While Smile’s clever writing and effective twists meant the movie always deserved to be a hit, earning $140 million (and counting) on a budget of $17 million without any A-list stars reflects how much theater releases can assist horror movies. Smile’s success came down to word-of-mouth (and an ingenious viral marketing campaign), neither of which would have worked if the movie had arrived on VOD at the same time as its theater debut. Similarly, the elements that have made Terrifier 2 so controversial, its intense gore and shock value, don’t work as well on Netflix or Amazon Prime, where viewers can pause, switch tabs, and check out any time.

While reports of viewers fainting and passing out might be a bit hyperbolic, the movie’s director Leone is right to note that 2016's original Terrifier is arguably even nastier than its sequel. However, crucially, few viewers saw that movie in cinemas. The best horror movies of 2022, whether they are studio releases like Smile or independent movies like Terrifier 2, prove that the horror genre can turn the theater-going experience into a selling point. As a result, horror movies have been able to exceed box-office expectations throughout 2022 primarily because the genre can create a must-see movie event without a high budget.