As a mental health advocate and someone who has personally grappled with the darker aspects of trauma and its impact on one’s mind, I find myself at odds with both “The Medium” and “Smile 2.” While they share similar themes of trauma as an insidious force, their approaches are vastly different.
This content may reveal spoilers for “Smile 2” and “The Medium.” It delves into sensitive topics such as child abuse, rape, and suicide, so viewer discretion is strongly advised.
Horror entertainment frequently tackles subjects that are hard to approach in other settings, as intense fear can compel audiences to grapple with challenging themes. For instance, body horror provokes thoughts about the bizarre aspects of our physical selves, monstrous entities challenge us to face our inner demons, and a haunted house may reveal the decay within one’s personal life. At present, trauma is a common theme in horror productions, but not every portrayal effectively conveys its impact.
Smile 2 and The Medium have similar messages
As a passionate admirer of storytelling, I find that at their heart, “Smile 2” and “The Medium” delve into the intricate ways trauma permeates through individuals and societies. Having immersed myself in both, it’s clear they share profound links, but let’s dissect them individually for a deeper understanding.
What is The Medium about?
Launched in 2021, “The Medium” is a psychological horror video game developed by Bloober Team. While it draws inspiration from the legendary series “Silent Hill“, its execution falls short of the brilliance that characterized those games. The story revolves around Marianne, a woman who has an inherent ability to communicate with spirits of the deceased. She embarks on a journey to an abandoned holiday resort to investigate a string of supernatural occurrences linked to her own enigmatic past. During this journey, she encounters a malevolent spirit known as The Maw, responsible for the brutal massacre that led to the closure of the resort by taking control of its victims and compelling them to kill one another. As the story unfolds, Marianne uncovers the shocking truth that The Maw originated from her sister, Lilianne.
Lilianne developed ‘The Maw’ as a result of her traumatic past, where Richard, a family acquaintance, abused her when she was young. It’s later shown that Richard wasn’t entirely to blame for his actions, as he too had been deeply scarred by prior trauma, leading him down a path of monstrous behavior, ultimately resulting in rape. ‘The Maw’ aims to overtake Marianne and harness her abilities, causing Lilianne to plead for death, believing that dying would prevent it from spreading further. Marianne wrestles with this decision, momentarily contemplating self-harm. In ‘The Medium’, the message seems to be “you can’t always rescue everyone,” a sentiment echoed in its title. The game concludes without revealing who Marianne ultimately shoots.
It can be reasonably inferred that the theme of The Medium implies that individuals who cannot overcome their traumas are destined to perish, and it’s acceptable for them to do so for the greater good. This is generally the interpretation many critics have drawn. YouTube creator BobVids passionately expressed this perspective in a captivating Twitter thread. The game explicitly portrays some people as unsalvageable, encourages empathy towards an abuser, and concludes with a clear implication that death is the answer for certain characters. This isn’t merely questionable or controversial; the game’s message veers close to immoral, according to Jade King writing for The Gamer.
The Medium seems to underestimate our potential for development and healing, and it ought to feel embarrassed for constructing a storyline based on such an unrealistic view of psychology and harmful presumptions concerning the process of overcoming cycles of abuse.
What is Smile 2 about?
In the sequel to ‘Smile 2’, the storyline doesn’t seem significantly cheerier than that of ‘The Medium’. The movie focuses on Skye Riley, a pop star who has fallen prey to the malevolent force at the heart of the ‘Smile’ franchise. This elusive demon is a singular menace with a set of distinct guidelines. In essence, the ‘Smile’ demon infects individuals who have experienced severe trauma. The host must have previously suffered a tragic loss of a loved one. The demon can contaminate a new victim by compelling its current host to commit suicide, thereby transferring the trauma onto the observer. Upon entry, this entity distorts perception, manipulates reality, and forces its victims to perform heinous acts on their loved ones. The only means of escape is to murder someone else in front of a witness, passing the infection onto the hapless bystander. ‘Smile 2’ commences with Joel, played by Kyle Gallner, the sole survivor from the initial film, attempting to kill someone to free himself from death, unintentionally infecting an innocent and meeting his end while fleeing. This chain of events culminates in Skye contracting the demon when her drug dealer perishes before her eyes.
Skye experiences the typical symptoms associated with a malevolent entity often referred to as the “Smile” demon. She perceives things that don’t exist, encounters problems due to her hallucinations, and grapples with the skepticism of her loved ones. After accepting the harsh truth, Skye encounters Morris, a man who proposes a solution. He suggests temporarily stopping her heart, hoping that the demon would abandon her lifeless body before Morris could revive her. However, this conversation, along with nearly half of the movie, is revealed to be a hallucination caused by the demon. Eventually, Skye finds herself on stage where she brutally takes her own life in front of thousands of horrified potential victims. Similar to The Medium, Smile and Smile 2 offer little solace or escape for victims, instead delivering only misery and death.
Why did Smile 2 feel so different?
The story “The Medium” drew criticism from many commentators regarding its message. On the other hand, “Smile 2” didn’t receive the same backlash, despite both portraying trauma as a malevolent entity that takes control of its victims, causing them to perform harmful acts. Both pieces suggest suicide as the only viable solution. However, it’s unclear whether the difference in response is solely due to the nature of the crimes depicted. “Smile” includes multiple murders, but avoids themes such as child abuse or sexual assault. It’s questionable if this alone justifies a clear distinction between the two works. “The Medium” leaves its ending ambiguous, while “Smile 2” conclusively states that Skye could not have prevented her fate, and her efforts ultimately led to nothing but prolonged suffering for herself and pain for others. If “The Medium” can be interpreted as implying that the only remedy for trauma is death, could “Smile 2” be interpreted as suggesting that victims are destined to harm themselves and others?
Interestingly, what sets “Smile 2” apart from “The Medium” is the use of cruelty as a narrative device. In “Smile,” the plight of the characters is universally perceived as an unimaginable torment inflicted by an evil entity. This harshness, paradoxically, distances “Smile 2” from any intended message or moral. Instead, it presents itself as otherworldly.
The difference between The Medium and Smile 2 is in intention. The best reading of The Medium would suggest that the writers came up with a grim ending for no other reason than shock value. Shock value, suffering, and constant panic are the stated goals of Smile 2. It’s rare that the desire to cause fear and emotional pain would make art less problematic, but that’s just how big a failure The Medium was.
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2024-10-26 21:04