In the world of horror, there are two times of year that are often considered dumping grounds for movies that studios don’t have much faith in. The first is in the early months of the year, as January and February has most audiences focusing on the films nominated for awards from the previous year instead of critiquing the merits of genre stories. The other dumping ground is heading into the Halloween season, because even if a movie isn’t great, studios know that audiences will be hungry for any horror. The marketing campaign for Smile might lead many to believe it was a relatively generic horror film just hoping to cash in on seasonal excitement, especially since it’s not a recognizable franchise and doesn’t rely on famous stars. The actual film, however, is a pleasant surprise, full of hugely effective scares, which mostly mask the razor-thin plot and almost manage to say some powerful things about mental health, depression, and trauma.
