEED help.
Yes but the monster is a metaphor for mental illness. She is mentally ill, but just because it's happening inside her mind doesn't mean that it's real for her.
So interesting that two of the biggest (or at least talked about) horror movies this year-Barbarian and Smile-feature grotesque, towering, and violent mother figures/villains. As a mom, myself, I’m questioning all my choices. 😅
@Brandocious Barbarian was fun, but you are so right about the asinine decisions. I've never mentally screamed "don't do that!" so many times during a movie. That being said, I liked it better than Smile by far. I tend to keep my expectations really low when it comes to horror movies and am not one of those edge lords who claims "nothing scares me blah blah blah" but I really didn't like Smile at all. It was silly and boring and not remotely scary. I genuinely can't understand why everyone likes it! But, like you wrote, different strokes for different folks.
the fact that Ryan constantly has to use his own face to censor things he covers does have a silver lining to it: it can provide some random comedy, ala peering into the darkness and seeking Ryan's face 🤣
When you talk about overcoming trauma and confronting it, I think this movie captures the reality of it perfectly. You got through these moments fighting your trauma where you actually win major battles, finally describing pain that has eluded you for years or decades, taking leaps to do things in life to get better, all sorts of improvements. But then you wake up the next day and the trauma is still there. The idea that there's this magic solution after one big confrontation is a fiction. What Rose wanted as a quick fix. That never comes with trauma, ever. I like that they did this in the film, they didn't give you the fantasy that one big push is all it took to get rid of the monster. You need to win a thousand major battles and a million little ones to win this war.
I actually realized just last week how much Smile is not only a compilation of classic films such as The Ring, The Grudge, It Follows, and Hereditary, but it also has a very similar plot to the not-so-well-received 2002 Wes Craven movie "They," in which its victims are *also* chosen by otherworldly creatures for their experiences with trauma, then subsequently, ends with the rather bleak message of no one being able to escape said trauma. ⚫ As obvious as its inspirations may be to the naked eye, particularly in its direct address to the seven-day time limit, I can't help but admire Smile's (mostly) successful attempts to corroborate known horror tropes in order to craft its own story, especially for a debut director. 👏
Really great films that convey the feeling of a being of oppressive hatred stalking/weighing down their target can make for great horror. The camera horror Shutter also made me think it was akin to such films mixed with revenge films.
Man, "They" was a movie that really stuck with me after having watched it when it came out. It felt like a true horror movie where the victims had no recourse from their pursuers.
"They" was definitely more impactful than it had any right to be. The plot rolls like a B movie, but the concept is just so terrifying that you can't help but think about it long after seeing it.
I was today years old when I learned that Wes Craven wasn't actually involved in the production of They. He was an executive producer but made no creative input.
Im just glad the monster is real. I'm just tired of the, "it was all in their head" being the ending. I've actually stopped going to horror movies until I ask someone, "was it real or in their head?" Great video BTW.
Smile was enjoyable and wasn't the worst horror film of the year but still not in my upper bit of favorite horrors of the year. The score was great. It didnt scare me but that ending scene with the smile entity "entering her" was messed the hell up and one of those scenes I told the wife "Our child can never see that scene or we will never have a good night's rest again!"
To start off the year, check out Megan. I had low expectations going in but it was well done and a nice blend of horror and comedy, and had a good message on how dependent we are on technology and always trust it
@@theblackflame4002 I've heard good things about Megan and definitely want to check it out my oldest daughter wants to watch it as well and it seems more her speed. Im definitely excited for Scream 6 and MaxXxine and Evil Dead Rise this year
@@Enigmalake Lmao I did say upper bit of films didn't I. That's funny, good job kail. My "upper bit" of horror films of 2022 were 1. Halloween Ends 2. Pearl 3. X 4. Barbarian 5. Nope 6. Black Phone 7. Terrifier 2 8. Scream 9. Netflix TCM 10. Deadstream
Dude that soundtrack had some bangers, by which I mean distilled anxiety. My personal favorite being either at the end of or right after the birthday reveal
Smile is the exact type of horror movie I love. Simple, fun, entertaining and scary. I don't need existential, innovative, need to be watched 10 times to maybe figure out what happened movies. I just want the build up of anxiety, well done jump scares and scary demons, monsters, etc.
@M it's just their preference dude, I love movies like Hereditary that take multiple views and analysis to actually understand the movie, but movies like Smile are straight to the point, surface level and just fundamentally scary, which also makes them enjoyable.
@M I didn't say there's anything wrong with them. I like them sometimes. It's just when it comes to horror I personally prefer the smile type of film. I never said anything was wrong with the more existential movies.
@@Spl0nk thanks you. Exactly, I love hereditary and similar movies I just prefer my horror fun, simple and scary. That doesn't mean I don't like other types or that I think they're bad. I never said there was anything wrong with those movies. I enjoy them too . Heredity and Midsommar are 2 of my favorite movies.
Really loved how accurate the film was when it depicted her sister refusing to speak with her and the sheer isolation felt by the main character. I’ve worked in mental health for a while and it is common to see siblings/family members become cold and cruel when family members start displaying psychiatric symptoms.
It was a very pleasant surprise when it comes to modern horror movies ! Me and my girlfriend went to see it and oh man she was on the edge of her seat most of the time. Also the theatre room was full of people, something that Halloween Ends was missing
I'm reminded of what happened to Katherine Hepburn at the age of 13. Their aunt took her and her 16yr old bother to see one of the first silent film versions of Frankenstein. The brother was an all-star athlete, over achiever to please his father. During a point in the film, the boy let out sigle horrific scream that terrified the audience in the theater. The aunt figured the film was too much for him and they left. He was silent the rest of the evening and went to his bedroom converted from an attic. The next morning, 13yr old Katherine found him hung from a rafter. She bumped into him while trying to find a lantern. A detective noted that the rafter was too low to let the boy properly hang freely. He had to bend his knees and could have simply stood up at any time. He wondered what could cause a 16yr old boy in excellent health with everything ahead of him to be so determined to die. Hepburn spent the rest of her adult life being drawn to tragic men in Hollywood, and tried to "save" them from themselves, since she never knew why her brother killed himself. There was also a history of suicide of young men in her family tree.
SMILE was extremely competent. It's basically what I expect and rarely get from mainstream horror movies. I also just watched The Menu and LOVED it. Any plans on covering The Menu?
I like your ending idea more. Expands on trauma manifesting in forms we wouldn't consider. Rather than going for the, "ha ha all a dream fuck you," cop out ending.
I think the focussing on the "hurt scale" that depicts a smiling smiley for 0 (no pain) and crying smiley for 10 (Worst possible pain) is supposed to say that even though you might be smiling (0), you can still be in terrible pain inside which highlights the irony of the situation and depression in general. It makes be believe that the smiling is a metaphor for the way suicidal people are said to act before sui**de, which is acting like they are at peace and in a good mood because they are about to finally do it.
Tbh the one thing keeping the movie from being one I'd highly recommend was the ending My husband and I were both dreading the ending because the rest of the movie was going so well for us Really thought her nephew was gonna play a role in the ending where after she thinks she defeated the entity it turns out that nah because she traumatized her nephew or something
That for sure would’ve been more interesting. Saw the ending coming from a mile away. As soon as she had the idea that she needs to be alone I knew pretty much how it was gonna end. I think the best horror movies have at least some mystery to them but this was very, very predictable.
@@gryfinz man you're so intellectual and cool how many books do you read a day? Your words truly changed me, I'm going to go climb mountains in Nepal thanks to you
The "entity" at the end made me laugh, because it reminded me of Barbarian, but then I got a migraine the day after I saw it and had very vivid dreams about that Smile woman and I was utterly terrified
Yeah the horror moment that you laughed about but then being utterly scared later is so relatable. For me personally the design(I also like the design) and reveal of an entity was terrifying and I didn’t found it goofy in my first reaction. But I understand that for some it was kinda funny and even disappointing.
It’s been a while since I’ve been disturbed or terrified from a horror movie, only a few gave me that tinkle of fear, but the concept of this movie feed me one of my biggest phobia of all time, which is being chased or stalked by someone or something you don’t understand or how don’t know how to deal with it.
So many horror films cant end well for some reason. I remember watching Evil Dead 2 and it just ends with Ash getting chased by a deadite in pov style. Martyrs had a divisive ending that was hard to understand. 28 days later had a cheesy ending. I loved it but I get why people hated it.
@@daoyang223 I was watching the way they were setting up that final battle and soon as I realized she was driving somewhere I was like ohhhhh she's going to confront her moms house NOOOO NOT THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP, YESSSSSS EVERYBODY DIES A "BAD" ENDING
My problem with endings in "curse horror" is that they are usually predictable. You always expect a depressing conclusion when the victims are up against supernatural forces.
The scary part was the realization when therapist was in the house. Also, at first I didn’t like her fiancé because of how he never took her side, but from his perspective she did that to their cat and gave it to her nephew.
Yeah I’ve seen from some people who said to have mental illnesses that these scenes were understandable and that no one believing the protagonist driving her even more confused and trying to defend herself was brutal but realistic take on this problem.
Personally i'm a bit tired of Horror movie endings like that,a lot of movies lately end with "Shit didn't worked and you die" or "bad guy/mosnter win" or "everything was futile"
I haven't seen this one yet, so I can't comment on it. But I do agree that downer endings out of nowhere really do bring me down on any genre. Fiction is supposed to be an escape. Metal Gear is a good example of the inverse.
Genuinely didn't know what Parker Finn was trying to say about mental illness. It left a bad taste in my mouth when I first saw it. Most characters are so dismissive about trauma and mental disorders, which I'm happy you touched on. It also feels like there isn't a solution without inflicting trauma on others or self destruction.
It feels like bad taste because rose didn’t learn or trust the people who were there for her. Thinking she could take it on alone and falling deeper and deeper into her pain. The movie was showing us what NOT to do when dealing with trauma. Rose did everything wrong letting the monster get to her and ultimately continuing on said trauma
He was trying to say that despite pop culture's warm gooey messages about mental health, as soon as someone starts showing symptoms an inch more intense than feeling sad or shy the entire world turns their back on them. Which is true. Depression is supposed to be "i'm sad uwu comfort me with blankets and cocoa", not "I haven't moved from my bed in days. Naturally I haven't cleaned the accumulating trash nor showered." No, if you're the latter you're not mentally ill you're a lazy bum skipping work. ...See what I mean?
The trauma's gone to Joel. If they do a sequel, they'll focus on him. However, they could have the sequel start with Joel being possessed while in the cabin and just doing to himself what Rose didn't do. Then the story could jump a few years to where the little boy is a teen or adult and is learning about his "crazy aunt and her crazy ex-boyfriend" while the kid is dealing with the trauma he's suffered and then learning more of the story by finding the files of everything and being able to go talk to the murderer in prison or that the murderer's been released and he finds him to talk to him only for things to go off the rails. Something like that.
*Yes, I did put my dumb face in the thumbnail - it made me laugh! ... Anyway, what actually was the scariest movie of 2022?* To get $5 off your Magic Spoon variety pack and get a head start on New Year’s Resolutions, click this link: magicspoon.thld.co/hollinger_0123 and use code HOLLINGER at checkout!
I think that SMILE might be the scariest horror film of last year but man, I LOVED Jordan Peele’s NOPE and it might be my favorite horror film of last year.
Closest I got to a horror in 2022 was The Menu, but if I had a nickel for every time Anya Taylor-Joy got caught up in a hostage situation by a distinguished UK actor as the one person who wasn't supposed to be there, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. 😆 *PLEASE* Ryan, take up one of these recommends in 2023 😅 As Above, So Below (2014) Mr. Jones (2013) Underworld series (2003-2017) Soulmate (2013) Spike (2008) Frankenstein (2015 - the one directed by Candyman's Bernard Rose)
@@boobootittleman7299 Shit, low-key forgot I saw Nope for a minute there and told Ryan that The Menu was my closest horror, oops. 😆Nothing made me quite so uncomfortable last year as "that" scene resembling the infamous end to The Borderlands...😅
My biggest gripe with the film is that they show too much of the "monster". Less is more in horror. I think it would've been scarier if we never saw the monster's face.
I don't know, I personally loved the design of the monster. It was truly unsettling to look at, and made all the more horrifying as it looks like something that actually exists in that reality rather than just simple CGI, which adds to the feeling of unease.
I kinda agree, although my problem is rather that I found the monster just... goofy-looking, more so than anything else. I was far more unsettled before the actual reveal of the monster, which I honestly found almost disturbingly comical? But I know many people love the design of the monster, and tbh I'm kinda bummed I just don't see it, because I did like the premise of the movie and in general do have some good things to say about it (although equally many problems with it, Idk I'm conflicted).
When it started to tear off it’s face I thought “okay that’s the reveal part there is nothing to expect come on!(says it nervously because of the horror build up” but I didn’t expect the “revealing” process to be SO LONG and combined it with real effects seeing how this hell of a living ham moving itself and getting bigger was gut wrenching experience. Pretty long comment sorry, wanted to point out a nice detail I found about the design: the true form of an entity actually looks like a mass of melted bodies mixed together in layers like a pancake tower(it can be seen on the several rows of teeth) which means “the form” that was revealed to us was basically flesh, bones of entity’s previous hosts/victims it possessed
Each decade has its monster in horror movies, seems safe to say that the monster of 2020 is trauma as all horror movies seems to have that as a major theme.
It's interesting actually, the same concept was done in truth or dare but that was just a goofy cg film which didn't land. Smile feels like a much more unsettling film, the effects on the smiles are just so creepy
I'm so glad I caught this in theatres!!! I love viral curse flicks like Kairo, Ju-On, Chakushin Ari and Ringu so it was fun seeing one that wasn't a straightforward remake
This movie actually petrified me, mostly because its scare factor is almost purely based on paranoia. The thought that this demon thing is infiltrating your life and you could just turn around or blink and it could be there, anywhere and everywhere, and nothing and no one is safe is absolutely horrifying to me.
I agree that this director is one to watch out for. I think the reason Smile worked PERFECTLY for me is how it handles the subject matter. It doesn't try to make the silly concept serious or anything more than what it is with its obvious theme of trauma. Instead, it creates serious characters and serious situations that allow the silly concept to feel more real to the viewer. Its a really interesting balancing act that, by the middle of the film, the concept does become less silly and more scary to me. The cinematography, music, and acting really set it over the top and make it phenomenal for me.
I found comforting she didn't making through the end, it is sure a movie that raises awareness about mental health, but not for those struggling with it but those who has someone that is struggling with it.
I remember hearing about how scary Smile was when it first came out. Then I watched it stoned and didn’t feel scared even once. Still enjoyed it but it felt cheap at times.
Spoiler warning for this and another film! Funnily enough, I watched Smile very shortly after watching Fallen, on the recommendation of one of your other videos, which meant I actually saw the (false) ending coming. Despite being pretty different films, they both have the exact same "isolate yourself to keep the entity from spreading -- oops! You weren't as isolated as you thought!" ending. Kinda wild cause there's no reason they would expect the audience to have that reference to pull on so it should have been really shocking haha
I enjoyed "Fallen" until that stupid twist of an ending that I thought showed disdain for the character and the audience. It was simply too nihilistic. Knowing that this movie has a similar twist is enough to keep me away from it.
I completely agree. I love this film’s tone, and how it echoes The Ring and It Follows. The acting is incredible, the cinematography is likewise, and its story is very engaging. And, overall, I just adore its presentation and theming. If one thinks of the title as a command, rather than a noun, it becomes instantly clear the message that the film is conveying
I think IT Follows is such a let down. An entity that can be shot? I got Virgin Suicides vibes off it, the way it was shot and lit, the sleepy, laying around characters, but the film really was a whole lot of nothing and not one bit scary.
"enamored my fascination" god I love the malapropisms in Ryan's videos. They're always hilarious and reaching in the funniest way. A man with a faulty thesaurus. I love Ryan, another great vid.
the weirdest thing is that's the only movie that gave me a panic attack. My best friend is a horror addict and makes me watch a lot of things and that's the only one that scared the fuck out of me. I think my worst phobia is projected through the movie. Loss of sanity, trauma, supernatural occurance, distrust, lack of support, nothing to lean on and no rope to hold. And that there's no saving grace for some things. The symbolism was also great. But it's the visuals that made me watch the movie through my hands and shed terrified tears. I'd catch myself watching the expressions (smile) of the characters change and welp out loud. Big props to the visual effects team, amazing work!
The film was originally planned to be a Paramount+ movie but after the test screenings was that strong, Paramount decided to release it in theaters instead and it's nice to see that happened like Disney keeping Barbarian a theatrical release than streaming.
What made this movie so good was that it was transparent about its central theme, it delivered effective jump scares, the mystery was clear, the characters were so real, and the horror was so palpable bc of the previous endeavors 🙌🏼
I often thought the movie may be called "smile" because Rose felt like shit, but was smiling the whole time (first half), like toxic positivity or "I smile so I'm fine and no one has to be worried". :x
I really liked this movie in theaters, but when I watched it again at home I absolutely loved it. It's definitely oppressive enough that I wouldn't want to rewatch it all the time, but it really holds up to multiple viewings. I actually moved it up to my third or fourth favorite movie of 2022 after watching it again in 4k at home.
I did not watch this film since it looked like a re--hash of countless horror movies before it (which clearly, it kind of is). However, I thoroughly enjoyed your discussion of it. I will be checking the short film though, I love the format and is always nice to see a well crafted jump scare.
Anybody notice that 2022 has a recurring "transference " theme running through it? For example, The Cursed with werewolves, Halloween Ends where Michael spreads his evil like a Freddy Krueger infection (something that was done more effectively in the novelization than in the movie itself), Smile with the PTSD demon...
HONESTLY I like the theme of how alone she feels and it feels relatable tbh. HOWEVER as a coward this was a nightmare to watch in theaters ;-;. Like I was clinging to my friend and being hyper aware of when I thought a jumpscare was going to happen. ALSO: the film randomly paused at one point because of something that messed up and everyone was tense until an employee was like “lol sorry :)”
When I first saw the trailer, that car window jump scare really got to me. I then heard someone complain that it was a ripoff of a scare from the Argentine film Aterrados (Terrified in the US). While it isn't a complete copy, I was led to Aterrados, which is a really good movie that I one million percent recommend.
I like that you make the sponsorship portion of your videos interesting. You sound like you genuinely enjoy the products and present them in a way that is engaging. It is unique among RUclipsrs!
I won't say it was the scariest. However, it reminded me of the nightmares I had right after my mother died, so that was fun to experience in the cinema 🙃
That's why I don't like therapists. I get that they work for many people and are literally life saving for a lot of people, but my experience was that of them trying to fix me, suggesting I do a lot of things I just knew I wasn't going to do, and trying to change my way of looking at things. That might be exactly what they are supposed to do, but I felt judged, undermined and even gaslighted. When I told one that I had a history of abusing codeine and relapsed a few times, he immediately changed his tone and attitude towards me, and even wrote me off as devious, literally laughing when I said I had control over the situation. He said it was not his remit and referred me to addiction services, when all I wanted was to find a way to deal with the trauma that led to all my self destructive behaviors in the first place.
I remember watching the movie with my girlfriend and near the end when she goes to the dudes house I see the door right behind them that's just slightly open and there's nothing but darkness in there and I go "why is that open? Oh great the director wants to create a sense of urgency something is up". I think watching horror essays has opened me way too up to these tricks lol
This film played on my biggest fear in horror which is uncanny valley things, I physically couldn’t watch the last 3 mins of the film where her jaw gets bigger! This film scared me more then anything else I have seen in a long time!
despite all the things it takes from other horror movies, i think the execution was done surprisingly well! genuinely one of the only movies to really stick with me after i left the theatre
You could do a whole video on why the ending is conflicting. As people have rightly said, it runs the risk of suggesting that s*****e is the way to save yourself and others from whatever is haunting you, but on the other hand, there is nothing wrong with showing that more often than not, people lose these battles. I think they could have explored how her approach to solving it was what lead to her downfall, and perhaps showing that she had other options in Joel and her therapist could have shown the audience that there is a way to if not defeat your trauma, but to at least stop it from overcoming and defeating you.
When I say this movie impacted me I really mean it. Rose's mother's death was excruciatingly similar to my own mother's death. I wasn't a child when it happened but still painfully close. I was absolutely paralyzed sitting in that theater filled with both shocked grief and fear. I connected with the Rose character.
This movie definitely seems like a spiritual successor to It Follows, as both of the demons in this movie weaponize certain aspects of humanity to kill their victims. The demon in It Follows uses lust to mark new targets and kill them, while the Trauma Demon uses the trauma of witnessing it killing one of its victims, or one of its victims killing someone else, to transfer itself to them and whittle them down by using their trauma, until they finally break, which is when it kills its prey.
I simultaneously liked and disliked this movie, there were really interesting themes set up about how we treat the mentally ill, and how they become dehumanized. But I feel like a lot of those ideas were kind of underdeveloped. I'm not a filmmaker, I don't know how I would recreate this, but I feel like it really could have used some tweaks.
I think the point of the ending is less to say that "sometimes trauma can't be overcome" and more that "you can't overcome your trauma alone." In the climax Rose goes to confront the curse alone, and it doesn't work, just the same as trying to bottle up her years of prior trauma and then trying to bury it under her work didn't fix it or get rid of it. Whether it was intended or not, I think that's a genuinely powerful point to make about how people try to live with trauma.
The Canadian YT short movie, "There Are Monsters" I watched a few years back (& from which SMILE seems derivative) has scared most of my friends & still scares me. SMILE I found onceinto it predictable & the Demon Dentist ho-hum...ah, well.
Smile has an excellent concept. The main actress does a great job (she's Kevin Bacons daughter) It has its fair share of jump scares, but no false scares The sound track also doesn't hold back. The guy playing the cop also did a good job. The conversations in the movie are great and you feel what the characters are feeling
Please, please do your take on What Josiah Saw! I'm still a bit confused by the ending and it could make it or break it for me. With Eli and Mary, it felt like someone threw a wrench in the plot just for a messed up double whammy twist. Here's hoping you also cover The Invitation from 2015 in 2023! 🍻
_Smile_ feels like if _It Follows_ and _The Invisible Man_ had a kid that tried too hard to be like its parents and ended up being similar to a fault. I liked the spooky Benadryl hallucination sequences, but that was about it.
One of my favourite horror films of 2022, proof that you can still make effective jump scares. You know a film has a great atmosphere when just cutting to a can of cat food being opened sent a jolt through the audience.
It's not about trauma. It's about society's inability to genuinely address trauma, leading people to bury themselves in obligation, duty, etc. and others to speak ill of someone's process rather than offering real help. The whole downfall stems from the main character not being able to leave work when she should have been gone long before she picks up the call that leads her to confront the woman who would ultimately pass on the curse. It means there is a point where dealing with trauma does have an expiration date, in a way.
0/10 False advertising, Didn’t smile once during the movie
That's on you, buddy. The title is obviously a command.
Lmfao
Seems like a skill issue I had the silliest smile on my face for like half of it
Not funny, didn’t laugh!😊
@@scrumbungulus Now THAT’s terrifying lmao
Learning that Ryan doesn't use milk when eating cereal is much scarier than Smile.
I don’t either. The texture of milk in cereal always grossed me out.
Dammit I had the same thought and you beat me to it! XD
My best mate of 3 decades does this, and I have yet to even remotely slow down when it comes to shit talking him about it.
That broke me
I enjoy cereal for the crunch and the taste. Sorry if I don’t want to ruin that with milk
Film Fact: The film was originally titled "Something's Wrong With Rose" before being renamed "Smile."
Interesting
I initially disregarded this movie as one of those Halloween blockbusters for teens because of the title. I wish they'd kept the original name, which is much creepier. I'm not too crazy about the whole smile plot device but it's a surprisingly decent scary movie regardless.
Both equally generic
@@chickenandksivideoreviewer9739I agree, however the original title provokes me to watch it more bc I want to find out what happened to Rose. It sounds more ominous.
:) ?
I think my favorite detail someone else pointed out to me is how the entity in its final form looks like a bunch of bodies that have been stuffed into one another over and over and have decomposed over time. As if it's still wearing all the masks it's ever taken. Which also explains the many rows of smiling teeth.
DAMN that’s really cool design elements I didn’t notice, I thought that was just to show the grotesque nature of smile and that it doesn’t even have body, looking like a pretty fucked up snail leaving from it’s shell to unite itself to another host
Thanks for sharing,did not notice this detail
My sister pointed out how much Rose looks like her mother, while Rose's sister straightens and dyes her hair blonde, as if trying to push away all similarities, even physical ones, with their mom. I also noticed that Rose wears blue in every scene until the finale, which foreshadowed to me that she was probably done for, wearing brown like the earth she'd be buried in, and gray in the end, like ash.
This movie freaked me out. I'm blind and the audio description was top notch. It almost felt like it added to the horror of the movie because I felt like I had an unreliable narrator on top of the fact that the freaking world was unraveling for everyone involved. Sometimes as a blind person, the world just feels so big and empty, and on top of everything, you've got your own mind running wild. Sometimes there's like this hard limit you hit where you just can't function normally, and all you can say is "Fuck!" The sound design also freaked me out majorly. This is another movie that left me wondering what I'm missing out on. Like, how different is my reality from everyone else's, and how does that effect my mental state.
Just wanna say your awesome and strong as hell and i hope life is going good for you
@jasontodd1232 I second this person's statement I'm glad u enjoyed the movie
I took the ending as “take care of your mental health before it’s too late” cuz she really did wait until the last second and didn’t even fully process everything she had been through
And don't try to hide and fight it on your own.
I don’t think it even did that well. The movie feels cheap to me because it is very obvious that the writer/director first thought of the monster and only then thought “well how do I put together a movie around it”. They just focused on the ending scene but had no logical way to lead to it. It’s like a comedy of errors type of film. Stupid like the Final Destination films or the multiple sequels to Halloween and Friday the 13th.
It was even bleaker than that. The monster said toward the end "you can't escape your own mind." It views mental illness as this unwinable battle.
@@theflight5247 the movie states that is unwinable while alone
I think that’s exactly the filmmaker’s statement
This movie did something I really like in horror movies that i feel isn’t so common, where a scene later in the film (the end with the demon in this case) makes a scene earlier in the film way scarier. The freakout her patient has at the very start is already really scary and mysterious, but to me finding out what it was she actually saw and experienced makes it so much more haunting in retrospect. Knowing that she was choking because this invisible thing is crawling its way into her face in some sort of alternative nightmare reality is just sickening.
The best part of that scene is when Rose turns around to see if the entity is really there. Either she really sensed something she couldn't actually see, or her carefully cultivated clinical skepticism about her patient's delusions slipped for a moment, and she started to BELIEVE that an evil entity she couldn't see was actually in the room with her. Either option is frightening.
Yes that was amazing that they added that scene at the beginning to foreshadow what was coming later on. Extremely well done.
Yes! The movie dragged most of the way, but the ending redeemed it.
I just watched it and I completely concur with you. The fact that the girl is looking 'upwards'....just *Brrrr! 😵
I like the ending relating to trauma and grief in the babadook a lot more, that you may never actually defeat and destroy trauma, but you can make it so that it doesn’t control you and you can live with it and move forward in life
I liked that ending a lot more, too. So often evil is "defeated" in Western storytelling, and in real life that's hardly ever true. Smile as it relates to generational trauma was a bit of a downer, as it's basically saying that generational trauma will get you in the end. And I suppose in many ways that's true, but it's a 50/50 shot. Many people who are abused or grow up in broken homes don't go on to perpetuate abuse. But many do, and succumb to alcoholism and drugs. I guess it was like Lights Out where the Mom kills herself.
I would have preferred a better ending than the dream fake out ending.
I agree. I watched both "Melancholia" and "Babadook" during a time where I had severe depression and I can say the difference in how they approached trauma and sorrow was insane to me. The ending of Melancholia made me feel completely alone and terrified that I'd never get better and the only way to not suffer was to just wait for death - Which I certainly hope wasn't the intended message, but that's what I experienced. With The Babadook, I felt a modicum of reassurance that while I can't "win" today, I can manage.
Ever since the night I watched Melancholia, I've hated the endings that give the "trauma stories" a death ending. It can probably be a lot more nuanced than what I've experienced - But I never want to feel like that again and it's left a bitter taste over these kind of bleak endings.
However we never see a glimpse of that imo. In the movie, the demon wins every time, and while it is ok for the story to have a bleak ending, it paints a bleak metaphor for people who may identify with the themes.
And what's worse, they show you what you think is the ending, and then they take it away from you. Which makes it so much bleaker and depressing.
Transferring the curse to the nephew would of been a great ending, I agree with you.
in a way she did cause she traumatised the fuck out of him
and who said the murder victim had to be human, anyway?
I like the parentheses AND quotations. Like it's the scariest movie but VERY conditionally
hehehe! Just missing a few asterisks!
@@RyanHollinger I see you haven't seen Skinamarink yet!
@@RyanHollinger I just wish more people would give Eight for Silver a try, it's my favorite film of 2022. And a very refreshing take on a werwolf story.
It was renamed The Cursed for the US theatrical release. Personally wasn't too "excited" by it, but it had excellent gore and cinematography.
I like the interpretation that was discussed on the Dead Meat Podcast. That the message isn’t that all of the effort was futile, but that it needs to be handled in a way that can’t be done in a movie. And that it needs to be addressed and coped with over a long period of time rather than just a few days.
I have only consumed this video and the trailer.
As someone with cptsd, I think that's accurate to dealing with trauma. You don't get better, you get better at dealing with it.
It takes time to heal and go from victim to survivor. We tend to want instant healing but that's not reality. Same with weight loss. Everyone wants to be done dieting in a week but it takes months or years to do and you have to deal with what caused it in the first place along the way
You mean they pulled an Evangelion?
Babadook did the message better. Smile did it poorly.
@@theblobconsumes4859 I feel the Babadook tackles depression from grief while Smile tackles depression and the reactions from others around it. Babadook is the superior film but they are not in the same ball park
@@MorbidlyObscure though Rose dies/fails at capturing her trauma, it feels like she was never supposed to do it alone, and supporting characters/isolation are the catalyst to the demon succeeding. Smile is commentary on the stigma of mental health rather than a story about a person with trauma and depression overcoming their obstacles and feeling a sense of closure, this direction of the demon and it's curse are more realistic and as someone struggling with mental health I feel the film spoke more to me from Rose being sent home from work and forced to sit with her thoughts. I am convinced this isolation and burden of feeling like a problem is the point of the entire film and what it wants to convey
That final form was great monster design. We get so little memorable creature designs anymore
Reminded me of a creature from Silent Hill.
@@anubusx The lady from [REC] for me.
Edit: sorry I didn't realise you said 'final form'!
The face of the Smile demon reminded me of the flash quick cut we see of the demon's true face in "The Exorcist".
i’m glad it did something for you guys, but it was far too silly looking for me and totally took me out of the experience. ☹️
I remember seeing a screenshot on Twitter of the monster when it’s just all exposed muscle and rows of teeth and thinking “holy shit that’s from Smile?!” It’s what made me watch the movie lol
“Truth or Dare” tripped and fell on its ass so “SMILE” could sprint like a fucking Olympian.
That's an amazing line!
Truly when “Lollipop” started playing as the credits rolled, I was in a state of shock that she burned herself. This whole movie was terrifying but that really was wild
The scariest part of the movie was rose actually being corrupted by the “monster”.
She’s the one horror movie protagonist that I genuinely wanted to see survive and conquer…Throughout the movie people from all aspects of her life are summing up her encounters with the entity to be related to her mental state. Which only made her even more lonely in her fight (Aside from her Ex) Her Fiancé her sister and essentially everyone else has given up on her and only we know as the audience know she’s telling the truth and she’s going through something horrible…Her character went through so much mental trauma that I wanted her to win and when she doesn’t it’s hard to watch especially her screams when the monster lurks closer knowing that she has run out of time it was so devastating that it made me emotional.
Usually I like bleak endings in horror, but man this one was a gut punch.
I also see this as a sort of symbolism for mental diseases that even if no one believes you it doesn’t necessarily mean that you should face this problem alone and hoping everything goes well in the end(just like Rosa as she burned the entity in old house) because it’s the illness that messes with your mind and you NEED help.
Yes but the monster is a metaphor for mental illness. She is mentally ill, but just because it's happening inside her mind doesn't mean that it's real for her.
Excellent post! 💯I agree with you. Summed it up quite well. Her acting helps sell the hopelessness of her situation, too. She was solid.
So interesting that two of the biggest (or at least talked about) horror movies this year-Barbarian and Smile-feature grotesque, towering, and violent mother figures/villains. As a mom, myself, I’m questioning all my choices. 😅
@Brandocious Barbarian was fun, but you are so right about the asinine decisions. I've never mentally screamed "don't do that!" so many times during a movie. That being said, I liked it better than Smile by far. I tend to keep my expectations really low when it comes to horror movies and am not one of those edge lords who claims "nothing scares me blah blah blah" but I really didn't like Smile at all. It was silly and boring and not remotely scary. I genuinely can't understand why everyone likes it! But, like you wrote, different strokes for different folks.
be shorter
@@efnfen 🤣🤣🤣
Failed essayists in a useless comment thread.
the fact that Ryan constantly has to use his own face to censor things he covers does have a silver lining to it: it can provide some random comedy, ala peering into the darkness and seeking Ryan's face 🤣
Imagine hearing a "hoyever" from out of the darkness.
@@stardragon7893 "your parents always told you that there were no monsters under the bed. Hoyever..."
when you stare into the abyss Ryan stares back
I make that creepy smile whenever I hear HOYEVER during one of Ryan's videos. Plus, this film was great.
When you talk about overcoming trauma and confronting it, I think this movie captures the reality of it perfectly. You got through these moments fighting your trauma where you actually win major battles, finally describing pain that has eluded you for years or decades, taking leaps to do things in life to get better, all sorts of improvements. But then you wake up the next day and the trauma is still there. The idea that there's this magic solution after one big confrontation is a fiction. What Rose wanted as a quick fix. That never comes with trauma, ever. I like that they did this in the film, they didn't give you the fantasy that one big push is all it took to get rid of the monster. You need to win a thousand major battles and a million little ones to win this war.
and the movie states CLEARLY that you can't do this alone. You'll need people and professionals you trust to help you!
I actually realized just last week how much Smile is not only a compilation of classic films such as The Ring, The Grudge, It Follows, and Hereditary, but it also has a very similar plot to the not-so-well-received 2002 Wes Craven movie "They," in which its victims are *also* chosen by otherworldly creatures for their experiences with trauma, then subsequently, ends with the rather bleak message of no one being able to escape said trauma. ⚫
As obvious as its inspirations may be to the naked eye, particularly in its direct address to the seven-day time limit, I can't help but admire Smile's (mostly) successful attempts to corroborate known horror tropes in order to craft its own story, especially for a debut director. 👏
Really great films that convey the feeling of a being of oppressive hatred stalking/weighing down their target can make for great horror. The camera horror Shutter also made me think it was akin to such films mixed with revenge films.
It's still lighter in a way compared to Ju On.
I meant that metaphorically and literally.
Man, "They" was a movie that really stuck with me after having watched it when it came out. It felt like a true horror movie where the victims had no recourse from their pursuers.
"They" was definitely more impactful than it had any right to be. The plot rolls like a B movie, but the concept is just so terrifying that you can't help but think about it long after seeing it.
I was today years old when I learned that Wes Craven wasn't actually involved in the production of They. He was an executive producer but made no creative input.
Im just glad the monster is real. I'm just tired of the, "it was all in their head" being the ending. I've actually stopped going to horror movies until I ask someone, "was it real or in their head?"
Great video BTW.
Smile probably had the best promo campaign of Last year with creepy models smiling in different areas
Smile was enjoyable and wasn't the worst horror film of the year but still not in my upper bit of favorite horrors of the year. The score was great. It didnt scare me but that ending scene with the smile entity "entering her" was messed the hell up and one of those scenes I told the wife "Our child can never see that scene or we will never have a good night's rest again!"
To start off the year, check out Megan. I had low expectations going in but it was well done and a nice blend of horror and comedy, and had a good message on how dependent we are on technology and always trust it
@@theblackflame4002 I've heard good things about Megan and definitely want to check it out my oldest daughter wants to watch it as well and it seems more her speed. Im definitely excited for Scream 6 and MaxXxine and Evil Dead Rise this year
Well we need to know the upper bit films 😆
@@Enigmalake Lmao I did say upper bit of films didn't I. That's funny, good job kail. My "upper bit" of horror films of 2022 were
1. Halloween Ends
2. Pearl
3. X
4. Barbarian
5. Nope
6. Black Phone
7. Terrifier 2
8. Scream
9. Netflix TCM
10. Deadstream
Dude that soundtrack had some bangers, by which I mean distilled anxiety. My personal favorite being either at the end of or right after the birthday reveal
Smile is the exact type of horror movie I love. Simple, fun, entertaining and scary. I don't need existential, innovative, need to be watched 10 times to maybe figure out what happened movies. I just want the build up of anxiety, well done jump scares and scary demons, monsters, etc.
@M it's just their preference dude, I love movies like Hereditary that take multiple views and analysis to actually understand the movie, but movies like Smile are straight to the point, surface level and just fundamentally scary, which also makes them enjoyable.
@M I didn't say there's anything wrong with them. I like them sometimes. It's just when it comes to horror I personally prefer the smile type of film. I never said anything was wrong with the more existential movies.
@@Spl0nk thanks you. Exactly, I love hereditary and similar movies I just prefer my horror fun, simple and scary. That doesn't mean I don't like other types or that I think they're bad. I never said there was anything wrong with those movies. I enjoy them too . Heredity and Midsommar are 2 of my favorite movies.
@M they never said it was wrong 'lmao' calm down mr. deep
Really loved how accurate the film was when it depicted her sister refusing to speak with her and the sheer isolation felt by the main character. I’ve worked in mental health for a while and it is common to see siblings/family members become cold and cruel when family members start displaying psychiatric symptoms.
It was a very pleasant surprise when it comes to modern horror movies !
Me and my girlfriend went to see it and oh man she was on the edge of her seat most of the time. Also the theatre room was full of people, something that Halloween Ends was missing
I'm reminded of what happened to Katherine Hepburn at the age of 13. Their aunt took her and her 16yr old bother to see one of the first silent film versions of Frankenstein. The brother was an all-star athlete, over achiever to please his father.
During a point in the film, the boy let out sigle horrific scream that terrified the audience in the theater. The aunt figured the film was too much for him and they left. He was silent the rest of the evening and went to his bedroom converted from an attic.
The next morning, 13yr old Katherine found him hung from a rafter. She bumped into him while trying to find a lantern. A detective noted that the rafter was too low to let the boy properly hang freely. He had to bend his knees and could have simply stood up at any time. He wondered what could cause a 16yr old boy in excellent health with everything ahead of him to be so determined to die.
Hepburn spent the rest of her adult life being drawn to tragic men in Hollywood, and tried to "save" them from themselves, since she never knew why her brother killed himself. There was also a history of suicide of young men in her family tree.
That would make a good movie
SMILE was extremely competent. It's basically what I expect and rarely get from mainstream horror movies. I also just watched The Menu and LOVED it. Any plans on covering The Menu?
Ugh The Menu was so good imo 😭
I like your ending idea more. Expands on trauma manifesting in forms we wouldn't consider. Rather than going for the, "ha ha all a dream fuck you," cop out ending.
I think the focussing on the "hurt scale" that depicts a smiling smiley for 0 (no pain) and crying smiley for 10 (Worst possible pain) is supposed to say that even though you might be smiling (0), you can still be in terrible pain inside which highlights the irony of the situation and depression in general. It makes be believe that the smiling is a metaphor for the way suicidal people are said to act before sui**de, which is acting like they are at peace and in a good mood because they are about to finally do it.
Tbh the one thing keeping the movie from being one I'd highly recommend was the ending
My husband and I were both dreading the ending because the rest of the movie was going so well for us
Really thought her nephew was gonna play a role in the ending where after she thinks she defeated the entity it turns out that nah because she traumatized her nephew or something
That for sure would’ve been more interesting. Saw the ending coming from a mile away. As soon as she had the idea that she needs to be alone I knew pretty much how it was gonna end. I think the best horror movies have at least some mystery to them but this was very, very predictable.
the ending was easily the best & scariest part of the movie go read a book
@@gryfinz man you're so intellectual and cool how many books do you read a day? Your words truly changed me, I'm going to go climb mountains in Nepal thanks to you
@@AllHailTheAnimeLover no u misunderstood im saying ur a huge dork so go read a book
The "entity" at the end made me laugh, because it reminded me of Barbarian, but then I got a migraine the day after I saw it and had very vivid dreams about that Smile woman and I was utterly terrified
Yeah the horror moment that you laughed about but then being utterly scared later is so relatable. For me personally the design(I also like the design) and reveal of an entity was terrifying and I didn’t found it goofy in my first reaction. But I understand that for some it was kinda funny and even disappointing.
It’s been a while since I’ve been disturbed or terrified from a horror movie, only a few gave me that tinkle of fear, but the concept of this movie feed me one of my biggest phobia of all time, which is being chased or stalked by someone or something you don’t understand or how don’t know how to deal with it.
SAME! This and It Follows get me new nightmares 😅 but still enjoy it and hope more movies take this real scary concept
I went to see this film three times at the cinema, something about it was deeply unsettling. I loved every minute of it! 😁
I only watched it once, but it's one of my favorite horror movies of 2022
Getting a Magic Spoon promo code from Ryan Hollinger makes me Smile for the right reason. 😃
I really loved how they portrayed how people really treat those with mental illness
It's the creepiest. Think the ending let's it down though. Doesn't seem like they really knew how to end it in a satisfactory way.
So many horror films cant end well for some reason. I remember watching Evil Dead 2 and it just ends with Ash getting chased by a deadite in pov style.
Martyrs had a divisive ending that was hard to understand.
28 days later had a cheesy ending. I loved it but I get why people hated it.
@@daoyang223 I was watching the way they were setting up that final battle and soon as I realized she was driving somewhere I was like ohhhhh she's going to confront her moms house NOOOO NOT THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP, YESSSSSS EVERYBODY DIES A "BAD" ENDING
My problem with endings in "curse horror" is that they are usually predictable. You always expect a depressing conclusion when the victims are up against supernatural forces.
The scary part was the realization when therapist was in the house.
Also, at first I didn’t like her fiancé because of how he never took her side, but from his perspective she did that to their cat and gave it to her nephew.
Yeah I’ve seen from some people who said to have mental illnesses that these scenes were understandable and that no one believing the protagonist driving her even more confused and trying to defend herself was brutal but realistic take on this problem.
Towards the end reminded me of Fallen. And then the giant Barbarian or Marilyn Manson shows up.
Personally i'm a bit tired of Horror movie endings like that,a lot of movies lately end with "Shit didn't worked and you die" or "bad guy/mosnter win" or "everything was futile"
agreed. frequent unearned downer endings really negatively impact the genre.
Nah man I like the ending because in my opinion, I got tired of the same old happy bs ending.
I haven't seen this one yet, so I can't comment on it.
But I do agree that downer endings out of nowhere really do bring me down on any genre. Fiction is supposed to be an escape. Metal Gear is a good example of the inverse.
I feel is more about not being earned than being happy or downer endings.
Genuinely didn't know what Parker Finn was trying to say about mental illness. It left a bad taste in my mouth when I first saw it. Most characters are so dismissive about trauma and mental disorders, which I'm happy you touched on. It also feels like there isn't a solution without inflicting trauma on others or self destruction.
It feels like bad taste because rose didn’t learn or trust the people who were there for her. Thinking she could take it on alone and falling deeper and deeper into her pain. The movie was showing us what NOT to do when dealing with trauma. Rose did everything wrong letting the monster get to her and ultimately continuing on said trauma
@@Childishxmarkeeloo who was really there for her besides her boss or joel? Everyone else in the movie pushes her away and dismisses her.
@@beansssss3847 like what Ryan says in the video her therapist is there too but rose pushes her away too believing she isn’t listening either.
He was trying to say that despite pop culture's warm gooey messages about mental health, as soon as someone starts showing symptoms an inch more intense than feeling sad or shy the entire world turns their back on them.
Which is true. Depression is supposed to be "i'm sad uwu comfort me with blankets and cocoa", not "I haven't moved from my bed in days. Naturally I haven't cleaned the accumulating trash nor showered."
No, if you're the latter you're not mentally ill you're a lazy bum skipping work. ...See what I mean?
I actually really respected the ending. Stuck with me in a way I didn’t expect.
It makes sense… most people feel like they have to smile through the trauma in order to get over it. Fake it til you make it!
I like when you do newer movies. You should do one on Megan, it was a lot better than expected, great horror comedy.
The trauma's gone to Joel. If they do a sequel, they'll focus on him. However, they could have the sequel start with Joel being possessed while in the cabin and just doing to himself what Rose didn't do. Then the story could jump a few years to where the little boy is a teen or adult and is learning about his "crazy aunt and her crazy ex-boyfriend" while the kid is dealing with the trauma he's suffered and then learning more of the story by finding the files of everything and being able to go talk to the murderer in prison or that the murderer's been released and he finds him to talk to him only for things to go off the rails. Something like that.
*Yes, I did put my dumb face in the thumbnail - it made me laugh! ... Anyway, what actually was the scariest movie of 2022?*
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I think that SMILE might be the scariest horror film of last year but man, I LOVED Jordan Peele’s NOPE and it might be my favorite horror film of last year.
@@boobootittleman7299 Nope's scene with the "rain fall" was nightmarish
Closest I got to a horror in 2022 was The Menu, but if I had a nickel for every time Anya Taylor-Joy got caught up in a hostage situation by a distinguished UK actor as the one person who wasn't supposed to be there, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. 😆
*PLEASE* Ryan, take up one of these recommends in 2023 😅
As Above, So Below (2014)
Mr. Jones (2013)
Underworld series (2003-2017)
Soulmate (2013)
Spike (2008)
Frankenstein (2015 - the one directed by Candyman's Bernard Rose)
@@boobootittleman7299 Shit, low-key forgot I saw Nope for a minute there and told Ryan that The Menu was my closest horror, oops. 😆Nothing made me quite so uncomfortable last year as "that" scene resembling the infamous end to The Borderlands...😅
I'd give the nod to Barbarian but I wasn't really blown away by any horror movies in 2022. Hoping 2023 brings the heat.
My biggest gripe with the film is that they show too much of the "monster". Less is more in horror. I think it would've been scarier if we never saw the monster's face.
I don't know, I personally loved the design of the monster. It was truly unsettling to look at, and made all the more horrifying as it looks like something that actually exists in that reality rather than just simple CGI, which adds to the feeling of unease.
I kinda agree, although my problem is rather that I found the monster just... goofy-looking, more so than anything else. I was far more unsettled before the actual reveal of the monster, which I honestly found almost disturbingly comical? But I know many people love the design of the monster, and tbh I'm kinda bummed I just don't see it, because I did like the premise of the movie and in general do have some good things to say about it (although equally many problems with it, Idk I'm conflicted).
When it started to tear off it’s face I thought “okay that’s the reveal part there is nothing to expect come on!(says it nervously because of the horror build up” but I didn’t expect the “revealing” process to be SO LONG and combined it with real effects seeing how this hell of a living ham moving itself and getting bigger was gut wrenching experience. Pretty long comment sorry, wanted to point out a nice detail I found about the design: the true form of an entity actually looks like a mass of melted bodies mixed together in layers like a pancake tower(it can be seen on the several rows of teeth) which means “the form” that was revealed to us was basically flesh, bones of entity’s previous hosts/victims it possessed
Each decade has its monster in horror movies, seems safe to say that the monster of 2020 is trauma as all horror movies seems to have that as a major theme.
Definite strains of the latest Invisible Man too, that feeling that no one believes the madness that's happening around you
For me, my one to watch horror director of 2022 was Zach Cregger, director of Barbarian. What a debut!
It's interesting actually, the same concept was done in truth or dare but that was just a goofy cg film which didn't land. Smile feels like a much more unsettling film, the effects on the smiles are just so creepy
I'm so glad I caught this in theatres!!! I love viral curse flicks like Kairo, Ju-On, Chakushin Ari and Ringu so it was fun seeing one that wasn't a straightforward remake
This movie actually petrified me, mostly because its scare factor is almost purely based on paranoia. The thought that this demon thing is infiltrating your life and you could just turn around or blink and it could be there, anywhere and everywhere, and nothing and no one is safe is absolutely horrifying to me.
I agree that this director is one to watch out for. I think the reason Smile worked PERFECTLY for me is how it handles the subject matter. It doesn't try to make the silly concept serious or anything more than what it is with its obvious theme of trauma. Instead, it creates serious characters and serious situations that allow the silly concept to feel more real to the viewer. Its a really interesting balancing act that, by the middle of the film, the concept does become less silly and more scary to me. The cinematography, music, and acting really set it over the top and make it phenomenal for me.
I found comforting she didn't making through the end, it is sure a movie that raises awareness about mental health, but not for those struggling with it but those who has someone that is struggling with it.
I remember hearing about how scary Smile was when it first came out. Then I watched it stoned and didn’t feel scared even once. Still enjoyed it but it felt cheap at times.
I wouldn't have minded a post credit with the nephew playing in his room and the camera pans over to reveal a doll with a wicked grin. Cheesey? Sure.
I dont know i had multiple laugh out loud moments when some smiles where supposed to be scary
The scare where it is her sister and her head turns upside down got me good
2:10 ngl that scared the shit out of me
tbh, I forgot I did that and it scared the shit out of me too
When she confronted her mom... that scene got me fucked up. Phenomenal acting from both of the actresses
Spoiler warning for this and another film!
Funnily enough, I watched Smile very shortly after watching Fallen, on the recommendation of one of your other videos, which meant I actually saw the (false) ending coming. Despite being pretty different films, they both have the exact same "isolate yourself to keep the entity from spreading -- oops! You weren't as isolated as you thought!" ending. Kinda wild cause there's no reason they would expect the audience to have that reference to pull on so it should have been really shocking haha
I enjoyed "Fallen" until that stupid twist of an ending that I thought showed disdain for the character and the audience. It was simply too nihilistic.
Knowing that this movie has a similar twist is enough to keep me away from it.
I completely agree. I love this film’s tone, and how it echoes The Ring and It Follows. The acting is incredible, the cinematography is likewise, and its story is very engaging. And, overall, I just adore its presentation and theming. If one thinks of the title as a command, rather than a noun, it becomes instantly clear the message that the film is conveying
I think IT Follows is such a let down. An entity that can be shot? I got Virgin Suicides vibes off it, the way it was shot and lit, the sleepy, laying around characters, but the film really was a whole lot of nothing and not one bit scary.
"enamored my fascination"
god I love the malapropisms in Ryan's videos. They're always hilarious and reaching in the funniest way. A man with a faulty thesaurus. I love Ryan, another great vid.
the weirdest thing is that's the only movie that gave me a panic attack. My best friend is a horror addict and makes me watch a lot of things and that's the only one that scared the fuck out of me. I think my worst phobia is projected through the movie. Loss of sanity, trauma, supernatural occurance, distrust, lack of support, nothing to lean on and no rope to hold. And that there's no saving grace for some things. The symbolism was also great. But it's the visuals that made me watch the movie through my hands and shed terrified tears. I'd catch myself watching the expressions (smile) of the characters change and welp out loud. Big props to the visual effects team, amazing work!
The film was originally planned to be a Paramount+ movie but after the test screenings was that strong, Paramount decided to release it in theaters instead and it's nice to see that happened like Disney keeping Barbarian a theatrical release than streaming.
What made this movie so good was that it was transparent about its central theme, it delivered effective jump scares, the mystery was clear, the characters were so real, and the horror was so palpable bc of the previous endeavors 🙌🏼
I often thought the movie may be called "smile" because Rose felt like shit, but was smiling the whole time (first half), like toxic positivity or "I smile so I'm fine and no one has to be worried". :x
I really liked this movie in theaters, but when I watched it again at home I absolutely loved it. It's definitely oppressive enough that I wouldn't want to rewatch it all the time, but it really holds up to multiple viewings. I actually moved it up to my third or fourth favorite movie of 2022 after watching it again in 4k at home.
If a horror movie can make me let out a surprised laugh and a “ohhh shit” then I know it’s good
Sooooo- Ryan? *Smile 2* just came out and this got MORE heavy praises.
Wonder how and/or when you'll be able to cover it in the future? 😮
I did not watch this film since it looked like a re--hash of countless horror movies before it (which clearly, it kind of is). However, I thoroughly enjoyed your discussion of it. I will be checking the short film though, I love the format and is always nice to see a well crafted jump scare.
Anybody notice that 2022 has a recurring "transference " theme running through it? For example, The Cursed with werewolves, Halloween Ends where Michael spreads his evil like a Freddy Krueger infection (something that was done more effectively in the novelization than in the movie itself), Smile with the PTSD demon...
I have to agree. Not the best, most layered or compelling horror film, but it *is* the one that gave me nightmares on multiple occasions.
HONESTLY I like the theme of how alone she feels and it feels relatable tbh. HOWEVER as a coward this was a nightmare to watch in theaters ;-;. Like I was clinging to my friend and being hyper aware of when I thought a jumpscare was going to happen.
ALSO: the film randomly paused at one point because of something that messed up and everyone was tense until an employee was like “lol sorry :)”
When I first saw the trailer, that car window jump scare really got to me. I then heard someone complain that it was a ripoff of a scare from the Argentine film Aterrados (Terrified in the US). While it isn't a complete copy, I was led to Aterrados, which is a really good movie that I one million percent recommend.
I like that you make the sponsorship portion of your videos interesting. You sound like you genuinely enjoy the products and present them in a way that is engaging. It is unique among RUclipsrs!
This movie scared the daylights out of me. The imagery is haunting, Sosie Bacon really owns the movie & the themes are so relevant
Oh... it takes place in Jersey. That explains everything!!
I won't say it was the scariest. However, it reminded me of the nightmares I had right after my mother died, so that was fun to experience in the cinema 🙃
That's why I don't like therapists. I get that they work for many people and are literally life saving for a lot of people, but my experience was that of them trying to fix me, suggesting I do a lot of things I just knew I wasn't going to do, and trying to change my way of looking at things. That might be exactly what they are supposed to do, but I felt judged, undermined and even gaslighted. When I told one that I had a history of abusing codeine and relapsed a few times, he immediately changed his tone and attitude towards me, and even wrote me off as devious, literally laughing when I said I had control over the situation. He said it was not his remit and referred me to addiction services, when all I wanted was to find a way to deal with the trauma that led to all my self destructive behaviors in the first place.
I remember watching the movie with my girlfriend and near the end when she goes to the dudes house I see the door right behind them that's just slightly open and there's nothing but darkness in there and I go "why is that open? Oh great the director wants to create a sense of urgency something is up". I think watching horror essays has opened me way too up to these tricks lol
This film played on my biggest fear in horror which is uncanny valley things, I physically couldn’t watch the last 3 mins of the film where her jaw gets bigger! This film scared me more then anything else I have seen in a long time!
despite all the things it takes from other horror movies, i think the execution was done surprisingly well! genuinely one of the only movies to really stick with me after i left the theatre
You could do a whole video on why the ending is conflicting. As people have rightly said, it runs the risk of suggesting that s*****e is the way to save yourself and others from whatever is haunting you, but on the other hand, there is nothing wrong with showing that more often than not, people lose these battles. I think they could have explored how her approach to solving it was what lead to her downfall, and perhaps showing that she had other options in Joel and her therapist could have shown the audience that there is a way to if not defeat your trauma, but to at least stop it from overcoming and defeating you.
When I say this movie impacted me I really mean it. Rose's mother's death was excruciatingly similar to my own mother's death. I wasn't a child when it happened but still painfully close. I was absolutely paralyzed sitting in that theater filled with both shocked grief and fear. I connected with the Rose character.
Then the trauma killed her and you dont wanna die do you
@Mad Monty my friend it's a movie.
@@caiterday6676 im talking your your trauma
@@madmonty4761 does it make me mysterious? 😃
@@caiterday6676 no it makes me feel bad
This movie definitely seems like a spiritual successor to It Follows, as both of the demons in this movie weaponize certain aspects of humanity to kill their victims. The demon in It Follows uses lust to mark new targets and kill them, while the Trauma Demon uses the trauma of witnessing it killing one of its victims, or one of its victims killing someone else, to transfer itself to them and whittle them down by using their trauma, until they finally break, which is when it kills its prey.
I simultaneously liked and disliked this movie, there were really interesting themes set up about how we treat the mentally ill, and how they become dehumanized. But I feel like a lot of those ideas were kind of underdeveloped. I'm not a filmmaker, I don't know how I would recreate this, but I feel like it really could have used some tweaks.
Valid criticism doesn't always require expertise. My dad used to say "I'm not a chef, but I know when food tastes bad."
I really thought the "trauma" Rose caused her nephew was gonna be what kept the curse going.
The scene where the sister 180d her neck and the nephew was watching. I swear I boy saw it. With the way he was acting
I think the point of the ending is less to say that "sometimes trauma can't be overcome" and more that "you can't overcome your trauma alone." In the climax Rose goes to confront the curse alone, and it doesn't work, just the same as trying to bottle up her years of prior trauma and then trying to bury it under her work didn't fix it or get rid of it. Whether it was intended or not, I think that's a genuinely powerful point to make about how people try to live with trauma.
The Canadian YT short movie, "There Are Monsters" I watched a few years back (& from which SMILE seems derivative) has scared most of my friends & still scares me. SMILE I found onceinto it predictable & the Demon Dentist ho-hum...ah, well.
This movie was the first horror movie I’ve seen in theaters! It was decent and a little goofy but I had a fun time with my friend :)
Smile has an excellent concept.
The main actress does a great job (she's Kevin Bacons daughter)
It has its fair share of jump scares, but no false scares
The sound track also doesn't hold back.
The guy playing the cop also did a good job.
The conversations in the movie are great and you feel what the characters are feeling
Please, please do your take on What Josiah Saw! I'm still a bit confused by the ending and it could make it or break it for me. With Eli and Mary, it felt like someone threw a wrench in the plot just for a messed up double whammy twist.
Here's hoping you also cover The Invitation from 2015 in 2023! 🍻
Just decided to watch What Josiah Saw off of your comments in this video, and OMFG that was a wild ride.
_Smile_ feels like if _It Follows_ and _The Invisible Man_ had a kid that tried too hard to be like its parents and ended up being similar to a fault. I liked the spooky Benadryl hallucination sequences, but that was about it.
One of my favourite horror films of 2022, proof that you can still make effective jump scares. You know a film has a great atmosphere when just cutting to a can of cat food being opened sent a jolt through the audience.
I enjoy Smile a lot, even though I think it copies from lots of other movies.
Tbf, I could say that about any movie! It's all in the execution!
@@RyanHollinger Agreed, plenty of movies have a great premise but dont stick the landing.
It's not about trauma. It's about society's inability to genuinely address trauma, leading people to bury themselves in obligation, duty, etc. and others to speak ill of someone's process rather than offering real help. The whole downfall stems from the main character not being able to leave work when she should have been gone long before she picks up the call that leads her to confront the woman who would ultimately pass on the curse. It means there is a point where dealing with trauma does have an expiration date, in a way.