Jane Dear

I've been on a horror movie kick lately, and this is definitely one of the best I've watched so far. I'm going to start with what I didn't like, and yes, there may be spoilers. As some people say, Trevor (main character Rose Cotter's fiancé) is a despisable character who treats his live-in fiancé as though her value is in her title and not her humanity. However, I do think that this choice was actually validated at the end of the movie when Rose confesses that she has consistently put up walls and locked people out, and in the past, chose to run from one of the very few people who had the power to break those walls and care for her as she truly is. In this way, it's actually realistic to believe that her chosen partner would be frustrated and avoidant when she finally opens up about her problems, especially when they are so unbelievable and dark. I also believe that a lot of people found the ending disappointing, but this is another artistic choice that I believe was truly appropriate. We are so used to movies where the main character escapes, where there's an ever-after, and where the concern we've developed is tended to in one way or another. I certainly appreciated an ending where the only future we can imagine for the characters is one of continued trauma and dismay. If you can give this movie your full attention in the first twenty minutes, you'll be hooked enough to enjoy it all. The only ONLY issue I had with this movie was the creature of the curse itself: with a face that was more laughable than unnerving, the tension of the film in its climax was somewhat broken. On a different note, Smile was one of very, very few films with spooks and scares that truly dropped my heart for a moment, and then continued straight on. I believe the score did a fantastic job contributing to this, misleading the viewer at times and not giving you clues as to when things may not be as they seem. (My favorite, or the one that sticks in my mind the most, is when "Holly", Rose's sister, returns to Rose's car after an argument.. if you know, you know.) I actually truly enjoyed this movie. If the creature had a more terrifying face in its full form, I would give it the best rating. Definitely worth a watch, even if you don't end up liking it. It's certainly an experience.