Highly divisive author-turned-screenwriter Bret Easton Ellis has had a very uneven track record with film. His most acclaimed adaptation by far is the Christian Bale-starring American Psycho, which was likely helped by the fact that he had no hand in writing the screenplay. Other works, such as the Lindsay Lohan vehicle The Canyons, have suffered much less of a rosy fate. It is with great disappointment to report that his latest effort as a writer squarely falls into the latter camp, perhaps ranking as one of his worst. Smiley Face Killers is improbably billed as being based on a widely-discredited theory concerning the discovery of young dead men near bodies of water in the last few decades. The theory posits that these men were victims of a serial killer(s) who left drawings of smiley faces in the vicinity of the bodies. While the basic concept is involved enough to serve as a jumping off point for a horror film, the story itself never really does anything interesting to make you care about what is real and what is not. For a film trying to build suspense through unsettling imagery, the final product ends up being a messy bore of a film.
The film opens up with a montage of horrific imagery of human and animal carnage including lifeless corpses and disembowelment. This is enough to make you squirm, but the film does nothing to connect it to the larger narrative at hand. The actual thrust of the narrative is the plight of Jake (Ronen Rubinstein), a handsome college athlete with a history of mental instability, which is referenced quite frequently by those closest to him. His girlfriend Keren (Mia Serafino) reassures him when his medication causes impotence during moments of intimacy. His best friend Gabriel (Amadeus Serafini) tries to be supportive but is generally dismissive whenever he voices any concerns. When Jake starts to fear that he is being stalked by an unknown figure, he does not really know what to do or believe. Those closest to him believe he may have gone off his medication, but Jake has his own theories as to who might be messing with him. This may have made for a slightly more interesting psychological thriller if the film had tried to build any mystery as to if what Jake was experiencing was strictly in his head or not, but the film is devoid of anything in the way of subtext.
For a film that is only about ninety minutes long, it is horrifically paced in almost every way imaginable. Besides the opening grotesque images, nothing of note really happens for the first hour of the film. The character moments that are intended to make us feel invested in our protagonist amount to nothing. The “characterization” here is so thin that it barely amounts to anything worth mentioning. The acting in the film is virtually indistinguishable from something you would see on Lifetime. The only person who makes any kind of impression is Crispin Glover in his silent stalker role that still manages to waste his talents. The last half-hour of the story does get the ball moving into real horror movie mode, but even the violence that is doled out does not stand out in any particular way. I have no problem with watching unsettling, gruesome content, but, in addition to the attacks being ceaselessly cruel, it was just very uninteresting. When you do not care about your characters, you are not invested in their ultimate fate. This film is needlessly campy and not fit to entertain someone looking for something interesting in the true crime realm. Do not let the fact that this stems from the mind of the author who wrote American Psycho convince you that this film is worth your time.
Video Quality
Smiley Face Killers comes to Blu-Ray with a strong AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. This is not a film that is bursting with colors, but everything appears very natural from the greens of the foliage to the pops of color in certain locations. The color palette mostly remains natural, but some scenes are tempered in an artistically applied haze. Where the transfer really shines is the impressive level of detail in even the subtlest aspects. Everything from the smallest facial details to the viscera of the gore is precisely detailed here. The picture is mostly clear with only brief instances of murkiness during a few darker scenes. The film does deliver some softer shots for creative reasons on occasion, but nothing too distracting. Black levels could stand to be a bit deeper, but at least skin tones are natural throughout. The film is well shot and that is displayed nicely here. Overall, this is a fine looking transfer.
Audio Quality
The film comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that is steady without being too overwhelming in scope. Environmental effects are a huge part of the film, and this track brings these elements to life quite capably. The ambience of the beach setting during an early party scene resolves well in the track. The use of the rear channels to create a fully enveloping world works quite well. The dialogue is balanced well with all of the competing sounds so that elements are not muddled within the mix. Activity in the low end is very subtle but appreciated when it kicks in at appropriate moments. Lionsgate has delivered a capable track for a film that was never going to be known as an audio heavy hitter.
Special Features
- Behind the Scenes: An eight-minute featurette in which the cast members take you through the origins of the film, some of the characters in this world and more.
- Trailer: A two-minute trailer that makes the film seem a bit more interesting than it actually is.
Final Thoughts
Smiley Face Killers attempts to build something compelling out of debunked conspiracy theories as filtered through the mind of Bret Easton Ellis. Unfortunately that is not a place anyone truly wants to spend any time. This film is an uninspired slog to get through without much in the way of redeeming factors. For those who are still interested, Lionsgate Home Entertainment provides a very good A/V presentation for the film.
Smiley Face Killers is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
