How to Watch the Smile Movies In Order
The Smile franchise is rooted in psychological horror, blending supernatural elements with deeply unsettling visuals and a pervasive sense of dread. The franchise originated from the short film Laura Hasn't Slept by Parker Finn, which served as a foundation for the first Smile film. Following the upcoming release of its second installment, the Smile film series is one of modern horror’s freshest franchises.
The first Smile installment stars Sosie Bacon as Dr. Rose Cotter, a psychiatrist who begins experiencing horrifying, supernatural occurrences after witnessing a traumatic patient suicide. The central curse involves people smiling ominously before meeting a gruesome end, with the terror spreading from one victim to another. The film’s unsettling premise and disturbing imagery were well-received by audiences, turning it into a box-office hit and marking it as one of the more unique horror films of the year.
Given the immense success of Smile, a sequel was greenlit, set for release in 2024. Smile 2 expands upon the eerie premise established in the first movie, delving deeper into the origins of the curse and potentially following new characters who are haunted by it. Featuring the same curse from the first film but with a new cast of characters, Smile 2 revolves around a globally famous popstar (played by Naomi Riley). However, Kyle Gallner reprises his role as the police officer Joel from the first movie.
Does the Smile franchise include a short film?
The idea for the first Smile movie came from Parker Finn’s 2020 short film Laura Hasn’t Slept. Much like other modern horrors like Mama and Lights Out, the success of this short led to the development of a full-fledged horror movie. While Laura Hasn’t Slept isn’t directly connected to the Smile movies, it can be watched as a companion piece with the first film. The short centers around a woman named Laura, who seeks the help of her therapist to escape from a nightmarish entity that haunts her dreams.
How to watch the Smile movies in release order
Considering there aren’t many movies in the franchise so far, the release order to watch the Smile movies is the same as their chronological order. The list below shows you how to watch all the Smile movies in this order.
