1h 55m
Director: Parker Finn

You know that fake smile people do when they aren't in the mood for a photo and they have to force it and it looks slightly crazy? This film uses those often and it adds a creepy tone to everything, especially as you soon realise it augers the arrival of a psychological serial killer who has its victims kill themselves.

If you suffer from coulrophobia (phobia of clowns) then you probably want to avoid this movie.

Rose is a hospital therapist who witnesses the traumatic suicide of a girl who claims that a smiling entity is going to kill her. The whole deed is made worse because this girl cuts herself from ear to ear with a piece of a broken vase while she pulls an insane grin and looks directly at her.

This whole incident really freaks Rose out and the film spends a good deal of time terrifying her character with jump scares and odd encounters.

The tension slowly builds over the course of the narrative and leans on drama more than brutal horror to scare the audience. There is a cloud of mystery hanging over Rose as she's not really sure what the rules are.

The gory scenes in this film probably won't be enough to make a hardened horror fan wince, but if you're a bit more sensitive then you'll likely find them very creepy and disturbing.

If you really want to get the most out of this movie then I recommend you pay it close attention. Having it playing in the background whilst you do something else will only have you tune in for the action and you'll miss out on the subtle moments experienced by the character which give you an insight into what the suicide girl might have been going through.

Sosie Bacon does a really convincing job of playing Rose as we watch her gradually spiral into a feverish state which compliments that insane grin from the initial incident.

It isn't long before she finds herself in the exact same position as the suicide girl, trying to explain her predicament to another therapist in what is a reflection of that earlier traumatic scene.

The film keeps pouring on the traumatic experiences and Rose gets increasingly broken even after you think you've seen her limit. Eventually, she becomes convinced she's been cursed which as you can imagine doesn't play well with her friends and family who suspect a psychotic episode.

Eventually, Rose discovers she must kill someone else or be killed herself to escape the curse. Will Rose become a murderer to save her own skin? This question and shadows from her past dominate the discussion in the final act where she must face her demon.

As well as Sosie Bacon, keep your eye on Kyle Gallner (Joel in this film) too, who has recently appeared in some critically acclaimed movies (particularly Dinner In America (2020) and Strange Darling (2023) ). He's also in the sequel to this movie which releases in late 2024.

I have to re-iterate that you'll get the most out of this movie if you're paying attention because the real fruit of this film is in the dialogue and the acting!



Trailer: