SMILE 2:
HORROR SEQUEL PUT A HUGE SMILE ON MY FACE!
By Nico Beland
Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4
PARAMOUNT PICTURES
Naomi Scott in Smile 2
The smiling demonic entity is back and this time it’s stalking Naomi Scott (Power Rangers (2017), Aladdin (2019), Charlie’s Angels (2019)) in Smile 2, the sequel to the 2022 horror hit, Smile. The first movie surprised me when it came out because when I saw trailers and ads for it, I thought it looked dumb and similar to the 2018 Blumhouse bomb, Truth or Dare? which I’ve never seen but heard was awful, but it turned out to be a solid and quite frightening horror movie that takes a pretty absurd premise and makes it work.
A lot of people agreed as it was a critical and commercial success…which meant Smile was not going to be a self-contained movie and now we have a sequel with Parker Finn returning to direct. Much like when the first movie came out, I wasn’t expecting much out of a sequel to Smile since we already know what the monster looks like and what it’s all about; the novelty and suspense has faded now…or so I thought until actually watching it…HOLY FUCK!
Smile 2 completely exceeded my expectations, even more so than when I saw the first and I’ll even go on record and say I found this one more entertaining, better paced, and yes, scarier than its predecessor. Oh, and Naomi Scott at her best here…more on that in a moment!
Sometime after the events of the first movie, the film follows global pop sensation, Skye Riley (Scott) preparing for a world tour. But she starts experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events after coming in contact with the unseen smiling entity.
Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and pressures of fame, Skye is forced to confront her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.
The film also stars Rosemarie DeWitt (Cinderella Man, Rachel Getting Married, La La Land) as Skye’s mother and manager Elizabeth, Dylan Gelula (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Flower, Dream Scenario) as Skye’s estranged best friend Gemma, Peter Jacobson (House, Colony, Fly Me to the Moon) as a nurse who helps Skye in stopping the entity named Morris, Ray Nicholson (Promising Young Woman, Licorice Pizza, Out of the Blue) as Skye’s deceased boyfriend and actor Paul Hudson, Lukas Gage (The White Lotus, Euphoria, Road House (2024)) as drug dealer and acquaintance of Skye named Lewis, and Kyle Gallner (A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), Outsiders, Scream (2022)) reprising his role as police officer Joel.
Overall, Smile 2 is the unexpected horror sequel that surpasses its predecessor in just about every way. Not to put down the first Smile as I enjoyed that film immensely and thought it was a well-crafted horror movie surrounding the psychological effects of mental health but adding that on top of the intense pressures of superstardom here is fricking brilliant and takes the concept to the next level.
With the first movie, it seemed like they were still trying to figure out what tone and style the film would be like whereas with this it felt like Parker Finn was given a blank check to do whatever he wanted, embraced the madness, and delivered a bonkers follow-up that acknowledges both the horror and comedic aspects of this premise.
Yes, Smile 2 can be funny at times, but not in a way where it’s distracting or feels out of place. A lot of the comedy comes from other people reacting to Naomi Scott overreacting to her hallucinations with her estranged friend delivering some great dry remarks and this completely insane scene involving an old lady at a charity event that’s simultaneously terrifying and hilarious.
Naomi Scott is pitch perfect in this movie and a lot of that comes from the fact she has a great scared shitless face for a horror movie like what a lot of other critics pointed out and yes, I agree while also just being incredibly captivating and likable when onscreen. Because this entity is affecting her mentally, Naomi goes hard with her performance here and you legitimately feel bad for this thing ruining her life in many ways, it’s easily up there with Demi Moore from The Substance as one of the best horror performances of the year.
I thought of The Substance a few times during this movie, particularly in its last act which I dare not give away. While I can’t say it has as big a staying power as the climax of The Substance, it still left a shocking impression once the credits started.
Like the first film, the music is exceptionally well-composed and enhances the creepiness to what’s happening. It doesn’t go super over-the-top during scares in favor of more subtle uses of music and droning sounds that add to the terror.
Where jump scares in the Conjuring films for example often get overused to the point of staleness, both Smile movies master the craftsmanship of good jump scares that are brilliantly executed and get genuine reactions out of the audience. Through strong buildup, sound design, and good payoffs, these are jump scares that feel integral to what the entity does and don’t feel like a cheap cop out.
The movie is also pretty fucking gory at times though I wouldn’t call it a full-on gore-fest like a lot of slasher movies. There are some grotesque and grisly death scenes and flashes of deformed victims with body parts and blood everywhere, but this is a more psychological threat rather than your average serial killer.
Smile 2 is a stellar sequel to a solid horror movie that surpasses its predecessor and delivers a truly frightening and entertaining night at the movies. The scares are even more effective, the comedy doesn’t feel out of place, the story is engaging, and Naomi Scott gives her best performance ever.
It’s pretty obvious I came out of the film with a sick and disturbed smile on my face and I hope the same thing happens to you. With two Smile movies that completely surpassed my expectations, I will be onboard from the beginning for Smile 3 whenever that may be.
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