Smile has spooked moviegoers ever since the first trailer for it appeared in theatres before the release of the classic sequel Top Gun: Maverick. Since its marketing campaign launched, the horror film has caused quite a stir, from jump-scares on social media to appearances at big league baseball games and on national television. In an interview with Bloody Disgusting, Smile’s writer and director Parker Finn discussed the special effects that make the film’s visuals so deeply evil, answering the question, “What is it about this movie that has people proclaiming it uncomfortable, disconcerting, and disturbing?” Finn decided to make a feature-length film based on his critically acclaimed short film Laura Hasn’t Slept after “something about the idea kept nagging at [him].”
Finn sees Smile and Laura Hasn’t Slept “…more as spiritual siblings rather than a direct adaptation,” with the focus of Smile being on Sosie Bacon’s character Rose Cotter. Smile stands out from other current and upcoming horror films this season due to the disturbing visuals it uses to promote itself online. The gloomy grin on Stasey’s face is what first draws our attention, and it’s this grin that makes us feel like we shouldn’t stare.
Because of the Uncanny Valley effect, our stomachs turn when we see that grin because something seems odd. Director Michael Finn explains that he worked with horror icons Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr. to create the film’s memorable scares, saying, “There is a visual motif clearly of the smile throughout the film, but I didn’t want anything to become stale. I wanted to constantly keep people sort off-kilter, not knowing where the next scary thing would come from.” To quote the director, “I grew up on their work. They built the Alien Queen in Aliens with Stan Winston. I love practical effects. As a kid, I was so fascinated by them; they drew me to horror films and why I wanted to become a filmmaker. I knew very early on that I wanted to use practical effects in the film and told the studio that; they were like, “are you sure, that makes it way more difficult.”
Finn enlisted the services of StudioADI (Starship Troopers) and Aliens veterans Gillis and Woodruff Jr. to bring his idea to life through the use of real effects. Artists were enthusiastic about the project after a Zoom discussion in which Finn revealed that these two had a significant impact on his upbringing and on his desire to create films. There aren’t a tonne of SFX details in the trailer, so we’ll have to figure out most of the scares on our own. At the very end of the clip, as a lady walks up to a car and her twisted neck and smiling head slide down, we experience the singularly brutal and spot-on decision to use actual effects.
Both Stasey and Bacon are featured in the film alongside Kyle Gallner, Jessie T. Usher (from The Boys), Kal Penn, Robin Weigert, and Judy Reyes. Produced by Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, and Isaac Klausner, with executive production from Robert Salerno (I’m Thinking of Ending Things). Smile, featuring work from a famous SFX team, will be released in theatres on September 30.