When looking for movies like Smile, Parker Finn's clever 2022 debut, horror fans might recall Truth or Dare, which was released in 2018. Many of Blumhouse's films offer fun, fresh takes on classic horror elements like ghosts, haunted houses, and masked killers. However, there is a lackluster movie in each Blumhouse franchise, and some originals are disappointing as well. Truth or Dare is a fairly silly story about college student Olivia Barron (Lucy Hale) and her friends who are forced into playing a deadly version of the well-known game. Smile focuses on Dr. Rose Cotter's (Sosie Bacon) past trauma as she begins seeing terrifying grins everywhere.
Still, when looking for movies like Smile, Blumhouse's Truth or Dare does have some elements in common with Finn's first feature-length horror film.
The Best Blumhouse Horror Movies & Where To Watch Them
How to catch the greatest scares from the production house known for its low budget and creative horror.
Smile Is Weirdly Similar To Blumhouse's Truth Or Dare
Both Feature A Creepy Smiling Demon
Smile and Truth or Dare have one main plot point in common: they both have an eerie demon who grins at people in a way that will make anyone's skin crawl. While there are many scary smiles in horror movies, anytime Rose sees someone grinning at her in Smile, it's truly unnerving.
As Rose's patient Laura Weaver (Caitlin Stasey) tells her at the beginning of the movie:
"It's smiling at me. But not a friendly smile. It's the worst smile I've ever seen in my life. And whenever I see it, I just get this god-awful feeling like something really terrible is going to happen. I've never felt scared like I do when I see it."
Although Truth or Dare can be considered one of the worst 2010s horror movies, the moments when Olivia Barron (Lucy Hale) breaks out into a huge, terrifying smile are unsettling. Truth or Dare isn't scary like Smile is, though, although the characters are in a bleak world that they can't leave once the game begins. As Carter (Landon Liboiron) tells Olivia:
"The game is real! Wherever you go, whatever you do it will find you."
The Smile demon's true form should show other horror filmmakers what is possible because it is a genuinely haunting villain. Although the demon in Truth or Dare might not be as well-crafted, it's still fairly effective. The main characters are in different situations, as Rose deals with trauma and Olivia is facing less serious friendship and dating problems. Still, Truth or Dare is an entertaining watch when horror fans want movies like Smile.
Both Feature A Curse That Follows People Everywhere
When looking for movies like Smile, Truth or Dare stands out because both movies have curses that follow the main characters wherever they go. By the eerie end of Smile, Rose can't escape the darkness that has surrounded her. The demon's true form goes into Rose's body, she is lit on fire, and she gives the curse to Joel (Kyle Gallner). In Truth or Dare, Olivia and her friend group learn that they have to follow the game's dark instructions or they will die.
|
Smile Director |
Parker Finn |
|---|---|
|
Writer |
Parker Finn |
|
Cast Members |
Sosie Bacon, Kyle Gallner, Jessie T. Usher, Rob Morgan, Kai Penn |
|
Release Date |
September 30th, 2022 (United States) |
|
Runtime |
115 minutes |
|
Rotten Tomatoes Score |
79% |
|
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
77% |
|
Where To Watch |
Amazon Prime Video |
There is one key difference between these two curses, though. While Rose is terrified throughout Smile because she doesn't know what is happening to her, Olivia and her friends in Truth or Dare figure out what's going on much sooner.
The Curse In Both Movies Needs To Be Passed Onto Others
Truth or Dare can be added to the list of movies like Smile because both horror movies have bleak curses that seem like they will never end. Sosie Bacon gave one of the strongest 2022 horror performances as she ensured that Rose's story was an emotional, complex, and layered one about not being able to break the cycle of trauma. In Truth or Dare, the famous party game continues because players need to find other people to take on the burden.
|
Truth Or Dare Director |
Jeff Wadlow |
|---|---|
|
Writers |
screenplay by Michael Reisz, Jillian Jacobs, Chris Roach, Jeff Wadlow story by Michael Reisz |
|
Cast Members |
Lucy Hale, Violett Beane, Hayden Szeto, Landon Liboiron, Tyler Posey |
|
Release Date |
April 13th, 2018 (United States |
|
Runtime |
100 minutes |
|
Rotten Tomatoes Score |
15% |
|
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
23% |
|
Where To Watch |
Fubo |
What Are Other Movies Like Smile?
While fans wonder if a Smile sequel could top the first one's success, there's plenty of time to watch other movies like Smile while waiting for a second film. There are several horror movies that fans should check out, including:
- It Follows (2014)
- Sinister (2012)
- IT (2017)
- Drag Me To Hell (2009)
- The Grudge (2004)
- The Ring (2002)
- Insidious franchise (2010-present)
Some of these horror movies have characters with eerie grins. For instance, Pennywise from the 2017 adaptation of Stephen King's novel IT smiles at the children in Derry, Maine before manipulating them to come down into the sewer. While some Stephen King movies made big changes, thankfully Pennywise is just as scary in both versions.
When looking for horror movies like Smile, fans will want to find films about curses, which is where The Ring, The Grudge, and It Follows fit in. Sinister and Insidious are also great haunted house horror movies that feature main characters whose lives are turned upside down by the dangerous presence in what is supposed to be a safe, happy place.