Conquering the Grin: 10 (Maybe?) Ways to Beat the Smile monster!
Smile's Terrifying Entity: Can It Really Be Defeated?
Smile introduced a seriously terrifying new horror villain—an unnamed entity that’s passed on through witnessing a horrific death and makes that a contagious and lethal situation that many horror movies often focus on and emphasizes what makes Smile unique, as we will see in this list below. It’s similar to Death from the Final Destination franchise (death being a singular inevitable outcome and making that terrifying idea central), or that creep from It Follows (it's contagious and ultimately terrifying) however unlike both these titles it requires death to infect a new host.
That makes this thing feel impossible to beat– death seems to be the only “cure”, or outcome—similar to Final Destination— leaving very slim chances of surviving more than a week! The horror Itself however becomes even scarier precisely due to the impossibly difficult situation presented: an apparently unsolvable situation which viewers are left to think about. However, that might not actually be true! Those impossibly grim odds, created from the apparently unbeatable threat presented initially, and how easy it would seem to infect the whole world. The very nature of this beast, with this uniquely powerful method of infection and this ability to quickly multiply makes it one of the most feared horror antagonists. And it's a brilliant narrative decision!
10 (Potentially) Effective Strategies to Survive the Smile Monster
10. Escaping Fame's Deadly Embrace: A Metaphor for Unraveling Control
Smile 2 shows that being famous is lethal! That monster preys on Its victims; preying on those specific moments of trauma to create more victims, and this focus becomes intensely important, showcasing a metaphoric message surrounding control; yet despite this the same grim fate always seems to occur; showcasing another deeply troubling aspect that this series seems determined to showcase. It completely preys upon mental and emotional weaknesses within individuals.
Skye can't escape fame – and dies. And that doomed choice had significant and deadly impacts.
9. Emotional Numbness: Cutting Off the Monster's Source
The monster feeds on trauma – you see someone die, get traumatized; then you get infected. The intensity of that trauma itself plays a massive part of its narrative! However; it could possibly fail. A completely emotionless reaction? No trauma—the infection ends there. So if no trauma occurs– that monster can't thrive.
8. Temporary Death: Outsmarting the Entity’s Grim Game
In Smile 2, Morris (Peter Jacobson) suggests an interesting survival theory (which tragically was never really fully attempted): induced temporary death to avoid infection – and being subsequently revived! This is one way to outsmart that infectious entity entirely! The logic’s solid: die alone (no witnesses, no trauma)—it potentially either dies along with you; or might end entirely, potentially breaking that cursed cycle once and for all; without really hurting those directly involved. While no results came up from any experimentation shown on the film’s very ending, it seems worthwhile.
7. Violence Breeds Violence (Sadly): A Monster’s Dark Fuel
This was hinted at in Smile. The only survivor (Robert Talley, Rob Morgan) revealed that killing a person – not just anyone, someone whose death brings additional trauma could potentially make this possible; and only through specific circumstances could this work. He made that important point that the method would also increase its spread— more witnesses equal more infections! And this was also a completely cruel choice.
6. Dying Alone: Stopping the Cycle Before it Starts
The monster spreads; its victims always die in front of someone; spreading trauma, passing its horrific curse onto them. But the victim does have one slim chance; by ending it entirely alone – this breaks that traumatic cycle of trauma passing on— potentially stopping its endless infections. However, it’s morbid, but this is perhaps one of the few realistic ways this problem could get resolved and without negatively impacting others; at a huge cost!
5. Avoiding the Ghastly Gaze: Choosing to turn away completely
The infection only really works through the witnessed experience and subsequent traumatic event which makes being aware of it; a possible salvation in this terrible world, as emphasized and explored in several scenes during Smile’s own climactic scenes. Knowing its methods might mean escaping it; those few fleeting moments become critically important, generating those few specific seconds that generate those possible outcomes; therefore showing a chance of evasion entirely possible even if no other solutions are achievable or realistically tried!
4. Isolation: A Lonely Escape from Contagion
The monster needs people to spread its curse. So a super lonely, secluded existence may make this work, allowing survival without ending the possibility for this terrifying entity to become an enduring force; thus that ultimate terrifying escape can still happen despite other difficulties arising. It could continue to exist without killing more victims. It makes for an incredibly isolated way of living but the lack of transmission, entirely based on other humans is one way this could occur without completely risking that entire existence. Even being haunted isn’t the same as dying!
3. Annihilation: Could the Smile Monster Really Die?
In Smile’s climax; Rose (Sosie Bacon) confronts the monster – which takes on a monstrous version of her mother, triggering an epic struggle ending in a fire! This was implied and never explicitly described, yet the monster is somehow damaged and shows signs of being unable to continue this attack which means this was some way to injure it – maybe defeat entirely?
2. Conquering Trauma: Healing as a Weapon Against Evil
The entity feeds on trauma. Therefore the act of overcoming this very significant, traumatic event, through personal therapy, might destroy the monster’s very means of infecting other people. That healing method becomes a means to weaken that evil creature completely, using that personal process to fight and break the chain of trauma spread— ultimately stopping that spreading horror!
1. Professional Help: A Real-World and Fictional Cure for Trauma
Much like personally facing your own traumas, seeking professional mental help would’ve arguably provided Rose with additional safety; removing those terrible anxieties and removing her source of weakness and potential fear; making professional support a means to survive this horror that could’ve changed Rose’s outcome and prevented so much hurt. Smile repeatedly pushes the value of therapy. Rose ignores it—with devastating effects. The movie cleverly emphasizes the key aspect of using mental health in dealing with intense problems – a clever and remarkably successful messaging tool! It cleverly blends horror storytelling with realistic concerns regarding mental wellbeing; and should impact everyone to prioritize health and mental wellbeing whenever that is possible!
Conclusion: Facing Fears Head-On and Conquering Those Existential Horrors
Smile’s monster creates some truly terrifying situations – its near-unkillable nature; its methods to generate fear; yet within the very context and within this narrative world presented those several means of combatting and escaping that deadly curse remains achievable. The movie really shows how to fight trauma and provides multiple narrative paths. And that messaging really, really makes Smile into something worth examining more deeply!
