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Smiley Face Killers (film)

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Smiley Face Killers
Film poster
Directed byTim Hunter
Written byBret Easton Ellis
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography
  • Michael Marius Pessah
  • Jan Wielski
Edited byKristi Shimek
Music byKristin Kontrol
Production
companies
  • Grindstone Entertainment Group
  • Highland Film Group
  • DTLV Cinema Society
  • Silver State Productions
Distributed byLionsgate Home Entertainment
Release date
  • December 8, 2020 (2020-12-08)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Smiley Face Killers is a 2020 American slasher film directed by Tim Hunter and written by Bret Easton Ellis, loosely based on the Smiley face murder theory. The film stars Ronen Rubinstein, Mia Serafino, and Crispin Glover.

Synopsis

The film opens with the abduction and murder of two unrelated victims by a hooded killer in a white van. The only clue linking the murders is the presence of smiley face graffiti near the body. The film then shows Jake, a university student who believes that someone is stalking him, as they have left him a map marking the locations of the prior smiley face murders along with creepy text messages and photos. His girlfriend Keren is concerned that he is off his psychiatric medication, particularly after he grows jealous of her talking to her ex-boyfriend Rob. Jake relates the strange events to his friend Adam, who theorizes that Rob may be doing them out of jealousy. He begins to investigate the map and messages with more earnest, all the time unaware that the stalker, a mysterious hooded figure, has murdered his roommate Devon.

Jake discovers messages from Rob on Keren's phone and the two argue, causing her to further worry and assume that his concerns are due to non-compliance with his meds. He continues the fight later when he discovers Rob at a party, during which he pushes Keren. Upset, Jake leaves the party and is swiftly abducted by his stalker and two other hooded figures, one of whom begins to drain his blood. An attempt to free himself is only momentarily successful and results in the death of a gas station clerk and a group of teenagers who happened to drive up. Jake is then killed by the figures, who dump his body and graffiti a smiley face. Devon's death is eventually discovered and it's generally believed that Jake murdered him. The film ends with the hooded figures stalking their next victim.

Cast

Production

In October 2017, production was announced to have begun. Ronen Rubinstein was cast in the lead role and Crispin Glover in a supporting role, with Tim Hunter directing a screenplay by Bret Easton Ellis.[1]

Release

Smiley Face Killers was released on video on demand, DVD and Blu-ray on December 4, 2020.[2]

Reception

Smiley Face Killers holds a rating of 44% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on nine reviews.[3]

Marketing

On October 8, 2020, the official poster and trailer for the film were unveiled by Lionsgate.[4] Ronen Rubinstein expressed his frustration towards the studio's approach to the marketing and apparent lack of support for the film.[5] Following a month-long dispute with the studio, Trenton Ryder confirmed on Twitter the film's social marketing assets were back in his control after being removed ahead of the film's release.[6]

References

  1. ^ McNary, Dave (7 October 2017). "Film News Roundup: Crispin Glover, Ronen Rubinstein to Star in Horror Movie 'Smiley Face Killers'". Variety.com. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  2. ^ "Crispin Glover and Ronen Rubinstein Star in SMILEY FACE KILLERS". Broadway World. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  3. ^ "Smiley Face Killers". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  4. ^ "Trailer for Smiley Face Killers Reveals New Slasher Villains". 8 October 2020.
  5. ^ Rubinstein, Ronen [@RonenRubinstein] (December 14, 2020). "The Marketing for #SmileyFaceKillers has been, how do you say...💩. If it wasn't for the #BestFansInTheWorld no one would have been able to appreciate it. I cant thank you enough ! Please continue to leave Reviews and Ratings on Rotten 🍅, iTunes, Amazon, IMDB, etc. THANK YOU !" (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021 – via Twitter.
  6. ^ Ryder, Trenton [@trendsryder] (January 8, 2021). "sending this tweet made me hella emo. i will not lie. https://t.co/VPXsxyyAST" (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021 – via Twitter.
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