Salil Das

The Smile Man (2024) isn’t your typical thriller—it’s got this weird, almost magnetic darkness that just sticks with you. Salil Das really doesn’t pull his punches, diving straight into the twisted psyche of the main character, who’s way more complicated than he first seems. The story follows a guy who’s obsessed—like, actually obsessed—with the idea of happiness, but not in some cheesy, motivational-poster way. Nah, this dude’s got a smile plastered on his face all the time, and it’s honestly creepy as hell. People start disappearing in his small town, and everyone’s on edge, but nobody wants to suspect the guy who’s always grinning and handing out compliments, right? As the plot unravels, you get all these hints about his past—childhood trauma, a lonely apartment, late-night conversations with himself in the mirror. It’s uncomfortable, but you can’t look away. The film messes with your head, making you question who’s actually sane and who’s just pretending. There’s a policewoman who starts connecting the dots, and her scenes with the Smile Man get seriously tense—like, you can feel your skin crawl. The cinematography? Disturbing in all the right ways. By the end, you’re left wondering whether the real danger is the Smile Man himself, or the way the whole town buys into his act. It’s bleak, stylish, and honestly? Kinda genius.