Hit 2022 psychological horror movieSmileis performing admirably during its streaming debut. Written and directed by Parker Finn, as an adaptation of his short filmLaura Hasn’t Slept,Smilefollows a therapist, played by Sosie Bacon, who begins to experience bizarre supernatural occurrences after witnessing the suicide of a patient. The movie, which co-stars Jessi T. Usher, Kyle Gallner, and Kal Penn, was a box office hit, grossing a little over $217 million during its theatrical run against a production budget of $17 million. It also spawned a sequel,the highly-ratedSmile 2, which hit theaters October 18.
Now, a couple of years after its theatrical run,Smilehas hit streaming platforms, and is enjoying great success.The movie has debuted in the Top 5 for both Hulu and Paramount+, a major achievement given that it is on both platforms at the same time and is only a couple years old.Smilehas hit the No. 3 spot on Hulu’s Top 10 Movies Now chart, losing out only toScream 6andA Quiet Place: Day One.Meanwhile, it debuted at No. 1 on Paramount+’s Top 15 Movies Today, beating outMr. Crocket,Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara, andThe Purge: Election Year.
What Smile’s Streaming Performance Means For The Franchise
Renewed Interest Could Benefit Smile 2’s Box Office Run
Smile’s huge success during its theatrical run helped cement its status as one of the more iconic and memorable horror movies of recent times. Now that the film has found a new lease of life on streaming,this could bode well for the long-term future of theSmilefranchise. Not only does this attract a new audience to the movie, it might even increase the interest in the movie on home media, and it makes the chances of further installments more likely.
On top of this,the recent release ofSmile 2is bound to have stoked interest in the first movie, with viewers possibly keen to revisit the first before watching the second, or even checking outSmilefor the first time before heading totheaters to seeSmile 2. What’s more, the theatrical run of the sequel, which has taken just under $9.4 million to date on its opening day, is sure to be improved by the renewed interest in the first movie. The film is projected to gross around $23 million over the course of its opening weekend.
Our Verdict On Why Smile Is Performing Well On Streaming
Halloween Season & The Release of Smile 2 Will Have Influenced Its Success
There are always myriad factors at play when a movie finds fresh success on streaming platforms, andSmileis no different. I think that the main reasons behind the movie doing well on streaming are the Halloween season generating greater interest in horror movies, and the recent release ofSmile 2.Along with itsfranchise-changing twist ending, and a successful box office run for both films, surely we’ll see the franchise expand to at least a third movie in the future.
Smile
Cast
A psychological horror film written and directed by newcomer Parker Finn, Smile is the story of a woman who, after witnessing a traumatic incident involving a patient, terrifying incidents keep occurring in her life. Sosie Bacon stars as Dr. Rose Cotter, the woman afflicted by these new realistic nightmares. The horrifying occurrences happen so frequently that Rose realizes she’ll have to confront past trauma to escape this new reality and survive the supernatural forces trying to kill her.
