Smiley Face Killers

While it has its fair share of suspense and utterly creepy moments, Smiley Face Killers gets bogged down by too much collegiate drama. After a succession of animal cruelty, mysterious kidnappings, and dead bodies washing ashore, the movie settles in to following the routine of the lead character, Jake, who likes to ride his bike around campus, play soccer, and hang out with his girlfriend. He's also struggling with mental illness, and it puts a strain on his ability to be a good boyfriend, loyal friend, and dedicated soccer player. The movie goes to great lengths to establish all of this, even with the ever-present threat of smartphone ringtone jump scares, and a disturbing saggy-mouthed Crispin Glover lurking in the darkness of Jake's apartment with a hammer. The college routines and drama go on a little too long, and while the movie makes an earnest attempt to convey Jake's struggles with mental illness, this story thread also goes on a little too long, especially since the movie is ostensibly supposed to be about serial murderers.

The movie was written by Bret Easton Ellis, and directed by Tim Hunter, who was involved in two classics of teens run amok -- Over the Edge and River's Edge. Perhaps one of the problems of trying to realistically convey 21st century youth is that it requires smartphones, and smartphones aren't really that interesting on-screen, as opposed to direct action. The third act delivers on what's hinted at in the film's first few minutes, even if the denouement comes across as cheesy as a true-crime Lifetime movie. This payoff of the third act is there and appropriately bizarre, but this payoff doesn't entirely justify the slow journey to get there. Of course, it's common to build suspense in horror movies, with jump scares and near-death building up to the proverbial bloody third act, but the middle here most often feels less like a build-up of suspense and more like hanging out with college students on a seemingly uneventful weekday afternoon.