Smile Earns $22 Million in Opening Weekend at the Box Office

By Jamie Lovett

The Halloween horror season has officially begun with new horror movie Smile taking the top spot at the box office in its opening weeknd. Smile earned $22 million in its first three days, including $8.2 million on Friday ($2 million of that from preview night showings on Thursday). Smile may be benefiting from all that creepy viral marketing. The movie has an R rating, a B- CinemaScore, and a 74% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. The critical consensus on the review aggregator read, "Deeply creepy visuals and a standout Sosie Bacon further elevate Smile's unsettling exploration of trauma, adding up to the rare feature that satisfyingly expands on a short."

ComicBook.com's Patrick Cavanaugh gave Smile a score of 3 out of 5 in his film review. He writes:

"Fans of A-horror like Ju-On or Ringu, as well as their American remakes The Grudge and The Ring, will notice a lot of similarities in Smile to the structure of passing a supernatural curse along to stay alive. While that structure doesn't feel entirely fresh, the option to go for massive jump-scares as opposed to the more subtle moments of tension and unease of A-horror films does bring a new perspective to the genre to an inarguably effective degree. For those looking for a more nuanced experience that emphasizes story and character development, you'll be left feeling mixed, but if you're looking for a rollercoaster of terror, than this movie gives you a lot to smile about."

Last week's top earner, Don't Worry Darling, suffered a 62% drop, landing in second place with just over $7 million in its second weekend. The Woman King dropped into third place, and the new LGBTQ+ romantic comedy Bros is opening in fourth place. A list of the top 10 films at the box office this weekend follows.

1. Smile

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  • Opening Weekend
  • Total: $22 million

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.

Parker Finn directed Smile, expanding on his 2020 short film Laura Hasn't Slept. Smile stars Sosie Bacon, Jessie T. Usher, Kyle Gallner, Caitlin Stasey, Kal Penn, and Rob Morgan.

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2. Don't Worry Darling

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    (Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures)
  • Week Two
  • Weekend: $7.3 million
  • Total: $32.8 million

In the 1950s, Alice and Jack live in the idealized community of Victory, an experimental company town that houses the men who work on a top-secret project. While the husbands toil away, the wives get to enjoy the beauty, luxury and debauchery of their seemingly perfect paradise. However, when cracks in her idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something sinister lurking below the surface, Alice can't help but question exactly what she's doing in Victory.

Olivia Wilde directed Don't Worry Darling from a screenplay by Katie Silberman. The film stars Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Wilde, Gemma Chan, KiKi Layne, Nick Kroll, and Chris Pine.

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3. The Woman King

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    (Photo: Sony Pictures)
  • Week Three
  • Weekend: $7 million
  • Total: $46.7 million

In the 1800s, a group of all-female warriors protects the African kingdom of Dahomey with skills and fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Faced with a new threat, Gen. Nanisca trains the next generation of recruits to fight against a foreign enemy that's determined to destroy their way of life.

Gina Prince-Bythewood directed The Woman King from a screenplay by Dana Stevens, based on a story she wrote with Maria Bello. The film stars Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, and John Boyega.

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4. Bros

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    (Photo: Universal Pictures)
  • Opening Weekend
  • Total: $4.8 million

Bobby is a neurotic podcast host who's happy to go on Tinder dates and content not to have a serious relationship. That all changes when he meets Aaron, an equally detached lawyer who likes to play the field. Repeatedly drawn to each other, both men begin to show their vulnerable sides as their undeniable attraction turns into something resembling a commitment.

Nicholas Stoller directed Bros from a screenplay he co-wrote with Billy Eichner. The film stars Eichner, Luke Macfarlane, Bowen Yang, Harvey Fierstein, Ts Madison, Monica Raymund, Guillermo Díaz, Guy Branum, Amanda Bearse, and Jim Rash.

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5. Avatar

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    (Photo: 20th Century Studios)
  • Week Two of Re-release
  • Weekend: $4.7 million
  • Total: $779.1 million

On the lush alien world of Pandora live the Na'vi, beings who appear primitive but are highly evolved. Because the planet's environment is poisonous, human/Na'vi hybrids, called Avatars, must link to human minds to allow for free movement on Pandora. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paralyzed former Marine, becomes mobile again through one such Avatar and falls in love with a Na'vi woman (Zoe Saldana). As a bond with her grows, he is drawn into a battle for the survival of her world.

James Cameron wrote and directed Avatar. The film stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sigourney Weaver

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6. Ponniyan Selvan: I

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  • Opening Weekend
  • Total: $4.1 million

A warrior sets out to establish peace in a land ravaged by war.

Mani Ratnam directed Ponniyan Selvan: I and co-wrote the screenplay with Elango Kumaravel and B. Jeyamohan, based on Kalki Krishnamurthy's 1955 novel Ponniyin Selvan. The film's ensemble cast includes Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Trisha, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sobhita Dhulipala, Prabhu, R. Sarathkumar, Vikram Prabhu, Jayaram, Prakash Raj, Rahman, and R. Parthiban.

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7. Barbarian

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    (Photo: 20th Century Studios)
  • Week Four
  • Weekend: $2.8 million
  • Total: $33.1 million

A young woman discovers the rental home she booked is already occupied by a stranger. Against her better judgment, she decides to spend the night but soon discovers there's a lot more to fear than just an unexpected house guest.

Zach Cregger wrote and directed Barbarian. It stars Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, and Justin Long.

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8. Bullet Train

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    (Photo: Sony Pictures)
  • Week Nine
  • Weekend: $1.4 million
  • Total: $101.3 million

Ladybug is an unlucky assassin who's determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs has gone off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans as his latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe -- all with connected yet conflicting objectives -- on the world's fastest train.

David Leitch directed Bullet Train from a screenplay by Zak Olkewicz, based on the novel by Kōtarō Isaka. The movie stars Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Benito A Martínez Ocasio, and Sandra Bullock.

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9. DC League of Super-Pets

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    (Photo: Warner Bros.)
  • Week 10
  • Weekend: $1.3 million
  • Total: $91.7 million

Krypto the Super-Dog and Superman are inseparable best friends, sharing the same superpowers and fighting crime side by side in Metropolis. However, when the Man of Steel and the rest of the Justice League are kidnapped, Krypto must convince a ragtag group of animals to master their own newfound powers for a rescue mission.

Jared Stern directed DC League of Super-Pets and co-wrote the story with John Whittington. The movie's voices cast includes Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, Thomas Middleditch, Ben Schwartz, and Keanu Reeves.

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10. Top Gun: Maverick

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    (Photo: Paramount Pictures)
  • Week 20
  • Weekend: $1.23 million
  • Total: $713.4 million

After more than 30 years of service as one of the Navy's top aviators, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. Training a detachment of graduates for a special assignment, Maverick must confront the ghosts of his past and his deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who choose to fly it.

Joseph Kosinski directs Top Gun: Maverick from a screenplay written by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie. The film stars Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris, and Val Kilmer.

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