By Becca Johnson - January 3, 2025
Directed by Michael Sarrow (Living Room Coffin), Smile As You Kill tells the story of a man named Rico (Rey Goyos), who is suffering from a serious illness and is therefore in need of a lifesaving treatment. In a desperate attempt to raise the money for his treatment, he kidnaps a hotshot advertising director named Terry (Michael Teh) and makes one demand: create an online campaign to pay for the treatment, or share his fate. Well acted with a thought-provoking premise, Smile As You Kill is a competent indie film that despite squandering its attempt to keep you on the edge of your seat, keeps you invested with deliciously dark comedy.
Taking inspiration from the likes of Le Samourai (1967), First Reformed (2017) and Wendy and Lucy (2008) as mentioned in a Letterboxd list, director Michael Sarrow shows great promise here with his filmmaking. Utilising his small cast, single location and simple premise to its largest potential, Sarrow knows how to maximise the resources he has on offer. Opting for a dialogue-driven approach is smart, as it not only allows actors Goyos and Teh to shine but ensures the budget is stretching as far as it can go. By foregoing multiple locations, big action set pieces and a big cast of characters, Smile As You Kill avoids feeling convoluted and manages to deliver a taut, tight little thriller that fills the majority of its snappy 87 minute run-time with dialogue that helps move the story forward.
Though much of the speech delivered by the cast is on the predictable side, and it doesn’t always feel the most intriguing, it does its best with the premise and potential pathways this story allows for. With a couple of twists and turns along the way and an overall plot that does feel unique with its exploration into real-life modern concepts, especially the popularity of ‘GoFundMe’ pages, it’s a pretty smart flick.
The script largely rides on the shoulders of our two lead actors Rey Goyos and Michael Teh, who play Rico and Terry respectively. Rico is a character who is absolutely terrified of meeting his demise, and is now prepared to go to extreme lengths in order to survive. Goyos is great at showcasing this fear, with a believable turn that never leads you to doubt his need for survival. Through his character, we get a deep dive into the fear of death, the toll illness can take on the mind and a stop-at-nothing mindset, with Goyos doing a great job with these intense themes.
Quite a different character in terms of personality and skills set, Michael Teh is just as good in the role of Terry Tanner. A suave, clever individual who is great at his advertising job and may be more than meets the eye, Teh is exceptionally good at taking the audience by surprise as well as showing dedication to the cause. It’s not only Rico’s survival at stake but Terry’s as well, and that initial shock eventually subsides and allows for the pair to work together, if very dysfunctionally. The actors are really impressive throughout.
At first glance, the premise is pretty barmy and non-sensical, and it certainly continues that way. However, what makes Smile As You Kill pretty admirable is that it knows this. Conversing through darkly comedic dialogue and an applaud-worthy self-awareness that you don’t see every day, it fully convinces you of its plot and allows you to have fun with it. It shows 100% commitment and never takes itself too seriously, allowing us as the audience to have as much fun with it as possible. Equal parts funny and tense, it delivers nicely on both a comedic and thrilling front.
Another surprising element that Smile As You Kill boasts is wonderful cinematography, that isn’t always included even in single location movies from seasoned filmmakers. Particularly playful shots that make even a 1-1 conversation between Rico and Terry engaging and creative, Sarrow and the team clearly put effort into all fronts. With a score that compliments the scenes the music is placed within, it’s quite a cohesive and competent film.
Smile As You Kill will never manage to be the most memorable thriller, as when the script steers away from social commentary and dark comedy, it is quite bland and forgettable. The location also doesn’t have anything interesting going for it, with the inventive cinematography saving it from becoming aesthetically dull. However, with two lead performances that show great promise, smart black comedy and a central premise that shines in its self-awareness, Smile As You Kill manages to be quite fun.
Smile As You Kill is available now on digital platforms
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