Parker Finn is a director making waves. His debut feature Smile has horror fans whipped into a frenzy, as they desperately await its release. The trailer took the internet by storm and the frights that are glimpsed are only the tip of the iceberg. Finn crafts an intense viewing experience, one that immediately places the audience on the edge of their seats. Smile is set to start the spooky season off with a bang and will leave many with sleepless nights.
The idea began as a short film, Laura Hasn’t Slept. After screening at SXSW to great success the story was quickly fast-tracked into development and the result is Smile. Starring Sosie Bacon, Smile charts the terrifying ordeal of Dr. Rose Cotter.
After witnessing a bizarre and traumatic incident involving a patient, Rose starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can’t explain. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality.
Last week Smile received its world premier at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas and it wowed the crowds. Much like our own review, viewers praised Finn’s talent at creating scares and reiterated that this is a film to catch in cinemas at your earliest convenience. Smile really is a worthy contender for horror of the year, which when you consider some of the other genre offerings released this year, is very high praise.
Ahead of the UK release on 28th September, THN were fortunate to be invited to speak with Parker Finn. We seized the opportunity to probe his mind a little and find out more about how the film came to life, when he knew Sosie was right for Rose, and the importance of bringing Caitlin Stasey back from the short that inspired everything.
Smile arrives in UK cinemas from 28th September 2022.
