10 Movies You Were Totally Wrong About

Smile was a film that, on the basis of its marketing alone, looked like another trashy, low-effort pump 'n' dump Blumhouse knock-off - basically a lazy attempt to imitate the immense box office success of 2018's critically reviled Blumhouse horror Truth or Dare.

And given the enduring success of horror films throughout the pandemic, it seemed likely that Smile - which was originally planned for a streaming debut - would easily recoup its $17 million budget.

But most serious forecasters had their projections in the realm of around $50-60 million - a solid return on investment, but not a box office smash by any means.

To the surprise of just about everyone, Smile received strongly positive reviews from critics, who lauded its atmosphere and Sosie Bacon's compelling lead performance, in turn ensuring that it wasn't merely undemanding teenagers and die-hard horror fans who turned out for it.

Ultimately Smile grossed a stonking $216.1 million globally - more than 12-fold its budget - making it one of the highest-grossing horror films ever, while raking in more than higher-profile recent films like Nope, The Black Phone, Scream, Halloween Ends, and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.

What an absolutely ridiculous result for a film that was almost dumped on Paramount+. And while a sequel hasn't yet been officially greenlit, it's surely just a matter of time before the wheels start turning.