“Smile” Film Summary & Ending Explained

The 2022 horror hit Smile became an instant success, pulling off a viral marketing campaign that creeped out audiences everywhere.

From actors stationed at baseball games with eerie smiles to its chilling portrayal of trauma, Smile topped the box office and left a lasting impression. But while the suspense hooked fans, the movie’s ending divided many.

The film’s ending, with Rose’s tragic fate, sparked debates. Some saw it as a grim statement about the difficulty of overcoming trauma, while others found it too bleak.

Let’s explore what really happened in Smile and what Rose’s fate might mean for the highly anticipated sequel, which is set to release in October 2024.

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The Entity and Rose’s Mother

Throughout Smile, the entity haunting Rose Cotter symbolizes unresolved trauma. Rose, a psychotherapist, becomes cursed after witnessing a terrifying event—her patient committing suicide right in front of her, with a haunting, eerie smile on her face.

After some time, Rose realizes she is cursed to meet the same fate unless she can find a way to break the cycle. The malevolent force manifests as familiar faces from Rose’s life, but in the final act, it takes on the form of her mother.

This isn’t just a random choice; the entity represents Rose’s deep-seated guilt over her mother’s death. As a child, Rose was present when her mother passed away but chose not to call for help, feeling overwhelmed by the emotional abuse her mother had inflicted on her.

At the end of the film, Rose faces the entity in her abandoned family home, the very place where her mother died. The entity taunts her, bringing back memories of her childhood trauma.

Rose tries to fight back, but the entity counters with a phrase: “Your mind makes it real.” It then transforms into a monstrous version of her mother, a towering figure with an unsettling smile. Rose sets the creature and the house on fire, seemingly defeating the curse—or so she thinks.

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Did Rose Really Escape the Curse?

Rose leaves the burning house, believing she has triumphed. She goes to her ex-boyfriend Joel, the only person who believes her story. But things take a dark turn when Joel, smiling that same cursed smile, tells Rose he will stay with her forever.

Suddenly, Rose wakes up outside her home again, realizing it was all an illusion. She hasn’t escaped the entity at all. Rose locks Joel out of the house, determined to face her fate alone.

In one of the film’s most unsettling moments, the entity reveals its true form: a skinless monster with multiple sets of jaws and an unnerving, wide smile. The creature crawls inside Rose, taking over her body.

When Joel finally breaks into the house, he finds Rose dousing herself in gasoline, smiling eerily. She sets herself on fire, passing the curse onto him as she burns alive.

This ending, which many saw as inevitable, keeps the entity alive, setting the stage for the curse to continue its deadly cycle.

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What Rose’s Death Means for the Sequel

With Smile’s success, a sequel was inevitable. Fans are eager to see how the story will evolve, especially after such a shocking ending.

In the upcoming Smile 2, set to release on October 18, 2024, Kyle Gallner returns as Joel, who narrowly escaped becoming the entity’s next victim in the first film.

The sequel introduces a new character: a world-famous pop star, played by Naomi Scott, who becomes the entity’s latest target.

The new storyline suggests that Smile 2 will expand the franchise’s mythology, possibly exploring the origins of the curse and how it spreads across different victims.

Director Parker Finn has already hinted that the sequel will not be a mere repetition of the first film. “I’d wanna make sure that it’s not just a repeat of this film,” he told The Latch.

“It’d have to be something unexpected with a bunch of surprises up its sleeve.” This could mean new revelations about the entity’s power and its connection to trauma.

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Trauma, Guilt, and Mental Health

Smile’s ending isn’t just about a supernatural curse. It also touches on deep emotional themes like guilt, trauma, and the challenges of mental health.

The movie’s portrayal of Rose’s mental unraveling mirrors the internal struggles many people face when dealing with trauma.

Some fans see the entity as a metaphor for how trauma can haunt someone, following them wherever they go, no matter how hard they try to outrun it.

For Rose, the entity is a manifestation of the guilt she carries over her mother’s death, a trauma she has never fully confronted.

But not everyone appreciated this dark take. Some viewers found the ending too pessimistic, especially when it comes to mental health.

Rose’s ultimate demise, despite her efforts to fight back, could be seen as a bleak commentary on how difficult it is to escape trauma.

However, Parker Finn defended the ending, saying he wanted something “complex, messy, and sometimes ambiguous,” sparking debate among audiences.

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Setting the Stage for Smile 2

The upcoming Smile 2 will likely pick up where the first film left off, with Joel possibly facing the curse once again. But with Naomi Scott as the new central character, the sequel could take a different approach.

The trailer hints at a larger, more expansive world, with the entity now targeting a high-profile celebrity.

Will Smile 2 reveal more about the entity’s origins? Will it explore how the curse moves from one victim to the next? There are many unanswered questions, and fans are eager to see how the sequel will build on the original’s unsettling premise.

One thing is for sure: the entity’s terrifying smile isn’t going away anytime soon.