Every horror fan hopes that the movie they sit down to is genuinely scary, but it’s rare for a trailer to have that kind of impact. The trailer for to smile, a new horror film from first-time writer Parker Finn, is a rare exception. The trailer, released on Wednesday, is pretty spooky, mostly because of some good old-fashioned smiles. to smile
The trailer doesn’t provide much explanation of the film or its characters, but it lets us know the film’s basic premise: after seeing something horrible, seemingly invisible, people are suddenly stared at with a horrible grin, and then die a week later.
The trailer makes the most of the film’s simple premise, focusing on the actors and letting their wide eyes and unnerving smiles do most of the chilling. The trailer is also eerily silent, giving the film an old-school vibe. It’s not all atmosphere, though – check out those final seconds.
to smile stars Sosie Bacon (Mare by Easttown), Kyle Gallner (the 2022 Scream), Jessie T. Usher (The young), Rob Morgan (stranger things) and Kal Penn (Harold and Kumar go to the White Castle).