10 Best New Horror Movies For Halloween 2022

6. Smile

You Won't Be Alone
Paramount

In Smile, Dr. Rose Cutter is left traumatised after witnessing a patient taking her own life. Trying to move past the experience, Rose notices she is seeing people grinning at her, everywhere she goes.

Now, smiling doesn't sound bone-chilling. (The god-awful Truth or Dare proves this fact.) But Smile gets under your skin immediately. You wouldn't guess this was Parker Finn's directorial debut since Smile is well-shot, fluidly edited, and perfectly paced.

If you thought watching people smirking for two hours would stop being scary after a while, it actually has the opposite effect. If you don't find it unnerving at first, you can guarantee all the inexplicable grins will make you feel uncomfortable before the credits roll.

Smile also stands out, not just by what it does but what it doesn't do. Instead of relying on rug-pulling revelations, Smile focuses on making the viewer constantly unsettled. Yes, there is wince-inducing gore, but it's the eerie atmosphere that keeps you on edge.

Smile may have a legion of jump-scares but it earns every one of them. Even if you consider yourself someone who doesn't fall for jump-scares, Smile is sure to test your mettle.

Contributor

James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows