Originally made for Paramount+, Parker Finn‘s Smile was instead released into theaters and has scared up an incredible $215 million worldwide to date, a massive success for Paramount that’s sure to jumpstart Finn’s career here in the horror industry. But where did it all begin for the filmmaker? It was back in 2019 when Finn made the short film that became Smile.
Titled Laura Hasn’t Slept, that 11-minute short will be available on Smile‘s Blu-ray, and it has also been uploaded to YouTube by the official Paramount Entertainment Australia account.
Finn explains, “Laura Hasn’t Slept premiered at South by Southwest in 2020, and that’s where Paramount first saw it. This is the origin of everything that became Smile.”
Caitlin Stasey (Kindred Spirits) and Lew Temple (The Devil’s Rejects) star in Laura Hasn’t Slept, which begins with Stasey’s Laura explaining a recurring series of dreams to her therapist. She’s being pursued by a mysterious smiling man in her dreams, and soon Laura realizes that she may not actually be in a therapist’s office at all. She may be trapped in another nightmare…
The influence of A Nightmare on Elm Street can be felt in Smile but even more so in Laura Hasn’t Slept, which essentially plays out like an Elm Street short. There’s no Freddy Krueger here, of course, but rather Lew Temple’s Smiling Man, who’s eager to show Laura his true face. It’s an exceptionally well made horror short, showcasing Finn’s clear talents in the space.
Watch Laura Hasn’t Slept below and grab Smile on 4K & Blu-ray on December 13.
In Smile, “After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can’t explain. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality.”
The post ‘Laura Hasn’t Slept’ – Watch the Original Short Film That Became This Year’s ‘Smile’ [Video] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.