Smiley Face Killers (film)

Smiley Face Killers
File:Smiley face killers.jpg Film poster
Directed by	Tim Hunter
Produced by	Braxton Pope Bret Easton Ellis David M. Wulf
Written by	Bret Easton Ellis
Starring	Ronen Rubinstein Mia Serafino Crispin Glover
Music by	Kristin Kontrol
Cinematography	Michael Marius Pessah Jan Wielski
Edited by	Kristi Shimek
Production company	Grindstone Entertainment Group Highland Film Group DTLV Cinema Society Silver State Productions
Distributed by	Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Release dates	December 8, 2020 (2020-12-08)
Running time	96 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

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

• Ronen Rubinstein as Jake Graham
• Mia Serafino as Keren
• Crispin Glover as Hooded Figure
• Amadeus Serafini as Gabriel
• Ashley Rickards as Alana
• Garrett Coffey as Adam
• Cody Simpson as Rob
• Daniel Covin as Devon
• Gianna DiDonato as Liv
• Rachel Crowl as Woman Killer
• Daniel Dannas as Ryan Elliot
• Reese Mishler as Brandon Douglas
• Corey Prather as Paul Lader

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.

Release

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

Reception

Smiley Face Killers holds a rating of on Rotten Tomatoes, based on reviews.

Marketing

On October 8, 2020, the official poster and trailer for the film were unveiled by Lionsgate. Ronen Rubinstein expressed his frustration towards the studio's approach to the marketing and apparent lack of support for the film. 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.

External links

• Smiley Face Killers at IMDb