16/48
About to embark on a world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley begins to experience increasingly terrifying and unexplained events. Overwhelmed by the ever-increasing pressure of horror and fame, Skye is forced to confront her past. The scar on Skye’s knee is in the shape of a smile. In one scene, Skye places VOSS’s water bottle on a rock. /marble kitchen table and there is a noise similar to placing a plastic object. VOSS water bottles are made of glass, something that is actually highlighted in the film, so the sound doesn’t match the action you see. Skye Riley: [Smiles at subject] You’re not in control, I am! . Submitted by The 7PM Project: 2024 October 17 series (2024). A very disturbing depiction of the Smile phenomenon using the pop music scene and celebrity culture as a backdrop. The central character, Skye, is front and center in this harrowing story that presents layer upon layer of a man’s life spiraling out of control. We see most of the story from Skye’s point of view, so the film does a great job of building empathy for the character despite all her moral failings. It also has some deep themes about the toxic culture of pop stars. In the film, the smile takes on many meanings as it also reflects the pressure to perform and smile for the cameras when one’s mental health is compromised. Her mother, her assistant, and the fans seem sane in the chaos, but their actions seem to become instruments of torture. It’s so unsettling, I personally feel like Skye goes through too much and at the end I’m just relieved the movie is over. If you’re into body horror, you’ll love this. The movie is pretty scary, but it’s more disturbing than scary.