To skip or not to skip: Is Smile worth watching?

Is Smile worth, well,…smiling about? The psychological horror stars Sosie Bacon, Kyle Gallner, Jessie T. Usher, Caitlyn Stasey, and Rob Morgan. It’s based on Laura Hasn’t Slept, the short film produced and made by Parker Finn, Smile’s writer and director.

The film skyrocketed to #1 with a $22 million dollar opening weekend at the domestic box-office which is the first movie to open with over $20M since Bullet Train‘s $30 million dollar opening weekend in August.

By now, you’ve probably seen the hype for Smile but other than some scare-worthy marketing tactics, you might not know if the film is worth seeing beyond the small snippets available to watch online.

Maybe what you just learned about the movie has enticed you to go out and see it in theaters. If you’re still on the fence and unsure if this horror is worth a watch, don’t worry, let’s dive in and find out whether you should ship a trip to the theater.

Should you watch Smile?

A contrarian answer might come very easily for those who are easily frightened. The film is full of jump scares that help bring energy to some of its more lackluster scenes. Through my watch, it’d be easy to compare the film to other recent releases–such as A24’s Men and 20th Century Studios’ Barbarian–but it stands alone as it addresses topics related to mental health accompanied with the performances of the lead actors.

This is definitely a movie to go see in-theaters first. The cinematography keeps you engaged as each pan has you constantly looking to the side of the screen, waiting for the worse possible thing to happen. By waiting to watch it at home, you miss moments that grab hold of your attention and stay with you for the entirety of the film. Plus, there’s nothing better than sitting in a dark theater with your friends, or even strangers, wondering when the next jump scare is going to happen.

How long is Smile?

The movie has a runtime of 115 minutes (1 hour and 55 minutes). For a horror movie, it might have some people wondering if there’s even an end in sight. Especially for those wondering if this is a gore-y watch. (Spoiler alert: it is!)

With all of that in mind, the runtime works for this film. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time so it didn’t feel like an almost 2 hour film. However, audience members may get antsy as the movie progresses. It’s definitely more of a slow-burn horror.

As with most theatrical viewings, getting out of your seat to use the bathroom or try to grab an extra serving of popcorn is not recommended. Make sure you have everything you need including food, water, and those salty-sweet treats you’ve been so desperate to try before sitting down in the theater.

Can you stream Smile online?

Like I said earlier, an initial watch of Smile definitely deserves a silver screen viewing but if you decided that you want to watch the movie in the comfort of your own home, we got you covered.

This film was produced and distributed by Paramount which means Paramount+ subscribers may see this film drop on the streaming service in the next month or two. So while it’s not available to stream online right now, keep an eye out for when home-viewing details are announced.

We can’t confirm that the movie will be on the platform but it’s safe to say that it might be where Smile lands after its theatrical run.

Have you seen Smile yet? Are you waiting to stream it at home? Leave your thoughts in the comments and don’t forget to keep up to date with Hidden Remote for more horror movie news and coverage.

Smile is currently in its theatrical run nationwide.