Smile, the upcoming horror movie, has a genuinely frightening new trailer

Every horror fan hopes that whatever movie they’re sitting down to will be genuinely frightening, but it’s rare that a trailer has that kind of impact. The trailer for Smile, a new horror movie from first-time director Parker Finn, is a rare exception. The trailer, released on Wednesday, is plenty creepy, mostly because of a few good old-fashioned smiles. Smile is set to be released in theaters on Sept. 30.

The trailer doesn’t include much explanation of the movie or its characters, but it does let us know the movie’s basic premise: After seeing some terrible, seemingly invisible thing, people suddenly become fixed with terrifying grins, then die a week later.

The trailer makes the most of the movie’s simple premise, keeping the focus on the actors and letting their wide eyes and unnerving smiles do most of the scaring. The trailer is also eerily still, giving the movie and old-school vibe. It isn’t all atmosphere, though — check out those closing seconds.

Smile stars Sosie Bacon (Mare of Easttown), Kyle Gallner (the 2022 Scream), Jessie T. Usher (The Boys), Rob Morgan (Stranger Things), and Kal Penn (Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle).