Watch Smile

As we explore the future of humanity, the movie Smile from 2022 beautifully captures a few of the odd facets that are to emerge in our existence, using a delicate blend of science-fiction and drama. Directed by Parker Finn, the film stars Sosie Bacon, Jessie T. Usher, and Kyle Gallner in the lead roles. In the movie, we follow the story of a couple, Bridgette and Mark (Sosie Bacon and Kyle Gallner), who are battling to keep their relationship together. Bridgette who is a mystery novel enthusiast and college student, met the sardonic Mark in a coffee shop and fell in love with his dry wit and quirky spirit. A couple of years into their courtship, Bridgette tries to invite Mark to a party, and he brushes her off, leaving her increasingly engaged with their slim evening together. The next day she reaches out to him again, and he politely declines her invitation for dinner. The confusion and frustration of missed calls stemming from Mark's refusal to discuss his work in Artificial Intelligence are evident, and Bridgette finds herself torn between the man she loves and the secrets he keeps.

Meanwhile, Jessie T. Usher plays the part of Bridgette's curious and helpful roommate, who works at a tech start-up called "Smile." The job involves working with cutting-edge software in the field of using AI for analyzing the emotional state of humans. The system Smile has created is intended to get around the typical issues of clinical psychology that sometimes lack in empathy and could be overtaken by the subjectivity of a specialist's observations. By contrast, Smile uses data-driven analytics to analyze and adjust an individual's emotional makeup, avoiding the potential for a biased judgment.

As the story progresses, the lines between the private and the public become blurred. Mark, who has been in research in a spooky genetics lab known for creating new and exciting technologies for computers, finds himself questioning the morality of his work. Bridgette, intrigued by the processing power of AI, grows increasingly fascinated by Smile, the start-up that is developing this technology.

The film cleverly portrays the possibilities and potential pitfalls of an empathetic AI technology that helps people feel better. It also shows human fragility that might come into play when we allow these technologies to take over our emotional and mental health.

Although the plot and subject matter may not be appealing to everyone, Smile offers quite a number of enjoyable performances. We see the lead actors impressively navigate the complexities of their characters' inner turmoil, while the supporting cast does an admirable job of conveying the potential risks of these new and exciting technologies. Jessie T. Usher's performance, in particular, deserves a mention for its balance between enthusiasm and skepticism.

In conclusion, Smile is a deftly balanced movie dealing with complex themes surrounding the use of AI in the realm of mental health. Its narrative offers a thought-provoking look at the direction we might take in our approach to this technology in the future. With a strong cast and a cleverly spun plot, Smile is a fantastic piece of work for those who appreciate both cerebral content and sci-fi elements in movies.

Smile is a 2022 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 55 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.5 and a MetaScore of 68.