Smile as a franchise first took the world by storm with a combination of creepy marketing and a creepier story that resonated with horror fans in 2022. Considering the success and concept of the first film, it seemed like an easy enough bet to know that Paramount would quickly greenlight a sequel. What many fans might not have bet on was the idea that Smile 2, in its premise, goes bigger, badder, and manages to weave a story that makes it both surpass its predecessor and become one of the best horror films of 2024. Smile 2 is a relentless, unnerving film that brings some of the biggest scares for the spooky season.
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Smile 2 follows a pop star, Skye Riley (Naomi Scott), as she struggles with past addiction and a career comeback that she is hoping will help her rise to the top once again. Skye is joined by her mother and her right-hand assistant, who act more as handlers to Riley as if she were a theme park attraction versus a loved one. In attempting to score some drugs to help with her back pain, the singer gets dragged into the supernatural curse that helped make the first film a worthy addition to Paramount’s horror library. Trying to find a way to save her own life, Smile 2 examines both the predicament of Scott’s character, thanks to the supernatural affliction, and the dark side of celebrity, in unique ways.
Much like its predecessor, Smile 2‘s story as a concept feels like it could have ultimately been “phoned in,” but turns the tables on any preconceived notions and jam-packs its scripts with jump scares and a lingering dread. Whenever there is a quick fright to be had here, the sequel uses it effectively and in some rather ingenious ways. There’s a particular scene involving a smiling dance troop which is sure to send shivers down many viewers’ skins, for example. On top of this, writer/director Parker Finn, who was responsible for the first film, injects an uncomfortable tone into the film overall that will stick with you long after the credits roll.
In general, Smile’s 2’s premise of having the curse infect a “celebrity” is an exceptionally strong springboard here. Riley’s journey is one wherein she feels both overexposed and claustrophobic, never quite able to get the help she needs in a world that she both fears and one that she simultaneously is scared to destroy. The horror sequel also has fun with its premise, as Skye will routinely be pushed into more skin-crawling scenarios thanks to her mother’s need for the tour to go off without a hitch. In one hilariously dark scene, a gun-touting Skye screams to be left alone as one of her managers begs her to “think of the tour.” Smile 2 knows when to focus on some black comedy to add a touch of levity to Skye’s terrible run-in with a supernatural monstrosity.
Finn returns to writing and directing duties here and brings a stronger sense of both with Smile 2. Some of the camera work in this film almost feels downright experimental, shifting the camera in ways to heighten the tension or make a viewer uncomfortable by focusing a little too closely on a face that is flashing its pearly whites. Moments are stretched, camera angles tilted, and sound design mixed in such ways that you never quite feel at ease in watching this horror sequel. Finn feels like a wizard with the camera here and the movie is all the better for it. I, personally, will be thinking of that extremely effective opening scene ( which follows just days after the events of the first film) for some time to come.
While Art the Clown might be the talk of the town in the blood-and-guts department, Smile 2 surprisingly attempts to play catch-up to the Terrifier villain here. On top of the imagery of creepy smiles filling up the poor pop star’s life, the kills are quite grotesque when they want to be. Finn is able to go “hard into the paint” on the blood here while using some imaginative sound design to have viewers think far worse of things that are transpiring in the darkness. Both what you see and what you don’t see in Smile 2 make for a bone-chilling symbiosis.
Naomi Scott has a lot to work with here in bringing pop star Skye Riley to life, as the horror heroine is already a nervous wreck, thanks to her long-time bout with drugs, alcohol, and a daredevil lifestyle in the film’s early minutes. Riley is a conflicted character, unable to quite get a grasp on herself, let alone the new supernatural menace that is lurking around every corner. Scott is truly a star here as the multi-layered pop idol, helping sell the horrifying events she’s a part of while sometimes regressing to a child-like state when her mother, played deliciously nefariously here by Rosemarie DeWitt, reminds her how much her fans depend on her. You also can’t help but feel terrible for Skye, especially during some truly uncomfortable scenes wherein things go more than a little wrong in delivering a speech about “inspiration.” Scott sells every scene and it wouldn’t surprise me if she gets a lot of recognition for her work here.
The ending might be a little predictable when you start thinking about the overall premise and how the “Smile” curse works, but that doesn’t halt the enjoyment of seeing how Skye’s terrifying journey plays out. Much like the rest of the movie, the ending, predictable as it might be, is one that is executed strongly and presents a chilling visual that I certainly can’t recall seeing in many other movies this year, let alone ever in the horror genre. Smile 2 works on several levels and all the aspects feed into one another to make for an excellent horror outing that is firing all cylinders.
Smile 2 takes what made the first movie work and improves upon it in quite a few ways. If you enjoyed the first Smile, Smile 2 is definitely worth catching and here’s to hoping that creator Parker Finn has far more stories to tell in this developing horror universe. Truly, the sky might be the limit for this unsettling horror franchise.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Smile 2 releases in theaters in North America on October 18th.
