Smile 2 Review

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Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

“Smile” was one of 2022’s most surprising films. It was surprisingly scary and made lots of money at the box office. A sequel was inevitable, but luckily director Parker Finn has a fresh story for audiences. The story takes place six days after the original, where Joel is trying to shed the curse. After an unexpected series of events, the curse is soon transferred to pop star Skye Riley. She is planning a comeback tour after some personal struggles forced her to pause her career. She quickly realizes that a dark entity is taking control of her life, putting her new tour in jeopardy. Can Skye break the curse of the trauma demon? Or will she be the latest victim in its horrific pattern?

Positives:

I was part of the crowd that enjoyed the first “Smile”. It had a unique way of telling a familiar story. Director Parker Finn showcased his potential with some eerie camera work and terrifying imagery. I’m happy to report that he has elevated “Smile 2” in nearly every way. Everything about the film is bigger. The budget, scale, scares and premise are all magnified in this one. I really enjoyed seeing a change of pace in regards to the main character we follow. Where Rose was living a smaller life as a therapist, Skye is a celebrity with more pressure in her daily routine. Everything felt more intense and visceral this time around due to everything that Skye is dealing with. Her personal life is filled with struggles, so seeing the entity play on that was a great touch. The film is very well shot, continuing the trend of upside down panning of the camera to create a distorted vision for the viewer. There is also an outstanding one shot take to begin the movie. It has excellent sound design to elevate the jump scares and eerie sequences. I saw the film in Dolby so everything was cranked up to the max. The film manages to maintain its unique visual style that made the first so memorable. I can’t forget to mention the carnage candy either. The gore is elevated from the first film, giving the diehards something to appreciate. 

The film also features some excellent scares. Finn doubles down on the tense, unnerving vibe that the first captured so well. Since Skye is a celebrity with a larger platform, the anxiety she faces is maximized. She has lots of people who are relying on her and crazed fans who are obsessed with her comeback. The story ties in some commentary on the pressures of being a celebrity and how being surrounded by people with selfish interests is common. This on top of Skye’s personal struggles make it easy for the entity to torment her. I thought the idea of having a celebrity being the entity’s victim is a great idea. Rose didn’t have the media pressures and public demand that Skye does, so when Skye has a crazy outburst it is magnified by the press. This kind of story wouldn’t be possible without Naomi Scott’s terrific performance. She exceeded my expectations in every way, conveying the troubled pop star persona with poise. She is tasked with a lot here, conveying sadness, stress, and the physical demands of a psychologically deteriorating celebrity. It’s unfortunate that horror is often overlooked at the awards ceremonies because her work is excellent here. 

Negatives:

There is no doubt that “Smile 2” is a success, but it was so close to being an all timer. The main aspect that holds it back is the familiarity of it all. The story is very similar to the original film, which felt more fresh in its execution. While the sequel improves on a technical level, the plot is nearly a beat for beat retread. I’m hoping that the next film provides some more context about the entity and mixes up the formula of the story. If they make another film and follow the same template then audiences will start to lose interest. 

In the first film, the entity played with Rose’s sense of reality. It was an effective use of psychological stress combined with the exploration of trauma. Here, I believe the entity plays with Skye’s sense of reality a bit too much. There is a twist towards the end of the film that subverts the story too much. It made me wonder how much of what happened before was really happening. This is an effective tool when used sparingly…but here it is overdone. This combined with a runtime that is slightly too long brought the film down a notch for me.

Conclusion:

Flaws aside, “Smile 2” is one of the best horror films of the year. It elevates the film in nearly every way, crafting some uniquely unnerving scares. I enjoyed seeing Naomi Scott deliver a powerhouse performance as Skye Riley. I hope she gets the recognition she deserves for the role. Although the story is familiar and goes on too long, this is a very satisfying entry in the franchise that opens up so many possibilities for future films. Check this one out in a packed theater to hear audiences gasping and wincing at every turn. It’s a perfect movie for the Halloween season!