Film Genre Research

 Smile 2 Opening 

    In the opening of Smile 2, director Parker Finn uses a one shot technique of a man staring into the camera. This scene serves to bridge the gap between the first film and this one. We see the consequences that come from the first film and how the curse gets back out there in the world to possess its next victim.

    The film opens with a sequence designed to be a continuous long take. The camera uses a tracking shot to follow the man as he approaches the house. There is zero cuts which adds to the realism and natural conversation that is going on. This represents the inescapable nature of the entity that is possessing the guy. He is freaking out because he wants to transfer the curse. The handheld camera makes the movements erratic and mirroring his panic state he is in. The framing is often from an over the shoulder perspective to see the scene from his point of view. The house they are in is cluttered and the framing feels tight. This creates a sense of claustrophobia and uncomfortableness. Deep focus is used so the audience can see all around the room which increases tension because viewers are looking for any clues about the entity. This scene mostly uses eye level to maintain realism, but uses canted angle during the attack and signifies that the man is starting to lose his mind. He has become instable and completely lost control of the situation. The constant camera breaks to show a wide angle of him getting hit by a car. It is unexpected and adds to the uncertainty of the film as we think he is going to run away to freedom. 

    This film uses an absence of cuts. In most horror movies, cuts are used to jump scare the audience, but the lack of editing adds to the films purpose. There is more suspense because this scene is slow, drawn out, and creates suffocating dread. The curse the man has is taking over him and we are feeling that through the use of no cuts. He is going through trauma and there is no safe space for the viewer to cut away from. We experience every agonizing second of his desperation in real time. The tone feels like a nightmare because it seems like we as the audience are trapped in the curse as well. The camera work moves from slow to frantic to add to the unsettling mood.

    The sound is used to add to the aggressiveness of this scene. It is often quiet but we can hear every little thing such as footsteps or the rustle of a jacket. There is heavy breathing in the beginning to add tension. These sounds are extra loud and exaggerated to make the environment feel more dangerous. There is a constant low pitched hum in the background that creates a deep sense of dread with the audience. The tone of panic is created when the attack happens and the sounds make you on the edge of your seat. There is an abrupt silence followed by the title sting when the car crash occurs. This leaves a ringing in the audiences ears that creates shock. 

    The setting is a drug den and represents the bottom of the barrel for society. The main character is going to the lowest lows of places to try and get rid of the curse. The place is filled with clutter and feels dirty to go in. There is low key lighting in the house with deep shadows to suggest something is lurking. The wardrobe is dark and uses heavy jackets and tactical gear. He used to be a cop and now is dressing like a criminal because he has gone insane and gives him a depictable appearance. The props of guns and drugs add to the violence of the situation. The mise-en scene creates the atmosphere that shapes the uncomfortable mood of the entire film. 

Smile 2 was produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures along with director Parker Finn. Other production companies include Temple Hill Entertainment and Bad Feeling. The film had a budget of 28 million and grossed about 131 million worldwide. The cinematographer was Charlie Sarroff, who has worked on many horror movies.

The opening credits play at the end of the opening scene after the guy gets hit with the car in a violent accident. The screen stays on the road and pans to the blood as the credits pop up. The text is red and bold with sharp edges just like the blood that is right below it. This movie has unique opening credits because it incorporates the blood into the design. The positioning of the text is central and dominant, yet feels unstable. The screen flips and the main title appears. Then screen flashes to a bright red and the titles are animated to spin rapidly towards the camera. The color pallet has a high contrast of white and red against a pitch black void. It serves as a jump scare and is distorted. The colors and rotations signal the psychological horror genre and the bad mental state the curse puts people in.

Naomi Scott won the award of best performance in a horror or thriller at the Astra Film Awards. This film was nominated at the Saturn Awards for best horror film, best actress, best music, and best make-up. Was also nominated at the Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards.

I picked this film because the opening scene is unique and unlike most other horror movies. I like the continuous camera shots without cuts because tension is felt and made me personally on the edge of my seat when I first saw the film. It feels like the inevitable is going to happen but you don't know when or how. I think this opening scene was a perfect example of using unique camera techniques to make a film for immersive to the audience. It stood out to me because of the frantic camera movements, which I plan to take inspiration from to create panic.