Horror Movies To Watch If You Love Smile

Smile kicked off the spooky season in 2022 as the horror film to beat, earning an amazing box office performance and high marks from critics. The film is based on its director and writer, Parker Finn's short film "Laura Hasn’t Slept." The movie’s signature motif, a haunting, cruel smile that stalks its victims, has swept across the Internet.

The perversion of a gesture of kindness into a sinister symbol of doom has fascinated horror fans and left an unforgettable impression on all. For those who loved Smile, here are some horror movies that deliver similar scares, themes, styles, and tones.

Updated October 31, 2023 by Collins Erasmus: When it comes to horror films, Smile is right up there with the best of them. However, if viewers are left wanting more painful and horrifying stories after leaving the theater, there is no shortage of horror films. These films transport viewers into terrifying worlds, complete with suspenseful plots, creepy settings, and terrifying atmospheres. During the Halloween season, viewers are on the lookout for scary films to watch with their families. The approaching holiday of Halloween means that people are looking for more scary films to watch.

14 Midsommar

July 3, 2019

• Running Time: 148 minutes
• Produced by: Square Peg, B-Reels Films, A24

This one-of-a-kind cinematic experience stands out thanks to its sunny, brightly colored horror atmosphere. After a tense few minutes into the movie, the rest is filled with moments of dark comedy, relationship drama, and fantastic folk horror.

In Midsommar, a group of friends visits a commune in Scandanavia. After a fun night of ecstasy and free love, the friends get shocked to see two elderly commune members commit ritual suicide by jumping off a cliff, after which the film takes one dark turn after another. Made by Ari Aster, Midsommar is one of the most bizarre, darkly comedic, and horrifying breakup movies ever made.

13 It Follows

March 3, 2015

• Running Time: 100 minutes
• Produced by: Northern Lights Films, Animal Kingdom, Two Flints

Smiles are in short supply in this chilling horror film about a supernatural entity that slowly but steadily makes its way toward its victim. “It” doesn’t make its presence known with any particular expression as Smile’s antagonist does, but it does invoke a similar sense of tension and suspense.

Viewers are forced to the edge of their seats as they scan the figures on the screen, wondering which one could be a monster hiding in plain sight. It Follows is currently available to stream on Netflix.

12 Hereditary

June 8, 2018

• Running Time: 127 minutes
• Produced by: A24, Palmstar Media, Finch Entertainment, Windy Hill Pictures

The events of Hereditary follow Annie and her househol. As they cope with the death of Annie's mother, they begin to experience strange and frightening happenings in their home and in their lives. Things look ominous for Annie and her family when she opens a box from her mother's house and finds it full of weird spiritual items.

Then, in perhaps the most shocking event ever, Annie's daughter Charlie tragically passes away. The horror that rips their souls comes from the ripple effect of Charlie's passing away, the family's loss, and Peter's guilt over his role in all of it.

11 Truth Or Dare

April 13, 2018

• Running Time: 100 minutes
• Produced by: Blumhouse Production

If Smile's eerie smiles delighted viewers, this movie is full of artificial smiles that are certain to cause similar unease. Truth or Dare centers on a group of college students whose night of playing the eponymous game takes a deadly turn when they realize a supernatural presence has hijacked the game.

An unearthly smirk overtakes the faces of people being used to challenge the players, to tell the truth, or to perform a dare. It's by far the scariest things about this movie. Truth or Dare is currently only available to rent or purchase.

10 Babadook

January 17, 2014

• Running Time: 94 minutes
• Produced by: Entertainment One, Smoking Gun Productions, Causeway Films

The Babadook, an Australian horror film that has become a cult classic, is one of the most well-known examples of its genre. A miserable mother named Amelia has an anxiety attack after being left to care for her challenging child after the death of her husband in this unsettling psychological horror film.

The titular creature in The Babadook is a symbol of trauma and sorrow. It is eventually revealed that the protagonists will never be able to kill or defeat it; instead, they will just have to learn to live with it. Anyone who has yet to see the film is in for an exciting journey, as it features numerous terrifying and unsettling scenes.

9 Umma

March 18, 2022

• Running Time: 83 minutes
• Produced by: Stage 6 Films, Raimi Productions, Starlight Media

Sandra Oh headlines in this grim film that touches on similar underlying themes in Smile, such as childhood trauma, abusive parenting, and family estrangement. Deriving its title from the Korean word for “mother,” the plot follows Oh’s character, Amanda, after she receives her late mother’s ashes.

Receiving her umma’s ashes triggers a series of supernatural occurrences, forcing Amanda to battle her umma’s influence on her both psychologically and physically, or risk following in her umma’s footsteps. Umma is currently available to stream on Netflix.

8 Scream

December 20, 1996

• Running Time: 111 minutes
• Produced by: Woods Entertainment, Dimension Films

Those who like horror classics and are looking for something new will enjoy the Scream remake. A new Ghostface killer, who has a connection to the previous killings in the series, systematically murders a group of teenagers in the fifth installment.

Whether or not viewers have seen the previous films in this iconic horror series, they owe it to themselves to see this latest installment because of how effectively it will scare them. While this film is not quite as terrifying as Smile, it is still certain to make the audience laugh.

7 Gothika

November 21, 2003

• Running Time: 98 minutes
• Produced by: Warner Bros., Columbia Pictures, Dark Castle Entertainment

The psychological and supernatural are so intertwined in this thriller flick that even the characters question whether it's their own diseased minds pulling the strings, or if there is something more unearthly at play. Halle Berry takes the lead as a prison psychiatrist, Miranda, who is convinced that a ghost possessed her and butchered her husband.

The rest of the world, however, is not so certain. Like Smile’ s victims, Miranda is written off as a lunatic, albeit one with homicidal tendencies. Gothika is currently only available to rent or purchase.

6 Polaroid

October 11, 2019

• Running Time: 88 minutes
• Produced by: Dimension Films, Eldorado Film, vertigo Entertainment, Benderspink

The supernatural horror movie, based on the director's short film of the same name, tells the tale of a polaroid camera with a murky past and a determination to murder anyone who has the misfortune of having their photograph developed by it.

Similar to Smile, the movie’s characters are immediately drawn into a deadly situation. They spend most of the runtime urgently trying to find a way to survive the fatal circumstances they have found themselves in. Polaroid is available to stream on STARZ.

5 Drag Me To Hell

May 29, 2009

• Running Time: 99 minutes
• Produced by: Ghost House Pictures

Like Smile’s protagonist, bank loan officer Christine must contend with a curse and discover how to circumvent its wrath after denying a mortgage extension to an elderly woman with a talent for dark magic and a nasty habit of holding grudges. Rather than merely ending her life early, Christine’s curse will damn her to hell for eternity.

Sam Raimi, the director of the Spider-Man trilogy and the famous Evil Dead series, co-wrote and directed the film, which won numerous film awards. Drag Me to Hell is available to stream on Peacock.