Horror Film Smile: Smile film review, release date, cast, trailer, age rating and runtime

A new horror film is arriving just in time for Halloween, as ‘Smile’ hits big screen in the coming days. Here is when it’s released in the UK, the full cast and what the reviews are saying.

Smile is set to terrify audiences across the country. Cr: Paramount Pictures

As Halloween creeps closer into the consciousness of the cinema-going public, Hollywood gets set to unleash its scariest new movies onto the big screen.

And this year, the directorial debut from American filmmaker Parker Finn might just be the pick of the bunch as he brings forth his new movie ‘Smile’, which promises plenty of scares.

Based on the director’s short film Laura Hasn't Slept, Finn launches his terrifying new horror blockbuster this month to prove that, whatever you do, maybe that frown should not be turned upside down!

The spooky trailer has amped up audience excitement across the globe, with the two minute 22 seconds trailer showcasing the several creepy characters smiling as a strange phenomenon appears to take control of their bodies.

The film will centre on therapist Dr. Rose Cotter as she begins to experience truly terrifying and unexplainable occurrences when she witnesses a violent and traumatic incident involving a patient named Laura.

Dr. Cotter begins to see an overwhelming terror envelop her everyday life and face her to confront the troubles of her past in order to survive the ordeal.

Produced by Paramount Pictures, Parker was approached write and direct the feature adaptation of his short film in 2020, which saw a young woman seeking the help of her therapist desperate to rid herself of a recurring nightmare.

The short film had already won the Special Jury Recognition Prize for SXSW's Midnight Short category in March 2020, and the following September 2021, the film was announced under the title ‘Something's Wrong’, which was later changed to Smile.

Who is in the cast of Smile?

Produced by Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner and Robert Salerno, the film will see Sosie Bacon (13 Reasons Why) in the lead role of Dr. Rose Cotter, with the likes of Jessie T. Usher (Independence Day: Resurgence) in a support role.

Also confirmed to star in the movie are Kal Penn (Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj), Kyle Gallner (Scream) and Rob Morgan (Stranger Things).

Elsewhere, there is a starring role for former Neighbours actor Caitlin Stasey, who stars as Dr. Cotter’s patient Laura.

Judy Reyes, Gillian Zinser, Kevin Keppy, Nick Arapoglou, Sara Kapner and Jack Sochet are all credited with roles in the film too.

Smile Film Review

Cineworld previewed the movie to Unlimited members on September 26 – and the feedback from critics has been largely positive.

Popular film review site Rotten Tomatoes has given it a 79% rating, meaning it is ‘certified fresh’ by the website.

Tasha Robinson from Polygon enjoyed the movie, commenting it “tickles the brain and terrifies without remorse”, while IndieWire critic Marisa Mirabal also praised Finn’s film, saying: “Smile navigates unhealed trauma through a supernatural lens and mischievous juxtaposition, despite feeling like a shadow of other stories.”

‘But why tho?’ film critic Kate Sánchez said “Smile isn’t great, but it is a fun movie to watch in a theatre with some quality jump scares”, while RogerEbert.com’s Katie Rife was not impressed with the horror film, adding: “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 plotting, but also on horror themes and imagery lifted from popular hits like The Ring and It Follows.”

Smile film release date, age rating and runtime

It has been given an age rating of 18 by the BBFC due to its strong bloody violence, so viewers can expect a full throttle horror just in time for Halloween.

The runtime of the film is 1 hour and 55 minutes – which means we may just be in for an epic horror!

Smile will be released worldwide on September 30.