The Smile Man review: Sarath Kumar's film fails to realise its full potential

A serial killer on the loose. The killer has a pattern – he/she brutally maims the target, leaving them with a gory smiling face. Enter a high-ranking police officer diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, who has only one year before his memory fades forever. Now, this is a story that has the potential to be developed into a high-octane thriller with twists and turns. But, does Sarath Kumar’s 150th film, The Smile Man, live up to expectations? Let’s find out!

Chidambaram Nedumaran (Sarath Kumar), a CBCID officer, is recuperating from an injury. To make matters worse, he’s been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and has just one year left to preserve his memories. Before his injury, he was involved in the investigation of The Smile Man case. While he is trying to adapt to his new lifestyle with memory loss, a series of similar killings take place, forcing Chidambaram to reopen the case.

This time, however, Chidambaram must battle his declining health while investigating the case to unmask the killer. Why was the Smile Man case closed before his injury? Is there anything more than what meets the eye? Who is the killer, and what is their motive?

Director duo Syam and Praveen’s The Smile Man has a solid story at its core, though it might remind you of thrillers, Ratsasan and Por Thozhil. A serial killer story has a predictable template, but a film can stand out from the crowd because of the way the story and screenplay are treated. That way, The Smile Man is an illogical thriller that reeks of amateur making. The killer leaves a smiling scarred face on the victims and the pattern should ideally shock the audience. But, the poor prosthetic makeup hardly makes it look menacing.

Here’s the trailer:

The portrayal of journalists in The Smile Man is poor, anf the dialogue is one of the film’s biggest drawbacks. For example, the CBCID officer casually throws around words like ‘copycat killer’ without any solid basis. The reasons given are so futile that it forces you to not take the characters seriously.

The killer’s face is hidden for half of the film, and when it is eventually revealed, it fails to deliver any excitement. Similarly, the killer’s motive and his backstory are told and not shown. The justification hardly makes sense and one could spot a lot of logical loopholes.

TThe film’s music tries to evoke emotions but falls flat. Before each murder, a growl indicates what’s coming, and before the killer strikes, the music warns you. This removes the element of surprise, which is crucial to a good thriller.

Sarath Kumar is the only actor who gives his all in an attempt to salvage this poorly executed story. The rest of the performances, except for those by George Maryan and Kalaiyarasan, make little impact.

The Smile Man is a lost opportunity considering the potential it showed. If only the screenplay had been handled better, the film could have had a much stronger impact.

2 out of 5 stars for The Smile Man.