Film

Smile

Name: Smile
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Released: 2022
Cast: Sosie Bacon, Kyle Gallner, Jessie T. Usher, Robin Weigert, Caitlin Stasey

Other titles called Smile: the 1975 film.

Smile is a supernatural horror film about a psychiatrist who witnesses a patient's disturbing death and subsequently becomes haunted by an unseen entity that wears people's faces. It's a slow-burn psychological thriller that builds dread through the mundane, letting paranoia fester in ordinary moments. For viewers who prefer mood and atmosphere to jump scares, who want horror that lodges in your head rather than your spine.

TMDb rating

3.3

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like horror that works through dread and unsettling faces more than gore, and you enjoy a slow-building mystery where every odd moment feels like a clue you can't quite grab.

Skip it if you want a lean, fast scare machine; at nearly two hours it lingers on its psychological unease, and its jump scares are frequent enough to feel repetitive to some viewers.

What it asks of you: Settle in for a little under two hours of gradual, mounting unease, with patience for long stretches of tension before the film tips into its more frightening set pieces.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Hereditary2018

Ari Aster's masterpiece of generational trauma expressed through supernatural horror. It builds unbearable tension through intimate family scenes, then detonates. Devastating and genuinely visionary.

But Extremely bleak, contains graphic violence involving children, and some may find the third act philosophy overshadows character momentum.

It Follows2015

A shapeshifter that wears people's faces (metaphorically, then literally) hunts victims who can't see it coming. Gorgeous cinematography, minimal dialogue, maximum dread. Pure structural brilliance.

But The plotting is occasionally thin and the ending deliberately refuses catharsis in ways some find unsatisfying rather than poignant.

The Machinist2004

Christian Bale at his most gaunt and haunted, playing a man unraveling through insomnia and guilt. Claustrophobic, paranoid, and deeply unsettling. Masterclass in slow psychological deterioration.

But Bleak to the point of numbing; very little relief or warmth. Bale's physical condition is so extreme it can distract from the story.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Smile

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Night House2021

Both explore how trauma and paranoia warp perception, making it impossible to trust what you're seeing. The haunting is inseparable from the protagonist's fractured mental state.

A widow begins discovering disturbing secrets about her late husband while staying in their isolated home. Deeply human grief wrapped in genuine supernatural terror—emotional anchor makes the scares land. Rebecca Hall is extraordinary.

But The grief-processing narrative can feel overly familiar; the horror elements sometimes compete with the character study rather than complementing it.

Bug2007

William Friedkin's chamber piece about paranoia metastasizing between two people trapped in a motel room. Intimate, suffocating, funny-dark, and genuinely disturbing. A cult classic that rewards rewatching.

But Confined setting with two actors for two hours; intensely claustrophobic. The paranoia spiral can feel tedious if you're not locked in.

The Innocents1961

Ambiguous ghost story (or psychological breakdown?) about a governess protecting two children. Beautifully shot, masterfully paced, and the ambiguity is the whole point—reality splinters.

But Slow and restrained by modern standards. The horror is suggested rather than shown, which some experience as atmospheric brilliance and others as nothing happening.

The Babadook2014

An entity that might be supernatural or might be grief and maternal rage given form. Gorgeously composed Australian horror with real emotional stakes beneath the scares. Intelligent and haunting.

But The second half leans into allegory in ways that soften the horror element; protagonist can be frustrating. Some feel the metaphor overwhelms the scares.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle2019

Shirley Jackson's tale of a woman possibly harboring dark secrets, possibly cursed, definitely unwell. Unsettling atmosphere, Taissa Farmiga's controlled performance, and moral ambiguity throughout.

But Plot is minimal; it's all mood and character study. If you need narrative momentum or clear answers, this will feel like a chore.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle poster

Under the Skin2014

Scarlett Johansson as an alien predator in Scotland. Hypnotic, alien, strange. More art-house than horror, but deeply uncanny and visually extraordinary.

But Deliberately obscure, minimal dialogue, demands active attention. Slower than slow; some experience it as pretentious or boring rather than profound.

Saint Maud2020

A care worker becomes obsessed with her patient in ways that blur into delusion or supernatural possession. British, intimate, quietly horrifying. Rose Glass's debut is confident and creepy.

But Very slow-paced indie horror with a small budget. The lack of conventional scares and ambiguous reality can frustrate viewers seeking clear answers.

Three Colors: Red1994

Both films are about witnessing something you shouldn't, then becoming entangled in forces beyond your control. Both suggest reality operates by rules you can't see.

Kieślowski's meditative final film about coincidence, voyeurism, and invisible connections between strangers. Gorgeously composed, philosophically rich, completely unlike mainstream horror but structurally hypnotic.

But Not a thriller—it's a slow, philosophical character study in disguise. Absolutely no scares; demands contemplation rather than thrills. European arthouse pacing.

Come True2020

Both are about the body becoming a betrayal—experiencing horror you can't explain or communicate to others. Medical contexts hiding something unknowable and spreading.

Sleep study subject begins experiencing terrifying manifestations. Synthesizer score, monochromatic cinematography, understated acting. Strange, hypnotic, genuinely creepy sci-fi-horror that predicts modern paranoia.

But Extremely experimental in form; the ending is deliberately cryptic and unsatisfying. If you need plot clarity and conventional narrative, this will infuriate you.