“Smile 2” builds on the original film

It’s always difficult to make a sequel to a surprise hit, as films like this are rarely planned with the long-term development of the franchise in mind. That’s why writer-director Parker Finn’s return for the follow-up to his 2022 horror sensation Smile seemed like a dubious prospect, especially given the high expectations that come with trying to copy such a unique success.

I’m relieved to say that “Smile 2” (which opens in theaters Friday) is a mostly satisfactory step forward for Finn and the burgeoning horror series, even if it doesn’t make the case for an ongoing “Smile” universe.

But that’s a good thing – instead of focusing on the clunky world-building, Finn instead tells another frightening story with the same basic structure but on a larger scale. The weakest parts of “Smile 2” concern its expansion of the series mythology, as its horrors are at their scariest when left unexplained.

The film deals most effectively with the mental breakdown of its protagonist, pop singer Skye Riley (Naomi Scott), who is afflicted with the same curse that therapist Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) struggled with in the first film.

“Smile 2” takes up the plot of the original film and expands it at the same time

SMILE 2 | Final Trailer (2024) – Naomi Scott, Lukas Gage – YouTube

Keep looking

“Smile 2” opens with a title card that reads “Six Days Later,” and the opening sequence features Kyle Gallner’s recurring police detective, a direct continuation of his arc from the previous film. This might be a little confusing for viewers who haven’t seen “Smile” or don’t remember certain details, but Gallner’s performance really just serves as a bridge to the main plot, which is self-contained enough to stand on its own.

The core concept of both films is pretty simple anyway, with elements lifted from popular horror films like The Ring, Final Destination and It Follows. Through horrific mock suicides, a curse is passed from person to person, with the witness of each death becoming the next victim. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time when her drug dealer (Lukas Gage) meets his gruesome end means Skye is now cursed to see demented, smiling figures wherever she goes, with only a week left until she suffers the same fate.

That’s exactly what happened to Rose in the original, but Skye leads a much more prominent life and has also barely recovered from a serious car accident and a serious cocaine addiction. Her controlling, passive-aggressive manager (Rosemarie DeWitt) pressures her to get back on the road, and it’s clear she’s buckling under the demands of her career even before she’s ambushed by an evil entity.

While Skye’s character arc is similar to Rose’s – ranging from denial to acceptance to despair and defiance – the showbiz setting has a different feel and allows Finn to enact similar horrors in new contexts. There are plenty of jump scares, but they rarely feel cheap, instead creating a feeling of pure fear in the audience that fits Skye’s state of mind.

“Smile 2” is better at emotional breakdowns than supernatural mythology

Lukas Gage as Lewis in

(Image credit: Album / Alamy Stock Photo / Paramount Pictures)

For much of the film, the curse acts as an exacerbated version of what Skye is already struggling with as she works to put her life and career back together after severe trauma. Scott is excellent as a nervous, insecure perfectionist who dances through the chronic pain of her injuries and constantly drinks bottled water as a dubious method of therapy. “Smile 2” could fit alongside other dramas about the dark side of female pop stardom, such as “Her Smell,” “Vox Lux” and the 2018 version of “A Star Is Born.”

Of course, there’s more to it than that, and the horrors escalate in the third act as Skye becomes increasingly desperate in her efforts to defeat the curse. Finn even introduces the horror movie classic of the grizzled, mysterious expert who has the knowledge necessary to help the protagonist defeat evil, and the scenes with Peter Jacobson as the haunted brother of a previous Smile Curse victim are the least of it convincing aspect of the film.

Jacobson’s presence leads directly to a confused finale in which Finn’s ambitions exceed his abilities, and “Smile 2” ends with a confusing climax that relies too heavily on another plot device borrowed from one of his influences. Finn can’t quite capture the dreamlike atmosphere that such an abstract narrative turn requires.

Still, there are striking, disturbing images throughout the film, and while “Smile 2” will frustrate the viewer a little, it will also shock and unsettle them, as a good horror film should. That’s an impressive feat for what seemed like it could be a redundant sequel – I just hope Finn knows how to stop while he’s ahead and doesn’t risk ruining everything with Smile 3 ruin.

“Smile 2” builds on the original film – with mostly good results

Recent Posts