Smile Review: 7 Ups & 3 Downs

6. The Script Doesn't Over-Explain Things

Horror films often make the mistake of assuming that the audience absolutely, positively needs to know everything about the focal malevolent force terrorising the protagonist, yet Smile thankfully appreciates the virtue of just... not doing that.

Though the rules of the curse are plainly laid out and we get some vague hints about its origins, Finn's script smartly avoids committing to an unnecessary, convoluted explanation for how it all came to be.

We know enough to tickle our curiosity beyond the bounds of the film itself, yet the script as a whole avoids tiresome exposition in favour of largely communicating its ideas visually.

Given that the fun of the film lies largely in following Rose as she attempts to outwit a seemingly unstoppable curse, we really don't need a groan-inducing deep dive into how it started, which would've only added more bloat to a film already close to two hours.