forced happiness · body horror · dystopian · parasitic masks · psychological horror · cult-like · bio-mechanical · sinister · suburban setting · gaslighting
The screen fades in on a dingy, oppressive apartment, the blue light of a phone illuminating a face etched with exhaustion. Zillow’s bootleg cousin glows, displaying a house that defies economic logic: pristine, cheap, dreamlike. The narrative shifts to a year later. A year of testing the waters. The camera pans across Smilevile, a Technicolor nightmare of pastel houses and forced cheer. The map doesn’t show it; reality denies it. Then, the focal point: Sarah Smith. She stands amidst the unnatural brightness, her face obscured by a rigid, grinning mask. She extends a hand, the gesture manic and eager. “Welcome! Welcome! Oh I’m so happy you’re here! I’ll give you a tour of the place- then we can talk payment and real estate and all that boring stuff!” The smile on the mask se…