Smile 2 channels Britney Spears with a pop diva's supernatural psychosis in a gruesome sequel with predictable narrative beats. Star Naomi Scott elevates the middling script in a gripping performance that showcases her remarkable range. She sings, dances, and melts down in utter terror as her world is torn to shreds by the smiling demon. The film's solid first act loses steam as its considerable runtime milks the premise dry. It takes forever for substantive progress, but will definitely appeal to those who embrace escalating torture and carnage.
Six Days Later...
About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.
- Release Date
- October 18, 2024
- Director
- Parker Finn
- Distributor(s)
- Paramount Pictures
- Naomi Scott is a revelation and perfect as both a scream queen and bona fide pop star.
- The production design is excellent, and the gore increases to stomach-churning levels.
- Smile 2 is too long and actually overly detailed, and needed a tighter edit.
- There's no new information about the demonic entity at all.
Six days after the original's macabre events, a police officer (Kyle Gallner) takes drastic measures to rid himself of the Smile curse. Let's just say that the plan doesn't go as expected. We're then introduced to the beautiful pop music diva Skye Riley (Scott) on Drew Barrymore's daytime talk show. The audience cheers loudly as Skye announces a comeback tour after a terrible past year. Her addiction to drugs and alcohol led to a fatal car accident that killed her movie star boyfriend. Skye, whose previously jet black hair is now short and blonde, admits to bearing physical and psychological scars from the significant trauma.
Elizabeth (Rosemarie DeWitt), Skye's controlling mother and manager, quickly shuttles her out of the studio past a throng of adoring fans. Sky's handed a bottle of Voss water from Joshua (Miles Gutierrez-Riley), her lackey assistant who caters to her every whim, which she chugs like a thirsty camel. Skye's been instructed to drink water every time she feels distressed. This ends up making Smile 2 like a two-hour Voss commercial. They must have paid half the budget for product placement.
Skye practices a dance routine for an important show. She collapses in pain from the complex choreography. Elizabeth calls it a day and takes Skye back to her palatial New York City penthouse, but she doesn't go home. Skye races to her high school drug dealer for pain relief. Lewis (Lukas Gage) opens the door in a neurotic state. Something bizarre and terrifying has been happening to him.
Excess Exposition (And Tons of Gore)
Smile 2's pop music-fueled plot comes as a big surprise. Skye is a completely different protagonist from Sosie Bacon's therapist in the first film. Where writer/director Parker Finn's first film found its allegory defined by guilt and suicidal ideation, this second film draws on superstar fame, social media's influence, and substance abuse.
The relationship between Skye and her domineering mother develops into a critical subplot. It's interesting on a dramatic level but steers the storyline away from the core horror element. Finn spends a lot of time showing Skye dolled up for fashion shoots, performing in elaborate set pieces, and throwing tantrums in her dressing room. This all adds up to big chunks of superfluous activity. It makes sense to explore Skye's family and career, but not at this depth. These scenes should have been much shorter for a leaner edit.
Finn amplifies the gore factor to stomach-churning heights. Kudos to the effects and makeup team for hideous realism. There's no CGI blood and guts here. The characters meet grisly fates that deserve a modicum of credit for murderous ingenuity. Audiences will gag and cheer as the deaths become increasingly graphic. Finn further twists the excruciating knife through visceral closeups. One especially horrific scene had my partner literally turning away from the screen in shock. Gore enthusiasts are going to have a field day.
Naomi Scott Holds Our Interest in the Overly Long Smile 2
Smile 2 has a few well-placed jump scares, but the overall fright factor doesn't compare to the original. The film is just too long. Finn's focus on Skye's mental breakdown mirrors his musical methodology. It's intricate to a fault. There are two ways to view the sluggish exposition. Some may laud Finn for character building. There's no stone untouched for Skye. Every inch of her decline is documented, but the terror wanes as a result. The dull stretches kill tension. You shouldn't be yawning at any point in a horror movie.
Smile: The Horror Behind Trauma and Guilt
Here's how the 2022 film Smile uses trauma to tell a terrifying story about guilt and overcoming past horror.
Scott is damn good in a demanding role. She's a scream queen with serious talent. Skye's addiction struggles are compounded by the entity's twisted mind games. She becomes a sobbing wreck as her world comes crashing down. But she also has to sing and dance throughout. Scott's stage presence is incredible. She's believable as a pop star capable of selling out arenas. This is probably where Finn became over-enamored with her during the editing process. The flashy stage performances look cool, but they can't overtake the film. Audiences want to be scared out of their seats, not have a dance party in the aisles.
Smile 2 offers no new information about the evil antagonist. That's disappointing. It plays along the exact same path as the original and goes exactly where you think it does. Finn really needed to throw us a bone. What is this thing? Where did it come from? We still don't have a clue. Smile 2 is an uneven experience. It's well-acted and fills the minimum scare quota, but drags on with unnecessary filler. Smile 2 is a production of Temple Hill Entertainment. It will be released theatrically on October 18th from Paramount Pictures.
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