As opaque and somewhat silly as the smiles that drive it.
Creepy, unsettling and surprisingly hugely watchable modern horror. I can't wait to see what Finn does next.
The most significant hallmark of Smile isn’t necessarily about the horrors of trauma but what happens when you’re brave enough to address it and th...
Empire Magazine October 2, 2022 Though it may be derivative, Smile still manages to be a scary, unsettling ride that’s powered by an impressively committed Sosie Bacon perfor...
Associated Press September 29, 2022 I have mostly frowny faces for Smile, a bluntly unsettling and blandly grim new horror flick that wrings as much mileage as it can out of a tw...
It could have been the kind of sinister flick that follows you home, slipping through the door, up the stairs, and curling up deep inside your head...
Variety September 28, 2022 "Smile" will likely be a hit, because it’s a horror film that delivers without making you feel cheated. At 90 minutes, though, with...
AV Club September 28, 2022 It may take time and repeated viewings to be sure just how good or bad Smile is as a movie, but as a scare delivery device, it is damned...
indieWire September 24, 2022 "Smile" navigates unhealed trauma through a supernatural lens and mischievous juxtaposition, despite feeling like a shadow of other stories.
Hollywood Reporter September 28, 2022 A disquieting experience.
Polygon September 23, 2022 Smile tickles the brain and terrifies without remorse.
A catchy and unsettling urban legend-like concept with a phenomenal lead performance from Sosie Bacon at its core. Smile marks yet another win...
Independent September 29, 2022 The latest example of how a single, effective image isn’t always enough to sustain a feature-length film.
RogerEbert.com September 23, 2022 In padding out the concept from an 11-minute short into a nearly two-hour movie, Smile leans too heavily not only on formulaic mystery plottin...
MovieFreak.com October 2, 2022 Smile is trauma porn.
Smile is a pretty silly movie by any metric; still, it has teeth.
Vulture September 30, 2022 It often feels like we’re one whole act ahead of everybody, and that can lead to tedium. More important, the real disappointment comes in the way t...
Times (UK) September 30, 2022 There are some nice jump scares and Bacon is charismatic but it’s achingly derivative and dull.
The Reveal December 19, 2022 Finn uses the strength of his conceit to turn the screws, raising tension through the Ring-like timeline Rose faces and the sheer relentlessness of...
Detroit News September 30, 2022 There’s more mature attention paid to severe emotional trauma than in your standard horror tale, but "Smile" ultimately overstays its welcome…
Chicago Reader October 7, 2022 Alas, Smile starts to feel as if it were written by an inept committee…
Rolling Stone September 30, 2022 It’s to the movie’s credit that it doesn’t overplay its hand – or rather, its killer kisser – while still milking the unnerving sight for...
Sight & Sound October 3, 2022 a finely tuned if derivative cross-country dash for catharsis, ultimately leading back to the remote, dilapidated seat of [protagonist] Rose’s trauma
The Guardian September 28, 2022 The movie is a shard of comic and cosmic spite, and the image of the malign smile carries force.
ReelViews October 2, 2022 For those who appreciate true horror (as opposed to the more palatable version that has supplanted it over the years), this is a reminder that...
Bloody Disgusting September 28, 2022 Finn presents some interesting ideas about trauma and its insidious, parasitic nature on our psyche, using horror in effective ways to convey it.
The Guardian October 3, 2022 The combination of a committed central performance from the increasingly gaunt and haunted Bacon, and a jarring, tortured score, makes fo...
Austin Chronicle September 29, 2022 There are highlights scattered throughout… but there are stretches that will make you antsy for reasons other than a potential scare.
New York Times September 29, 2022 A relentlessly somber, precision-tooled picture whose frights only reinforce the wit of its premise, "Smile" turns our most recognizable sign of pl...
The Daily Beast October 7, 2022 Catnip for teens venturing out to the multiplex with friends on a Friday night.
Arizona Republic September 28, 2022 "Smile" isn’t a great horror film, but there’s plenty here to make you … well, you know.
If you want something that will make you jump out of your seat, this is very effective, but for me the story just didn't come together.
Little White Lies September 27, 2022 Keep an eye on Finn.
Slant Magazine September 23, 2022 Everything Smile is doing is familiar enough at this point to be considered old-fangled, but the striking precision of its craft sloughs away any s...
TheWrap September 28, 2022 What’s absolutely riveting about "Smile" is the way Finn consistently absorbs the audience in Rose’s foggy mindset. Her baggage is enough to fray h...