With well-executed jump scares and a promise of grotesque horror, Parker Finn’s Smile has been buzzing horror fans since the first trailer premiered in June.
Sosie Bacon stars as Dr. Rose Cotter, a dedicated clinical psychiatrist who encounters a patient who claims she is being stalked by a malicious, grinning entity. When the patient violently takes her own life in front of Rose, the devoted doctor soon experiences horrific visions of her own.
Bacon, marking her first starring role in a feature film with Smile, told Bloody Disgusting that the lead role in a horror movie is a physically demanding, “very intense” experience.
“I threw myself all over that spot, I threw myself a lot. It was definitely a lot of bruising and then a lot of shallow breathing,” Bacon said, sharing that it was funny to see how that translated to the big screen. “It was physical to be afraid for so long because it persists. That’s very hard on your body, I think.”
The actress, 30, said that although her Smile role was challenging, it gave her a new appreciation for those who create horror. “…It’s physically and emotionally tough. You have to be in a very dark place for a long time. It’s hard to pull yourself out.”
“So yeah, insane respect for everyone,” she added.
Bacon’s co-stars praise her ‘impressive’ performance and professionalism
although she Smile role may have been both physically and mentally demanding, Bacon says she “learned a lot” on set.
“I didn’t do everything as well as some people I’ve worked with, you know what I mean? And that’s okay. I think they probably had to learn that on their own too… I think I learned a lot. It was definitely a trial by fire. This is very intense to also include the leadership position that you have to hold, so I will do it differently next time and also bring a lot of things that did work,” she told Collider.
While the actress may feel like she still has a lot to learn, her co-stars Kyle Gallner and Jessie T. Usher had nothing but good things to say about the performance and professionalism of their leading lady.
“Her dedication, scene by scene, step by step was so impressive,” said Usher, describing how Bacon pushed through her fatigue and discomfort to perform continuously. “It’s so impressive to watch because eventually you start to see fatigue or you start to see a lot of things that we as actors have no control over, but to be able to say committed to the role and committed to the scene, committed to the story, for this character and being real over and over again, is very impressive.”
“It’s also extremely difficult to do that,” he added.
Gallner agreed with additional praise, explaining how Bacon was always well prepared when she arrived on set, and he says all that preparation paid off.
“…A movie like this is so intense, it’s like running a marathon. To keep that together and keep everything moving like Sosie did, especially for your first movie, it was incredibly impressive.”
Smile opens in theaters today (Sept. 30).