New Smile trailer promises relentless jump scares and nightmarish grins in "gnarly" new horror movie

Paramount Pictures has unveiled the final trailer for new horror movie Smile — and it threatens to shake up even the most hardened of genre fans. Full of screaming, jump scares, people being set on fire, and nightmarish grins, it's certainly not for the faint of heart...

Directed by Parker Finn, the R-rated flick takes inspiration from his 2020 short film Laura Hasn't Slept and follows Dr. Rose Cotter, a therapist, stationed at a hospital's emergency psychiatric unit, who starts experiencing terrifying visions after a woman dies violently during a session. 

Prior to her death, the ill-fated patient was manic; adamant that something with a horrible smile had been haunting her. After it, Rose finds herself stalked by the same malevolent entity, as the trailer details above, and delves into the mystery. Soon, she discovers that the majority of people who claim to have seen it haven't lived longer than seven days after their first sighting. Will she be able to escape it before it's too late?

One particularly freaky moment in the promo appears at the 51-second mark. We won't spoil it for you here... Those of you who feel so inclined can brave it for yourselves... Caitlin Stasey, Robin Weigert, Stranger Things' Rob Morgan, The Boys' Jessie T. Usher, and Scream's Kyle Gallner also star.

If the footage itself isn't enough of an endorsement, the trailer is peppered with quotes from reviews that promise a truly terrifying thrill ride. "Tense," says GameRant, while Daily Dead describes it as "mind-bending". Elsewhere, ComicBook.com claims it's "deliciously creepy."

Smile releases in the UK on September 28, and in the US on September 30. If frights aren't your thing, then check out our guide on the most exciting upcoming releases coming our way throughout the rest of 2022 and beyond.

Amy West

I am an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.