Smile 2 (2024)
Bigger and Better?
The Smile films are proof that horror movies can make anything terrifying. Seriously, a horror series based on smiling? It’s such a weird concept, but it’s struck a chord with audiences and critics alike.
For the uninitiated, Smile and its sequel are about people who are possessed by a mysterious entity. The victims flash a terrifying smile and then brutally off themselves in a variety of gruesome and creative ways. The entity then moves on to a person who witnessed the previous victims’ death. It spreads similarly to a virus.
Smile 2 is a typical sequel in many ways. It seeks to outdo the original by topping its gore, outrageousness, and even its nihilistic ending. Believe me, if you thought the ending to the first Smile was depressing, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!
The first Smile was about Rose Scott, a therapist played by Sosie Bacon. Smile 2 picks up the story about a week after the first film’s conclusion. The movie is fronted by Skye Riley (Naomi Scott), a famous pop star. Having a celebrity singer protagonist is an interesting idea. There haven’t been many horror movies with a celebrity as the main character.
Skye, who is about to embark on a new tour, deals with all the usual pop star problems: bad publicity, harassing reporters, constant pressure from fans, etc. She copes by taking illegal drugs. Unfortunately, her dealer has been cursed by the entity from the first film. Skye contracts the curse after he smiles and then bludgeons himself to death in front of her. She goes through a similar arc to Rose from the previous installment. Can she figure out the curse and break it before the entity takes full possession?
Naomi Scott gives a wild performance as Skye. Her performance might seem to be overacting to some, but I think it fits perfectly with the movie’s crazed, frenetic tone. She is totally believable as a pop star. Scott is a professional singer, so she was a fitting choice for the role.
This movie did annoy me when it pulled the cliched “it was all a dream” trick that we’ve all seen a million times. I hate it when movies (and novels) do this. It’s so tired and stale.
Basically a Supercharged Version of the First Movie
This installment expands on the mythology introduced in the first film. Skye is able to find out more about the entity than Rose ever did. The final scene reveals far more than we’ve seen before.
It’s fun to learn more about the entity, but I always have mixed feelings when horror series demystify their antagonists. Villains tend to be less scary the more we know about them. These diminishing returns can significantly weaken a series in the long run.
It’s challenging to balance satisfying viewers who are hungry to know more, while keeping the entity mysterious enough to remain creepy.
Smile 2 surpasses the original in many ways. This is a relatively rare feat for a part 2. Parker Finn, who directed both films, has topped himself here. The storyline, gore, and atmosphere are all better done this time. Also, I found Skye to be a much more interesting protagonist than Rose.
Both Smiles, especially the second one, do a decent job of building tension and being creepy. Still, I didn’t find either film particularly frightening, The “scary smile” concept still seems kinda silly to me.
Rating
I liked Smile 2 more than the original. I consider both movies good, but not great. I’m not sure if the series’ concept is enough to sustain a long term franchise, but I would be interested in seeing what a Smile 3 would be like. A third movie is reportedly planned for a potential 2025 release.
Rating from 1 (avoid at all cost) to 10 (masterpiece): 7
