Smile hit the cinemas in 2022 and was directed by Parker Finn. The psycho-horror movie is based on the director’s short film- “Laura Hasn’t Slept”, which was released in 2020. The movie cast includes Sosie Bacon in the lead role alongside Meghan Brown, Kyle Gallner, Caitlin Stasey, Jessie T. Usher, Rob Morgan, Kal Penn, Robin Weigert, Judy Reyes, and Gillian Zinser in other supporting roles.
The movie is centered around a therapist (Sosie Bacon) who witnesses a sequence of baffling occurrences when one of her patient suicides. This leads to the therapist questioning herself and believing that she is seeing supernatural things. The movie has been well-praised by critics, especially the performances of the actors and the film’s sudden scary scenes. All in all, the movie is recommended for anyone looking for a creepy movie night.
Movies Like Smile
Here are 30 movies like Smile that will scare the hell out of the viewers
It Follows
It Follows is a globally popular movie which released in 2014 and was directed by David Robert Mitchell. Maika Monroe starred in the movie in the lead role, with Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Lili Sepe, and Olivia Luccardi in supportive roles.
The movie was critically acclaimed for its originality and the performance of the cast. The film’s plot follows a girl who is being followed by an abnormal entity after she engages in sexual intercourse with her boyfriend. She comes to know that the only way to get rid of the supernatural entity is by mating with another person, thereby making the new person the target of the entity; crazy, right?
The movie is a must-watch, as it is sure as hell does feel creepy being followed by some person who wants to kill you. The movie is available to watch on Prime Video.
Truth or Dare
Directed by Jeff Wadlow, Truth or Dare starred Lucy Hale, Tyler Posey, Violett Beane, Hayden Szeto, Sophia Taylor Ali, and Landon Liboiron in the leading roles. The movie was released in 2018 and was a hit at the box office.
The movie is focused on a group of friends who are tempted to play a game of truth or dare, only to grasp it later that the game has severe consequences as the ones who lie after choosing the truth or don’t follow the dare end up dead due to mysterious reasons.
Umma
Umma was released in 2022 and was directed by Iris K. Shim. The film’s plot revolves around Amanda, who lives with her daughter on a farm where both are haunted by the ghost of her mother.
Sandra Oh, Fivel Stewart, Dermot Mulroney, Odeya Rush, Tom Yi, and MeeWha Alana Lee starred in the film as the major characters. The movie received mixed reviews from critics, as the performances of the cast and the movie’s plot were praised.
Gothika
Gothika was released in 2003 and was directed by Mathieu Kassovitz. The movie starred Halle Berry in the titular role, alongside Robert Downey Jr., Penélope Cruz, Charles S. Dutton, John Carroll Lynch, and Bernard Hill in other important roles.
The movie was a big hit at the box office and was even nominated for many awards and won several of them, including the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie- Thriller.
The film’s story focuses on a psychiatrist who wakes up in a mental institution with a murder charge. But that’s not all, as the viewers get to know that the psychiatrist doesn’t remember a single instance of the murder she is accused of. The movie is a must-watch and will keep the audience entertained but in a creepy way.
Polaroid
Directed by Lars Klevberg, Polaroid hit the cinemas in 2019. The film is based on the life of a high school student who comes across a timeless polaroid camera. The student gradually realizes that the polaroid is evil(whatever that means), as anyone who gets their picture clicked by it dies tragically.
Kathryn Prescott, Grace Zabriskie, Tyler Young, Javier Botet, Samantha Logan, Madelaine Petsch, Priscilla Quintana, Mitch Pileggi, and a few others starred in the film. The movie will surely creep the hell out of the viewers, hence recommended to watch it when alone.
Drag Me To Hell
Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao, and David Paymer played the major characters in Drag Me to Hell. The film was released in 2009 and was directed by Sam Raimi.
The movie was a success at the box office and was also absolutely adored by the critics. The film was lauded for its screenplay and even won the Best Horror film award at the Scream Awards in 2010.
The movie’s plot revolves around a loan officer who has to prove it to her boss that she can make hard decisions. But hell breaks loose when she refuses to provide an extension on loan for an old lady, which leads to the old lady placing a massive curse on the loan officer.
The Purge franchise
The Purge kickstarted its campaign with the release of the original movie “The Purge” in 2013. Created by James DeMonaco, the series is inspired by Star Trek: The Original Series-“The Return of the Archons”. There are five movies in total, with the latest one released in 2021. A TV series of the franchise with the same name is also available for the users to binge.
The movies in the franchise are centered on a crime-free timeline in the future in America, where the country has a national holiday called “The Purge”, where all crimes are permitted for a single day, even murder. A must-watch movie series for anyone looking to bite their nails and being creeped out at the same time.
The franchise has been praised for its concept, the performances of the actors throughout the movies, and the action sequences. It is also safe to say that the franchise has been a hit at the box office as the franchise has grossed over $450 million compared to the production cost of $53 million combined for all movies.
The Ring
The Ring is a globally popular horror movie, which was directed by Gore Verbinski. Hitting the cinemas in 2002, the film is a remake of a Japanese horror movie- “Ring”, which was based on a novel by Koji Suzuki.
The movie revolves around a journalist who is investigating an alleged ‘cursed’ videotape that, as reported, kills the viewers exactly seven days after watching it. The movie received very positive reviews from critics, especially the visuals and the performance of the cast.
The cast of the film includes Naomi Watts, David Dorfman, Martin Henderson, Daveigh Chase, Brian Cox, Shanon Cochran, Jane Alexander, and Lindsay Frost as the leading characters, along with a few others. The movie also enjoyed a good run at the box office, and a sequel to the original movie was also released in 2005, with another one released in 2017. The series is a must-watch as it offers an experience like no other.
Goodnight Mommy
Goodnight Mommy was directed by Matt Sobel and released in 2022 on Prime Video. The movie starred Naomi Watts, Cameron Crovetti, and Nicholas Crovetti in the lead roles Peter Hermann, Crystal Lucas-Perry, and Jeremy Bobb in the supporting roles.
The movie received positive reviews from critics as the screenplay, the direction, and the performances of the characters were just too good. The movie is a remake of a 2014 movie sharing the same name of Austrian origins.
The film focuses on twin brothers who suspect their mother is not the same who went to surgery and believed that their mother was switched with some other person and the situations that arise due to their suspicions. The movie definitely feels creepy and will keep the audience making sure that all doors are locked.
The Invisible Man
Leigh Whannell got inspired by the popular novel- The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells and directed this masterpiece. The movie was released in 2020 and received very good feedback from the critics while also being a hit at the box office.
The movie starred Elisabeth Moss in the lead role and Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Harriet Dyer, Michael Dorman, and Oliver Jackson-Cohen in other significant roles alongside Renee Lim, Nicholas Hope, Nash Edgerton, Anthony Brandon Wong, and Benedict Hardie in other supporting roles.
The movie follows a woman who thinks she is being followed by her deceased ex-boyfriend’s ghost. But it is later revealed that her boyfriend is alive and has somehow managed to become invisible, and thus begins a series of cat and mouse chases between the two of them. The movie is, without a doubt, a great one to watch on a horror movie night.
Scream
The Scream franchise has been created by Kevin Williamson and contains five movies to date, with the latest one releasing in 2022, with an unnamed sixth movie rumored to be in production. All the films have enjoyed success at the box office, with the original movie being the highest-grossing slasher in the world until the release of Halloween in 2018, being at the top for 22 years.
The movie series focuses on a girl and the hardships she faces against a sequence of murderers who put on ghost masks and stalk and kill their victims. The girl keeps on getting aid from local police, her friends, partners, and a few other acquaintances, which keeps the series going. The Scream series should definitely be a must-watch on anyone’s horror movie list.
The Babadook
Directed by Jennifer Kent, The Babadook was released in 2014 and became an instant hit at the box office immediately. The movie was critically acclaimed as the story of the movie was greatly loved by everyone. The movie also was the best-reviewed horror film of 2014 and won six nominations at the AACTA Award, including the award for the best film.
Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Hayley McElhinney, Daniel Henshall, Barbara West, and Ben Winspear appeared in the movie, taking on the roles of the major characters. The film is based on Jennifer Kent’s short film- ‘Monster’, which was released in 2005. The movie revolves around a mother-and-son duo, where the son feels that there is a monster inside their home, and the mother is left with the task of confronting her son’s fear.
Hereditary
Hereditary was released in 2018 and starred Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, and Gabriel Byrne as the characters in the leading roles. The film was directed by Ari Aster and hit the theaters in 2018, immediately becoming a box office hit, grossing over $80 million.
Hereditary is considered to be one of the greatest horror movies ever produced, as the movie was overwhelmingly loved. The movie was critically acclaimed, especially for the performances of the actors.
The movie focuses on a family who is grieving the loss of a member. However, the family soon discovers its ancestry as terrible things start happening due to the family being haunted by an unknown entity. The film is sure to give chills to its viewers, but then again, what’s the point of a horror movie if it doesn’t scare you?
Midsommar
The Ari Arster-directed horror movie was released in 2019 and enjoyed a great stint at the box office as the movie grossed $48 million while being produced on a budget of $9 million. The movie was also critically acclaimed, with the primary praise being enjoyed by the performances of the characters.
The cast of the movie includes Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Vilhelm Blomgren, and Ellora Torchia in prominent roles, and Will Poulter, Archie Madekwe, Henrik Norlén, Gunnel Fred, Isabelle Grill, Agnes Rase, Mats Blomgren and Julia Ragnarsson in major supporting roles alongside several others.
The film’s plot involves a group of friends who travel to Sweden for a midsummer festival to get away from their problems. But destiny has other plans for them. As they soon find themselves being captured by a sinister cult, their traumatic practices unfold, which may be too much for some people. Still, the movie is a must-watch for a creepy movie night.
Oculus
Oculus was released in 2013 and was a success at the box office instantly. The movie was directed by Mike Flanagan and was heartily loved by the audiences, especially for the acting of the cast, its screenplay, and its visuals.
The movie starred Karen Gillan and Brenton Thwaites in the lead roles alongside Katee Sackhoff, Rory Cochrane, James Lafferty, Annalise Basso, Garrett Ryan Ewald, Miguel Sandoval, Kate Siegel, and Justin Gordon alongside a few others in supportive roles.
The film is based on a short film by Mike Flanagan and revolves around a pair of young siblings who consider an antique mirror to be the reason for the misfortune that their family has gone through. The movie is a must-watch for a horror movie lover as, at every point, it makes the viewers scratch their heads as to what will happen next.
Suspiria
Suspiria stars Dakota Johnson in the lead role and Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth, Angela Winkler, and Ingrid Caven in other major roles. Elena Fokina, Sylvie Testud, Christine LeBoutte, Malgosia Bela, Fabrizia Sacchi, Jessica Harper, and Vanda Capriolo star as supporting characters alongside several others. The movie is inspired by an Italian movie sharing the same name, which was released in 1977.
The film revolves around a young dancer who enrolls in a famous dance company, only to find out that the organization has some sinister secrets. The movie is available to watch on Prime Video and has been praised for its visual effects and acting performances.
Get Out
The Jordan Peele-directed horror film was released in 2017 and became a big success at the box office. The movie cast consisted of Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Willams, Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landry Jones, Stephen Root, and Catherine Keener in the major roles.
The movie focuses on a young man who comes to know about the various absurd dark secrets of his girlfriend’s family when he meets them and the crimes they have committed over the years toward various people, especially black members of society.
The film was critically acclaimed for its screenplay, the performances of the actors, and the direction of the movie. The movie even won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and various other major nominations. The movie is a must-watch and is available to watch on Prime Video.
Coherence
Coherence was released in 2013 and starred Emily Foxler, Maury Sterling, and Nicholas Brendon in the leading roles alongside Lorene Scarfaria, Hugo Armstrong, Elizabeth Gracen, Alex Manugian, Lauren Maher, Kelly Donovan, and Aqueela Zoll in other roles.
The film’s plot follows a group of friends who observe grim occurrences at a dinner party caused by a passing comet. The movie has been well-praised for the characters’ performances and its adverse screenplay. A respectable rating of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes for the film also speaks for its quality.
Silent Hill Series
The Silent Hill series came to life with the release of Silent Hill in 2006 and was followed by a second movie- Silent Hill: Revelation hitting the cinemas in 2012. The movie franchise is based on a video game series sharing the same name, which was published by Konami.
The movie series focuses on a town named ‘Silent Hill’, which has its own fair share of shady secrets that keep meddling with the life of various people. Both movies from the series are a sure shot when thinking of watching a movie with a crazy-creepy combo.
The Unholy
Directed by Evan Spiliotopoulos, The Unholy was released in 2021 and is based on a 1983 novel by James Herbert named ‘Shrine’. The film starred Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Katie Aselton, William Sadler, Cricket Brown, Diogo Morgado, and Cary Elwes in prominent roles. Bates Wilder, Marina Mazepa, Christine Adams, Gisela Chipe, Danny Corbo, Sonny Corbo and Dustin Tucker are in the supporting roles.
The movie depicts a journalist looking for redemption as he discovers a chain of divine miracles occurring in a small town but soon finds out that there is an evil force at play behind those seemingly divine miracles. The movie enjoyed a great stint at the box office and is available to stream on Netflix.
The Possession of Hannah Grace
The Possession of Hannah Grace follows an ex-policewoman who comes face to face with evil supernatural forces when she signs up for work at a morgue and must survive.
The film cast included Shay Mitchell, Grey Damon, Kirby Johnson, Stana Katic, Jacob Ming- Trent, Max McNamara, and Louis Herthum in major roles. The film was released in 2018 and was directed by Diederik van Rooijen. The movie also performed very well at the box office as it grossed $43 million while being produced with a budget of $7 million approximately.
It
It is based on the novel- It by Stephen King and was released in 2017. The movie was directed by Andy Muschietti. Bill Skarsgård, Jaeden Lieberher, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, Nicholas Hamilton, and Jackson Robert Scott star in the movie as the major characters.
The movie is set in a fictional town called Derry and revolves around a group of friends who face off against a mysterious being that takes on the form of a clown. The movie became a hit at the box office and was also praised well by the critics.
A sequel to the movie(It Chapter Two) was released in 2019 and was set 27 years after the events of the first movie. The plot of the second movie revolves around the now grown-up kids who reunite to destroy the clown once and for all. The film starred Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan, James Ransone, Andy Bean, and Bill Skarsgård and was once again a hit at the box office. The movie also received praise for the performances of the actors and the themes of the various scenes. All in all, the It series is, without a doubt, a great choice for a horror movie night.
Ouija: Origin of Evil
Directed by Mike Flanagan, Ouija: Origin of Evil was released in 2016 and grossed a whooping $81 million at the box office while being produced on a budget of around $12 million. The movie is a prequel to the 2014 film “Ouija,” which was also a success at the box office. The supernatural horror movie was also well-praised by the critics and had a rating of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 126 reviews from the critics.
The movie story follows a family which introduces an Ouija board and tries to help distressed people get on with their lives. But hell breaks loose when they find out that a spirit has possessed a member of their family.
Elizabeth Reaser, Lulu Wilson, Annalise Basso, and Henry Thomas starred in the lead roles, whereas Lin Shaye, Parker Mack, Kate Siegel, Doug Jones, Halle Charlton, Alexis G. Zall, Sam Anderson, Ele Keats, and Michael Weaver donned the roles of the supporting characters. The movie is available to stream on Netflix.
Veronica
Veronica was directed by Paco Plaza and released in 2017. The film cast consisted of Sandra Escacena in the titular role, alongside Claudia Placer, Bruna González, Iván Chavero, and Ana Torrent in other important roles. The supporting roles in the movie were performed by Consuelo Trujillo, Sonia Almarcha, Maru Valduvielso, Leticia Dolera, Ángela Fabián, Samuel Romero, and Carla Campra.
The movie is somewhat based on a case from 1991 where a girl used an Ouija board and was found dead due for unknown reasons. The film’s plot follows a teenage girl who recently lost her father as she tries to summon his spirit with the help of an Ouija board. But it is later revealed that another entity has arrived, one with evil intentions, instead of her father. A prequel to the film has also been announced to be in the development stages. The movie is available to watch on Netflix and is surely worth watching.
D@bbe: The Possession
Directed by Hasan Karacadağ, D@bbe: The Possession was released in 2013 and is the fourth entry in the D@bbe Series. The movie is of Turkish origin and is available to watch on Netflix.
The movie starred Irmak Örnek,Cansu Kurgun,Ali Murat Özgen,Elçin Atamgüç,Sultan Köroğlu Kılıç,Sabriye Günüç,Can Tarakçı, and Nahide Uçar,Beren Çiftçisoy in major roles.
Based on a true story, the film follows a girl named Ebru and an exorcist who work together to cure Ebru’s old friend, Kübra, who is assumed to be possessed by an evil spirit. But when the dots start to connect, it is revealed that the family of Kübra has a greater task to accomplish, which endangers the life of Ebru and the exorcist. The movie is one hell of a ride and is guaranteed to scare the hell out of anyone and everyone.
Before I Wake
Hitting the cinemas in 2016, Before I Wake was directed by Mike Flanagan and is known as Somnia in some places. The film starred Kate Bosworth, Thomas Jane, Jacob Tremblay, Annabeth Gish, Topher Bousquet, and Dash Mihok in prominent roles.
The story follows a couple who adopt an orphan after their son passes away. However, the couple eventually finds out that the child’s dreams come true in the real world when he sleeps. The movie was well received by the critics as it depicts that sometimes, the children really are telling the truth when they say something is bothering them.
Lights Out
Lights Out was directed by David F. Sandberg and was based on a 2013 short film of the same name, which was also directed by Sandberg. The horror film starred Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Billy Burke, and Maria Bello in the major roles. The movie performed very well at the box office too, grossing $148 million while being produced on a budget of $4.9 million.
The movie focuses on a young woman who must square up to and conquer her childhood fears in order to protect her brother from a supernatural force at play. The movie received very good feedback from the critics, especially the screenplay, the musical score, and the acting of the cast. A must-watch and 10/10 recommended for a creepy movie night.
Antlers
Antlers follows a school teacher who tries to communicate with a student as she feels the latter is suffering from some personal problems at his home. But to the teacher’s surprise, the child is revealed to be entertaining an evil force inside his house.
Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons, Jeremy T. Thomas, Graham Greene, Scott Haze, Rory Cochrane and Amy Madigan starred in the movie in major roles.
The movie was adapted from a short story named “The Quiet Boy” and was directed by Scott Cooper. The supernatural horror film was released in 2021 and was appreciated for its cinematography and its horror element.
The Grudge Series
The Grudge series kickstarted its franchise with the release of “The Grudge” in 2004 and got a sequel in 2006 and another one in 2009. The first movie in the series is a remake of a popular Japanese film: Ju-On: The Grudge. The second and the third movie follow their own unique storylines, although still borrow some elements of the plot of the Japanese films.
The series focuses on people whose lives have been affected by a curse that causes its victims to become attached to the curse till they die, and at the same time passing the curse to anyone who encounters the curse in any way whatsoever.
Dark Water
Dark Water was directed by Walter Salles and starred Jennifer Connelly, John C. Reilly, Pete Postlethwaite and Perla Haney-Jardine in the leading roles. The 2005 horror film was a remake of a 2002 Japanese movie sharing the same name.
The movie follows a woman who wants to start a new life with her daughter but feels paranoid as she thinks she has come to live in a haunted apartment, and a battle to save her daughter starts. The movie is a must-watch and adds to the public’s good old fear of being hysterical when moving to new homes as they might be haunted. The movie is available to stream on Hulu.
