Watch Smiley
- R
- 2012
- 1 hr 30 min
-
3.4 (9,846)
Smiley is a horror-thriller movie directed by Michael Gallagher, that was released in 2012. The movie features a group of college students who come together on an online chat room, and discover a mysterious online presence known as Smiley. The students believe that if they type the phrase 'I did it for the lulz' three times into their chat room, Smiley appears and kills the person they are talking about. However, as the murders become a reality, the group realizes that Smiley is more than a legend or a creation of their imaginations, and that they are in grave danger.
The movie stars Caitlin Gerard as Ashley, a young college student who is still struggling to come to terms with her troubled past. When she is introduced to the online chat room by her roommate Proxy (Melanie Papalia), she becomes increasingly intrigued by the concept of Smiley, and decides to test the myth. However, when her best friend is killed by Smiley, Ashley is forced to confront the harsh reality of the situation.
Melanie Papalia plays Proxy, Ashley's roommate who is addicted to the internet, and spends most of her time chatting with strangers online. She introduces Ashley to the mysterious world of 4chan, and the legend of Smiley. Proxy is an interesting character, given that she provides a lot of the exposition of the movie, and serves as the audience surrogate in many ways.
Shane Dawson plays Binder, an eccentric and creepy character who believes that Smiley is real and spends his time trying to prove it. Binder is an internet conspiracy theorist, who tries to help Ashley and her friends to unravel the mysteries surrounding Smiley. Dawson provides some much-needed comic relief in the movie, making Binder an interesting and dynamic character.
Smiley is the central villain of the movie, and serves as a metaphor for the dangers of online anonymity and the consequences of trolling. The entity appears on people's terms after the phrases 'I did it for the lulz' is typed three times in a chat room. The character of Smiley is well designed, and the scenes featuring the character are suitably creepy and disturbing.
The movie Smiley deals with themes such as online anonymity, internet culture, and the power of urban legends. The movie is primarily concerned with exploring the darker side of human nature, and how we can become desensitized to violence and suffering when it is removed from the physical realm.
The movie is shot in a cinematic style, with plenty of tight close-ups and dramatic camera angles to heighten the tension. The music score for the movie is suitably creepy and unsettling, with plenty of jarring violin strings and eerie synth sounds. The pacing of the movie is also well done, with just enough tension and build-up to keep the audience engaged and interested.
Overall, Smiley is a well-crafted horror movie that explores the darker side of internet culture and how it can lead to real-life tragedies. The movie features a strong cast, a suitably creepy villain, and enough suspense and tension to keep the audience on the edge of their seat. If you are a fan of horror movies, or are interested in exploring the impact of technology on our lives, then Smiley is definitely worth checking out.
Smiley is a 2012 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 30 minutes. It has received poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 3.4 and a MetaScore of 25.