Smiley Face: finally, a stoner comedy for the girls who get overstimulated at the supermarket
Gregg Araki’s comedy-of-errors film stars Anna Faris trying to complete everyday tasks in an astronomical state of high.It’s downright terrifyingIt’s hard not to feel a strange sense of kinship with each of the hapless heroines played by Anna Faris.Though she’s generally underrated, her signature blend of anything-for-a-laugh slapstick and absurdism makes her an adorkable standout in every project.While she has been praised for some of her work (The House Bunny, Scary Movie), her portrayal of an empty-headed LA stoner in Gregg Araki’s 2007 comedy Smiley Face remains an unsung triumph.Landing three years after Araki’s dark, critically acclaimed drama Mysterious Skin, Smiley Face was a left turn: a stoner comedy following the mishaps of perpetually buzzed, often unemployed economics student-turned-actor, Jane.
After unwittingly consuming an entire plate of weed-laced cupcakes made by her terrifying roommate Steve (an unfortunate appearance by Danny Masterson), Jane stumbles into an astronomical state of high – and bravely embarks on a mission to attend an audition, pay an overdue power bill, repay her weed dealer and then rebake Steve’s cupcakes,Or, as the movie puts it, attempt to get from “point A to point Z”,But of course she fumbles her way into failure at every turn – so spectacularly that one could even describe her feats of stupidity as herculean,It is marvellous,Smiley Face was fairly well received on release but didn’t exactly reinvigorate cannabis cinema.
But in 2026 this specific type of raunchy 00s dumbness feels magically nostalgic, especially after the ensuing decades’ waves of gritty seriousness,If anything, the unabashed silliness of Smiley Face has only gotten better with age,In true Faris fashion, Jane is frustratingly endearing,She partakes in all the usual stoner tropes: eating too much food, having random spurts of erudite observations, and possessing a laissez-faire attitude to addiction,But she’s also the most manic of all the manic pixie dream girls of her time: simultaneously enchanting and unhinged.
As in most Araki productions, tragedy is never far from the surface.The film hints at an existential crisis bubbling within Jane’s psyche, from which weed might be a means of escape.She experiences bouts of depression, mentions dashed academic dreams and clearly lacks a support network; the only person she can rely on is a friend of Steve’s who is inexplicably infatuated with her (John Krasinski).This vague sadness makes Jane all the more likable, despite her glaring incompetence.What makes Smiley Face unique compared with its (predominantly male) stoner siblings is that Jane is a solo (mis)adventurer.
Cheech had Chong, Harold had Kumar, and even Seth Rogen teamed up with James Franco and Danny McBride for Pineapple Express – but Jane doesn’t have a pothead pal to help her along, and everyone around her is sober as a judge.Perhaps more importantly, Jane’s cannabis caper isn’t the whimsical romp of your typical stoner comedy – it’s downright terrifying.Noises are far too loud, social cues are missed, paranoia is at an all-time high, and a trip to the dentist is akin to being trapped in a sensory nightmare.Finally, a stoner comedy for the girls who get overstimulated at the supermarket!Two decades after its release, Smiley Face is yet to achieve the cult classic label it deserves, remaining mostly confined to the niche corners of stoner cinema.But Faris did end up winning High Times magazine’s “Stonnette of the Year” for her role; a marker of success from the audience who have appreciated Smiley Face for the gem it truly is.
Smiley Face is available to stream in Australia on 7plus and in the US on Prime Video and Tubi.For more recommendations of what to stream in Australia, click here
Sony to hike PS5 prices by $100 as AI and Iran war push up memory chip costs
Sony is raising global prices of its PlayStation 5 consoles, including a $100 increase in the US, marking its second hike in less than a year as the entertainment giant grapples with rising costs of key components such as memory chips.The tech industry’s race to build out artificial intelligence infrastructure has pushed memory makers to favor higher-margin datacenter chips, tightening supply for consumer devices like the ones Sony sells.The updated US prices, effective 2 April, will put the standard PS5 at $649.99, up from $549.99
Human rights groups cheer ‘watershed’ verdict in social media addiction trial
The verdict in a landmark social media trial that Meta and YouTube deliberately designed addictive products has sparked calls for reform across borders. International human rights and tech freedom groups issued statements after the decision, praising jurors for holding social media companies accountable for harms to children and urging tech giants to change their design features to ensure children are safe.Amnesty International said in a statement on Thursday that “this court decision is clear: these platforms are unsafe by design and meaningful change is urgently needed”.The day prior, a Los Angeles jury found both Meta and YouTube liable for intentionally creating platforms that hooked a young user and led to her being harmed. The six-week trial was one of more than 20 “bellwether” trials that are expected to go to court in the next few years
Record investment in quantum computing talent | Letter
Dr Simon Williams (Letters, 19 March) writes that ambition in quantum computing cannot succeed without sustained investment in people and fundamental science. He is correct on that point, but wrong to say that UK’s investment plans risk losing quantum computing talent.The UK’s advantageous position in quantum has only emerged through sustained long-term public investment from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and partners into fundamental physics research projects, and the best people, infrastructure and partnerships. It is through this that the UK is poised to reap the benefits of the quantum revolution.In the last 10 years, UKRI’s councils have made investments in physics research, supporting hundreds of academics and building the foundation for where we are today
What are the rules on cryptocurrency donations to UK political parties?
Ministers are introducing a temporary ban in cryptocurrency donations following an official review.Philip Rycroft, a former senior civil servant, made the recommendation as part of a review into countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics.Rycroft said the moratorium would allow regulators to catch up, although a full ban was not deemed necessary. Nonetheless, “there is a risk that crypto assets are used as a vehicle to channel in foreign money”, he said.Donations of crypto assets – such as bitcoin, stablecoins and non-fungible tokens – to political parties are not illegal, although the moratorium will put these on hold
Google warns quantum computers could hack encrypted systems by 2029
Banks, governments and technology providers need to be prepared for quantum computer hackers capable of breaking most existing encryption systems by 2029, Google has warned.The tech company said in a blogpost that quantum computers would pose a “significant threat to current cryptographic standards” before the end of the decade and urged other companies to follow its lead.The company, owned by Alphabet, said: “The encryption currently used to keep your information confidential and secure could easily be broken by a large-scale quantum computer in coming years.”As it stands, quantum computers – which can rapidly carry out complex tasks – are a nascent technology with great potential and significant obstacles to being widely usable.Google, Microsoft and universities across the UK and the US are in the midst of building systems that harness the physics of quantum mechanics to perform extremely sophisticated mathematical calculations
Starmer vows to tackle social media’s ‘addictive features’ to protect children
Keir Starmer has said he will tackle “addictive features” in social media amid increasing signs the UK government is preparing to crack down on risks to children after a US court verdict that held Meta and YouTube responsible for harms caused by designing addictive technology.The prime minister said the verdict in a California court signalled a rising public expectation for more aggressive regulation and said: “I’m absolutely clear that we need to go further.”“The status quo isn’t good enough,” he said. “We need to do more to protect children. That’s why we’re consulting about issues such as banning social media for under-16s
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