We dig into Smile (2022) - a film that works so hard to make you feel terrible that you can't help but respect it. Parker Finn's debut feature, Sosie Bacon's breakout lead, practical creature effects, and a trauma curse that hits different two years after a pandemic. Plus two original songs inspired by the film, gimmick: no names.
Citations
Eagan, Daniel. “Smile DP Charlie Sarroff Reveals Which Films He Turned to for Visual Inspiration, and How He Made Sosie Bacon's Heroine Feel Vulnerable and Lonely.” M&E. 27 October 2022. https://mande.net/btl/crafts/smile-dp-charlie-sarroff-interview.
Friedman, Illya. “Charlie Sarroff, cinematographer of the horror films Smile and Relic.” Cam Noir: The Cinematography Podcast. 12 October 2022. https://www.camnoir.com/ep187/.
Marsman, Michiel. “Making People Uncomfortable is My Job - Cristobal Tapia de Veer on Scoring Smile.” Free Run Artists. 25 March 2025. https://freerunartists.com/making-people-uncomfortable-is-my-job-cristobal-tapia-de-veer-on-scoring-smile/.
Parkinson, Helen. “Smile for the camera.” British Cinematographer. https://britishcinematographer.co.uk/charlie-sarroff-smile/.
Puccio, Anthony. “How Paramount’s ‘Smile’ Movie Blended Marketing with Live Sports.” Boardroom. 20 February 2003. https://boardroom.tv/smile-movie-paramount-live-sports-marketing/.
Taylor, Brian. “Sosie Bacon Interview - Smile.” The Cine-Men. 24 September 2022. https://thecinemen.com/2022/09/24/sosie-bacon-interview-smile/.
Wass, Mike. “Scoring ‘Smile,’ Sans Strings or Synths: How the Composer Made a Horror Hit Even Creepier With an Unusual Instrument.” Variety. 14 October 2022. https://variety.com/2022/music/news/smile-horror-score-music-composer-1235404446/.
00:00 Intro
00:06:40 Intro: Distribution & Reception
00:20:36 Let's Make a Movie: Filmmakers
00:26:57 Let's Make a Movie: Production
00:31:45 Let's Make a Movie: Cast
00:40:27 Vibe Check: Cinematography
00:55:15 Vibe Check: SFX
01:00:59 Vibe Check: Music & Sound Design
01:09:04 Story Time: Characters
01:24:58 Story Time: Murder & Mayhem
01:40:45 Story Time: Themes
01:52:12 Open Mic
02:05:59 Losing Light
