The Movie Guru: “Smile 2” is bigger and bloodier, while “Saturday Night” has a fascinating story

Smile 2 (in cinemas)

It’s a bigger, bloodier “Smile” than the original.

“Smile 2” follows up on the surprise hit of 2022 and turns the original horror concept up to 11. The stomach-churning discomfort is the same as the original, along with the brutality of the scares, but the violence is allowed to play itself out on a much larger, pop culture-infused scale. This just adds a dash of humor and a few twists that are both fun and downright creepy. Not all the scares land, but enough does happen that fans leave the theater both horrified and satisfied.

The murderous Smile Demon from the original film is back, but this time the Smile Curse has found international pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott). After witnessing her friend’s horrific death, Riley continues to see his terrible smile as part of horrific visions wherever she looks. Fans of the original film will know that anyone who witnesses a death from the Smile Curse will die within a week, meaning the entire world could be in danger if Riley allows herself to go on her big international tour .

---

---

Scott is the film’s secret weapon, bringing an energy to the film that manages to elevate every scene she appears in. Even though they don’t get nearly as much screen time, Lukas Gage and Kyle Gallner (from the original film) are also excellent.

While the sheer volume of jump scares may be lacking – the film needs to trust its atmosphere more – the film goes in some intriguing directions. Should there be another sequel, “Smile 2” ensures that there will be some terrifying locations.

---

---

Grade: Three stars

Saturday evening (at the cinema)

“Saturday Night” is a fascinating story, but I’m not sure how much of a comedy it is.

The new film plays a little fast and loose in its claim to chronicle the chaotic 90 minutes before the very first episode of “Saturday Night Live,” full of contradictions and moments that wouldn’t occur until years in the future. Still, it does a wonderful job of capturing the backstage energy of the show’s early days, full of stormy young artists who weren’t yet the icons we know today. Although there is a certain amount of nostalgia and mythologizing, for the most part director Jason Reitman manages to give the film a sense of the moment that makes it seem like you’re backstage with everyone.

The cast really adds to the experience. Gabriel LaBelle is great as young Lorne Michaels, and Cory Michael Smith and Dylan O’Brien are incredibly good at bringing Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd to life. The women don’t get nearly enough attention, but the moments we get with them shine.

All in all, though, this is more of a film about a comedy than a comedy. We see the laughter, but not the early sketches that elicited that laughter, and even discussions of doing comedy are largely ignored in favor of another slice of the characters’ story. Yes, it’s funnier than most of the show’s final seasons, but the bar is so low that it shouldn’t be enough to qualify.

If you’re in the mood for a laugh, watch the old episodes for yourself. If you want to get a sense of how difficult it was to make these episodes, “Saturday Night” is for you.

Grade: Three stars

Jenniffer Wardell is an award-winning film critic and member of the Denver Film Critics Society. Find her on Twitter at @wardellwriter or drop her a message at [email protected].