2AM: The Smiling Man

The simple premise is very relatable and enough to cause chills to run down anyone's spine: A man casually walks down an empty street sidewalk, late at night. He sees another person on the sidewalk, dressed a little oddly, and behaving very strangely. It's inherently unnerving, to be alone and faced with a peculiar sight. Exponentially more so if that other person decides to in any way engage with us.

Despite the grabbing uneasiness of the scenario, my suspension of disbelief was immediately tested when I realized that the only thing missing from the short to turn it into an uproarious comedy would have been the overlay of John Philip Sousa's march, "The Liberty Bell." I'm sure the Ministry of Silly Walks would approve of the Smiling Man's whimsical gait.

The fact that '2AM: The smiling man' is one small step away from being the opposite of what is intended doesn't necessarily speak well to its construction. And to that point, I'm torn on whether Matt Hanks' ominous music here lends credibility to the horror short, or is just a hint too overbearing, weakening what it could be without any music at all. I'm also inclined to think the final shot is too much of an "aha!" moment, lessening the impact; the Smiling Man's continous, inexorable approach would have been far more excruciating a conclusion, in my mind.

Still, it's suitably creepy, thanks largely to the off-putting visage that Paul Foltz gives the titular character. The success of this short is in our capability of relating to the "roamer" (Sean Simon), out for a simple stroll when the unexpected sight greets him. Our imaginations run wild, making us secretly dread the next time we have to step outside at night to so much as put out the trash.

I like this well enough. I'm just torn because it also sits on a fine line of nearly falling apart.

I am aware that this is based on some sort of creepypasta- internet-related type thing, but, when completely separated from all that, this is an extremely effective, if extremely brief horror short. The running time is slim and the creepiness is aplenty; the best way to create horror is to, at first, create some sort of mystery, and allow the mystery to naturally unfold before the real "horror" truly starts kicking, which is what this movie does almost perfectly. It has flaws (the final jumpscare was much less compelling than it wanted to be), but its quality outshines them all and creates a very engaging and quick little horror story that is sure to get even the bravest viewers at least slightly weirded out by its off putting visuals and concept.

This horror short leans toward the realistic side of the genre. While the eerie man our protagonist encounters on a dark, empty street does have a disturbingly creepy smile, it's his otherwise awkward behavior that stands out more. These days, it's not uncommon to run into someone intoxicated or high who acts in a similarly unsettling way.

That said, we can assume there's something more going on here-likely a supernatural element-but the film still feels grounded in the kind of encounter that could realistically happen late at night. And horror doesn't always need to be supernatural; it's terrifying enough when a strange, erratic man starts following you through the dark.

The protagonist's acting was solid, though I think they could have done more with the makeup or styling of the smiling man to make him appear more frightening.

Brilliant, simple, and straight to the point. This was great and it left me with fear chills. I actually had a few nightmares for a week after watching this. This was an extraordinary short film, and the actors were great.

This is a super simple story. A man encounters a disturbing man while walking at night. The acting is wonderful for both characters. The story is short, but the perfect length.

The best part is the creepy, menacing nature of the smiling man. I highly recommend this one for fans of short horror. A classic.