With the anticipated horror sequelSmile 2set to release later this month on October 18th, many might be wondering what movies to watch in preparation for it to drop. Halloween is just around the corner, and the spooky season is the perfect time to sit down and get comfortable with some of the greatest horror classics.Smile 2’s storyfollows pop singer Skye Riley as balances a world tour while suddenly grabbing with terrifying forces beyond her control.
Because the originalSmilewas a psychological horror film, the sequel will likely be much the same. To get ready to watchSmile 2when it drops in theaters, there are countlesspsychological horror movies one could watch likeSmile, each with its own set of thrills and chills. These are some of the greatest, sure to get anyone in the right frame of mind before checking out Naomi Scott in her debut as Skye Riley, leadingSmile 2’s cast of charactersinto another horrifying nightmare.
It Looks Like Smile 2 Is Repeating The Same Trick As This 21 Year-Old Horror Movie (& It’s Not Good)
The first trailer for Smile 2 reveals a possible way of defeating the Smile Entity, but it’s the same trick a 21-year-old horror movie used.
10Possessor
The Visuals Are Memorable And Uncanny
Following the story of an assassin who possesses the bodies of others to kill her targets,Possessoris immediately visually striking. The protagonist, a young woman named Tasya Vos,delicately balances her fragile mental state throughout the film,struggling to identify with her own identity as a mother and wife just as much as she struggles to become other people. It is horrifying to watch as she loses herself, wondering what Tasya will do next.
Equal parts tense and bloody,body horror makes a comeback in this film in a big way.The director of this film is Brandon Cronenberg, son of body horror godfather David Cronenberg, so viewers might find this to be unsurprising. Like many of the horror films on this list,Possessoris not one for the squeamish, pushing the anxieties presented in the film to their natural breaking point.
9The Strangers (2008)
The Series Recently Received A New Installment
Beginning with the 2008 original filmThe Strangersstarring movie icon Liv Tyler, this horror film inadvertently launched an entire horror movie franchise.Telling the tale of a terrifying home invasion,The Strangersuses the contemporary fear of random acts of violence in order to thoroughly scare its audience.There will always be the fear lingering in the back of people’s minds that something horrible could happen out of the blue, and this film plays on that fear to great success.
After watchingThe Strangers,fans of the film will have plenty of movies to watch to catch up with the now iconic franchise. There are now three films inThe Strangersseries, with two upcoming and the most recent having been released this year withStrangers: Chapter 1.
8The Lighthouse
It Is A Unique Exploration Of What Isolation Does To The Mind
Following the story of a pair of lighthouse keepers in the 1890s,The Lighthouseis a bit of a difficult movie to pin down.When it comes to its genre aspects, it is equal parts horror, psychological thriller, and dedicated art piece. Not only does it solely follow the stories of its main characters, Thomas Wake and Ephraim Winslow, but it is also shot completely in black and white.
As the movie progresses, the psychological states of both of these characters rapidly begin to deteriorate.Because lighthouse keepers are often alone for such long stretches of time, this film explores what that kind of isolation might do to the human mind.Things only become more and more paranoid as the movie progresses, leaving viewers on their toes as to what might happen next.
7Get Out
The Career Comedian Wrote 2017’s Most Memorable Horror Film
Before the release ofGet Outin 2017, Jordan Peele was mostly known for his work in comedy. However, in a world after the film’s incredible theatrical release,fans now know Jordan Peele as one of the greatest horror writers and directors of the modern era.His unique style of horror typically encourages those watching to think about the themes of the film, often reflected in the world today.
Get Outis the only horror movie to have ever won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
The film is not just a frightening juxtaposition of modern-day racism, taken to its logical extreme, but it is also just an incredible horror movie. For anyone looking for a taste of what makes psychological horror so unsettling to watch,Get Outwould be the perfect choice. It handles the subject matter thoughtfully, adding layers to what starts off as a slow-burn thriller.
6Black Swan
The Film Is Incredibly Tense And Unique
Typically seen as one of those love-it-or-hate-it films,Black Swanwas a surprise success when it hit theaters in late 2010. Following the story of the ballerina Beth MacIntyre as she tries to land the lead role in the balletSwan Lake,the psychological horror movie that grapples with the idea of identity and what it means to be who you are.Beth struggles with the intrusive thought that another ballerina might be trying to steal her place in the show, a thought that eventually spirals out of control.
Haunted by her double, Beth’s entire world collapses as the demands of this intense performance finally worm into her mind.The film is an incredibly paranoid look at the stresses of professional ballet,amplifying the already very present theme of the originalSwan Lakeballet. The film is a good watch, with one of Natalie Portman’s best performances to date.
5Talk To Me
It Was Directed By A Pair Of YouTubers
Slamming into theaters as a surprise hit in 2022,Talk to Meis an A24 horror film that delivers on its supernatural premise.Taking place during a house party gone wrong, a group of teens uses a severed hand to commune with the dead. To prevent a genuine possession from occurring, whoever is speaking with the dead must sever their connection to the spirit within 90 seconds of beginning.
Unsurprisingly, things go wrong almost immediately,with what is real and what is a product of the possession quickly dissolving into chaos.It is a brutal affair to be sure, and the acting throughout the film is top-tier. There are plenty of twists and turns to be had throughout the film, taking viewers on an adventure like none other.
4Perfect Blue
It Is One Of Many Great 90s Anime Films
Although it may be considered niche to some American audiences,Perfect Blueis a heavy hitter in the psychological horror genre.Following the story of a pop star named Mima Kirigoe who transitions her career to becoming an actress,Perfect Bluepulls no punches in its depiction of stalking and murder. There is a very real story to be told here about fan obsession, and this film tells it in haunting detail.
With her life now followed by a trail of murders, Mima begins to lose touch with who she really is.Fantasy and reality quickly become interchangeable,with the question of what is real and what is not becoming a big part of the tension. This film would eventually go on to inspire artists such as Madonna and Darron Aronofsky with their works, cementingPerfect Blueas one of the greats in psychological horror.
3The Thing
Figuring Out Who The Thing Has Infected Is Half The Fun
No list of psychological horror films is complete without the inclusion ofThe Thing,a 1982 science fiction horror film that follows a group of researchers living in the Antarctic. While living there, they encounter the Thing, an alien life form capable of assimilating life and hiding in plain sight, pretending to be human in the process. As the movie continues, the crew becomes more and more paranoid as they attempt to figure out who is human and who has already been killed and replaced by the Thing.
This Classic 1958 Sci-Fi Movie Made John Carpenter’s The Thing Possible
John Carpenter’s The Thing is now a sci-fi horror classic, but it was possible thanks to another sci-fi horror movie from the 1950s.
The Thingis one of the most famous 80s horror films for a reason, with excellent acting and practical effects that were incredibly advanced for the time. The body horror is grotesque and out of this world, with a plot that leaves viewers guessing for the entire run of the movie. It is the perfect film to watch this Halloween season, especially in preparation forSmile 2’s release.
2Hereditary
The Film Has Some Of The Best Tension In Horror
Another A24 horror film,Hereditaryis a psychological horror film with a slower start. However,this slow start is necessary to set the stage for the painstakingly crafted horror that comes next.Without getting into too many spoilers,Hereditaryfollows the lives of the Graham family as they struggle to cope with the traumas of death and loss.
Not only does the film have a minor supernatural element to it that comes into play subtly throughout the film,but it also manages to deal with the horrors of everyday family life in what is possibly the most real and unsettling way possible.Hereditaryis a film that deals in blood and gore, but its greatest achievement is that it is perhaps at its most terrifying when there is no blood whatsoever. The terror is in the anxiety and tension that the film builds, making for one of the most real and uncomfortable horror movies to ever be released.
1Smile
Viewers Should Watch This Film To Prepare For The Sequel
Before going intoSmile 2,anyone who plans on watching the sequel should watch the firstSmilemovie.Not only does it set the stage for the kind of horror film thatSmile 2will no doubt be, but it also introduces the terrifying entity that will be making a return in the sequel. The film covers themes of grief and trauma, doing so in a unique way that stands on its own among modern horror films.
Smile 2 Quietly Confirmed A Major Character Death That Changes What To Expect From The Sequel
Smile 2’s trailer has proven that Smile’s main survivor is dead after all, making the sequel’s potential plot tougher for viewers to predict.
At the end of the day, as is the case with many sequels,to understand the plot ofSmile 2,it is likely that viewers will need to watchSmilefirst. The first film will at the very least provide context going into the second film, and will be an enjoyable watch while doing so. If someone is looking for movies to watch before the anticipated sequel, look no further than the film that started it all.
Smile 2
Smile 2 is the sequel to the 2022 psychological horror film by director Parker Finn that centers on a therapist who witnesses a patient’s suicide, leading to a series of terrifying supernatural events. The sequel will see the return of Finn as director, with Paramount continuing distribution.
