The question of whether the 2022 horror film Smile is based on a true story has been the subject of much speculation among fans of the genre. While the film’s plot, which follows a therapist who becomes the target of a deadly curse after witnessing a patient’s suicide, is entirely fictional, it does draw inspiration from real-life events and psychological phenomena.
One of the most striking aspects of Smile is its exploration of the concept of contagious fear. The film’s antagonist, a mysterious entity known as “the Smiling Man,” is able to spread its curse through eye contact, causing its victims to experience terrifying visions and ultimately take their own lives. This idea is rooted in real-world research on the psychology of fear, which has shown that fear can be transmitted from person to person through facial expressions and other nonverbal cues.
