Horror Short Review: Smiling Woman Birthday (2025)

Well, it has been a while, but the mysterious Smiling Woman is back in ACMofficial’s latest entry in their long running ‘Smiling Woman’ series of horror shorts. Called Smiling Woman Birthday, this latest short comes from writer and director Alex Magaña, with Jed Brian co-writing, and stars Andressa Robles and Daria Good.

The former plays Grace, who has returned home after a long shift as a nurse, we know this because she has a stethoscope around her neck, still. Stepping out her car, clearly worn out, we see the figure of the latest Smiling Woman as Grace receives a message on her phone that simply says ‘Hi’. Looking around, she finds she is alone, so she heads inside.

Now regular viewers of the Smiling Woman shorts will know exactly how this one plays out, as bit by bit, things get creepier, and the woman edges ever closer. However, here we do have a fun twist on a birthday celebration making this one a livelier watch. It also results in some unnerving scenes as the Smiling Woman makes herself known to Grace.

I liked this, I don’t always like these shorts, but this one was effective and realistic, which is not always something I expect to see. Sure, the series has overstayed its welcome, but if ACMofficial are going to keep making them, this kind of effort is appreciated.