Smile, one of the decade’s best horror franchises, is streaming on Hulu

Parker Finn’s Smile felt like a miracle when it was released in 2022: a well-crafted original horror movie plucked from the obscure hell of direct-to-streaming release and turned into a genuine box-office hit. It’s a clever movie that combines themes of mental health with scares, creating an elevated horror that blends shocking, crowd-pleasing kills, tension and dramatic urgency. Smile is an amalgamation of some of horror’s finest classics, updated for savvy contemporary audiences, and a treat for aficionados of the genre, who can see from a mile away where this premise is going for the protagonist.