Smile Review: The Creepiest Horror Movie of 2022?

In this episode of Scream Creeps, Jeremy, Josh, and Elaine return after a hiatus to review the 2022 psychological horror hit Smile. The team is unanimous in their praise, calling it arguably the creepiest movie they’ve watched for the podcast so far.

The discussion centers on the film's effective use of sound design and cinematography to create a constant sense of dread. Josh highlights the "party chat" viewing experience where the audio immersion made the jump scares even more effective. They break down the central metaphor of trauma passing from person to person, the terrifying visual of the "smile," and the gruesome ending that didn't pull any punches. Key scenes discussed include the birthday party "dead cat" reveal, the head-drop scene in the car, and the final creature reveal which terrified Elaine. They also touch on Sosie Bacon’s performance and how the film compares to other recent horror entries like Nope (which they didn't love).

Key Highlights
[01:05] The Setup: Introduction to Smile, directed by Parker Finn and starring Sosie Bacon (Kevin Bacon’s daughter), and its premise of a curse passed through witnessing suicide.
[02:14] The Creep Factor: The hosts agree this is the creepiest movie they've reviewed, citing the unnerving nature of a silent, smiling figure staring at you.
[08:43] The Jump Scares: A discussion on the effective jump scares, particularly the "head drop" scene with the sister at the car window, which got everyone.
[09:53] The Dead Cat: The crew reacts to the brutal birthday party scene where the main character gifts her nephew a dead cat, sealing the "trauma" metaphor.
[13:05] The Detective's Mistake: Josh criticizes the detective/ex-boyfriend for leaving the protagonist alone despite knowing the pattern of the curse.
[25:23] Creepo-Meter Ratings: A rare unanimous 10/10 on the "Creepo-Meter" for its genuine ability to unsettle the hosts, surpassing previous favorites like Sinister.

What is Scream Creeps?

A horror podcast talking about everything horror with The Heart of Geek group. We will talk about anything from tropes to comparisons and all else horror. We hope you enjoy :)