Quartile rating: 4.5/10 · 1 rating
After learning of an urban legend in which a demented serial killer named SMILEY can be summoned through the internet, mentally fragile Ashley must decide whether she is losing her mind or becoming Smiley's next victim.
Smiley is a low-budget 2012 slasher that attempts to modernize the genre by centering its urban legend around internet culture and chan-board trolling subculture. While the concept of a Bloody Mary-style killer summoned via online chat has some marginal novelty, the execution is derivative and formulaic. The plot is predictable and riddled with logical gaps, the acting is largely amateur, the cinematography is serviceable but unremarkable, and the ending twist is telegraphed and unsatisfying. The film received poor critical and audience reception, reflected in its low TMDB score, and fails to distinguish itself meaningfully in any single category.