Is Horror Movie ‘Smile’ Streaming? When Will it Be Available on Paramount+?
Fall is the perfect time for new horror flicks. With Halloween right around the corner, there’s seemingly more spine-tingling options than ever before to find the perfect fall fright. One of the newest offerings available from Paramount is “Smile,” which comes to theaters on Friday, Sept. 30.
After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can’t explain. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality.
The film stars Sosie Bacon, Jessie T. Usher, Kyle Gallner, Caitlin Stasey, Kal Penn, and Rob Morgan. Director Parker Finn was first approached by Paramount in 2020 to adapt his short film “Laura Hasn’t Slept” into a feature-length supernatural psychological horror film, which was retitled “Smile.”
Check out the trailer for ‘Smile’:
If seeing that trailer made you smile (or cower in fear), you might be wondering when “Smile” will be headed to a streaming service near you, so you don’t have to risk heading out in public to get your seasonal dose of frights. As a Paramount-distributed film, “Smile” will be headed to the company’s premium streaming service Paramount+ at some point. But when can audiences expect to enjoy “Smile” from the comfort of their living room?
Paramount’s general policy for theatrical windowing is to allow movies a 45-day release before moving them to streaming. Paramount CEO Brian Robbins has noted the importance of theatrical releases, but notes the 45-day policy has been working well.
“The 45-day window seems to be the sweet spot for us and seems to be what’s working,” he said earlier this month.
Indeed, “Smile” was originally intended to skip a theatrical release and premiere on Paramount+, but excellent test screenings convinced Paramount to put the film in theaters, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Paramount’s biggest movie of the year, “Top Gun: Maverick,” has been a powerful exception to Paramount’s 45-day rule. The film will hit Paramount+ at some point this year, but has enjoyed a theatrical window that currently stands at over 120 days.
It’s incredibly unlikely that “Smile” will see the kind of box office success that “Top Gun: Maverick” has, so expect Paramount to stick with the 45-day theatrical window for the seasonal genre film. That would fix “Smile’s” streaming premiere date as Monday, Nov. 14. “Smile” may not be the most traditional holiday fare, but it will likely be an option for you and your family if you want to celebrate Thanksgiving with scares.
Paramount Plus
Paramount+ is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 40,000+ TV show episodes from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and more. The lineup includes “1883,” “Tulsa King,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “PAW Patrol.” Subscribers can watch the NFL, college football, The Masters, college basketball, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa, Serie A, and NWSL. The service also offers the option to watch your live CBS affiliate. The upgraded ad-free package includes premium movies and shows from Showtime.