Smile 2 is a superior sequel to the 2022 horror hit in every conceivable way. Originally sold to Paramount Pictures based on a short film by writer/director Parker Finn, Smile was scheduled as a post-lockdown streaming release for Paramount Plus. And yet, a pivot towards a theatrical release proved worth the risk—big time. Suddenly, with clever viral marketing, solid reviews, and great word-of-mouth, the film grossed over 200 million worldwide. A sequel was a given. The shocker is just how much better the blood-soaked follow-up has turned out to be. Starring Naomi Scott (Aladdin) in a killer performance as a grin-infected pop star, Smile 2 presents a modern take on fame but is also wickedly old school in the way deaths, thrills, and the right amount of humor make for a fun R-rated theatrical experience.
The Setup: As she’s about to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley (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.
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Too many horror sequels (see The Paranormal Activity series) tend to provide more lore and explanations in each installment with diminishing returns. Like the diva at the center of the sequel’s tale, Smile 2 smartly sticks to what’s important: tension, disturbing sound cues, and creative kills. Think of those nasty moments as the hook to every pop song, a moment you can’t get out of your head. And at a brisk 127 minutes, it’s a kind of double album for horror fans.
Intrusive thoughts and the need to expel them are the heart of Finn’s films. How the characters get so overwhelmed, narratively speaking, is a demon or some otherworldly being that feeds off of the host’s trauma. If the first film was a deep dive into the nuts and bolts presented much like the 2000s era classic The Ring with a week deadline via a murderous chain letter cycle, the sequel (mostly) ditches the need to over-explain what is, admittedly, a pretty bonkers premise: the smiling infected must kill themselves in front of another to allow the creature to latch on to the next victim.
Where the first movie focused on a grounded therapist (a strong Sosie Bacon) dealing with PTSD regarding her childhood, Skye’s life is bigger than almost everyone else on the planet. By going bolder, more colorful, and for sure less subtle, the stage is set for grandiose spectacle, which thrives with each set piece getting bigger and bigger. Joker: Folie à Deux might have been marketed as a musical, but Smile 2 knows how to put on a stadium-filled show with costume changes, stunning choreography, and, yeah, buckets of blood. One of the best scenes comes about halfway through, as Skyler’s backup dancers infest her mind as the scariest troupe ever.
Also, not for nothing, but as long as we’re bringing up Todd Phillips’ terrible sequel, writer/director Parker Finn is a much more generous filmmaker in the way he doles out vibes that veer into nihilism. Yes, the plot of both films can be of the “no way to win” variety, but Finn, especially with this recent offering, never forgets to entertain. Full of harsh close-ups and some of the best jump scares in recent memory, there’s a push-pull from abject terror to laughing so much one might grin right back at the screen.
Still, just as a big happy face adorning a pain assessment chart at the local urgent care seems to mock a patient seeking medical attention, a ginormous smile in flesh and blood is by no means any easier to witness. Social media, in particular, can be assaultive, with an endless feed of influencers beaming ear-to-ear across tiny screens. Was there ever anything genuine behind all those teeth? Even Smile 2 can’t help but use Hollywood legend Jack Nicholson’s son Ray in a small but important role. He certainly has his father’s grin.
Smile 2 proves that sometimes the original is just a warm-up. This film feels like an improvement in every way, including the surreal visuals. Focusing on (fictional) superstar Skye Riley pushes Charlie Sarroff’s intense cinematography even further. Repeated shots of the city skyline turned upside down, and visceral flashbacks are at once hyper-real and the kind of reality one thinks the life of a pop star to be. As a pop fan, I sort of wish Skye (by way of the stellar Scott) was a real singer. No doubt I’d hit StubHub for front-row seats (I just wouldn’t want to be caught smiling too hard at the show).
Smile 2 opens in theaters on October 18, 2024.
