In 2022, the low-budget psychological horror film Smile was a surprise hit. The movie was so successful that Smile 2 was quickly greenlit and is set to premiere on October 18. It will be the perfect movie to see in theaters during Halloween month. Viewers wishing to catch up on the franchise before the sequel premieres can use our guide to find out where to watch the Smile movies in order on platforms like Hulu, AppleTV+, and more.
While the franchise achieved mainstream success with the release of Smile, it’s not the first movie in the series. The franchise started in 2020 with the release of the short film Laura Hasn’t Slept. Laura Hasn’t Slept was written and directed by Parker Finn and serves as a prequel to Smile. It follows Laura Weaver (Caitlin Stasey), a young woman who visits her therapist, Dr. Parsons (Lew Temple), and complains of insomnia due to seeing an entity constantly smiling at her.
Laura Hasn’t Slept was well-received at the SXSW film festival, and Finn soon began developing a feature-length film, Smile, inspired by the short. Stasey reprises her role as Weaver in the movie, but the lead protagonist is Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon). Dr. Cotter is a therapist who witnesses a traumatic event involving her patient, Weaver. After the incident, she is tormented by an entity that takes the form of people she knows and smiles unsettlingly at her. As she and her ex-boyfriend, Joel (Kyle Gallner), explore the entity’s history, she is forced to confront her traumatic past.
Even before its release, Smile attracted attention as it utilized a genius marketing scheme to place actors in the audience of live sporting games and have them smile creepily. Upon release, it received widespread praise for its terrifying premise and sophisticated exploration of trauma. The movie was also a hit at the box office, garnering over $217 million on a budget of just $17 million.
Smile 2 is expected to delve deeper into the lore of the smiling entity. The only character from the original set to return is Gallner. Meanwhile, the film will focus on a new protagonist, Skye Riley (Naomi Scott). Riley is a famous pop star who starts seeing disturbing smiling faces ahead of her world tour.
How to watch the Smile movies in order
Watching the Smile movies in order is quite simple, as the release date and chronological order are the same. Check out our list below for the watch order and find out where to stream the movies in the U.S.!
