By George & Josh Bate
Two years ago, Smile proved to be a surprise hit no one saw coming. Originally slated for a straight-to-streaming release on Paramount+, the feature debut from writer/director Parker Finn received strong reviews from test screenings and was soon shifted to a theatrical release. What resulted was a horror film that became a viral sensation, grossed over $200 million at the global box office, earned a solid 80% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and saw Finn sign a first-look deal with Paramount Pictures to develop more horror projects for the studio. Naturally, a sequel was inevitable and arrives right in time for 2024’s Halloween season. But does Smile 2 improve upon its predecessor? Unfortunately, no, despite some admirable efforts.
Smile 2 stars Naomi Scott as Skye Riley, a famous pop artist who is attempting a comeback after struggles with substance use led to the death of her partner and the near derailment of her career. When she witnesses a troubled man brandishing a maniacal smile brutally kill himself, Skye inherits a curse that sees her entire world turn upside down, blurring the lines between what’s real and fake as she is terrorized by menacing, smiling people.
Smile 2 starts off on incredibly strong footing, with an opening that ranks among the best in recent horror movie history. Parker Finn masterfully crafts a one-take sequence of Joel (played by Kyle Gallner, from the previous film) attempting to pass the Smile Entity’s curse onto another person. It is an unusual beginning for a horror film as it trades in traditional scares for an intense, more action-oriented sequence, something that would seemingly fit more so in a John Wick film than a Smile sequel. This enthralling opening sets the stage for a gripping movie to come, although sluggish pacing and a story overpopulated with visions and hallucinations drag the proceedings down.
Like numerous horror sequels, Smile 2 focuses on a different protagonist and, in Naomi Scott’s Skye Riley, finds a real winner. The ending of Smile saw Sosie Bacon’s character Rose Cotter kill herself and pass on the curse, meaning a sequel was always going to pivot its attention to a different lead. This makes sense given the supernatural presence plaguing characters in the Smile movies is an entity that passes on from person-to-person, much like the nebulous entity in It Follows. Whereas Rose in Smile was a more prototypical horror protagonist, Skye in Smile 2 is not. Writer/director Parker Finn opts to situate his sequel in a story of stardom, fame, exploitation, and substance use, themes previously untouched in the first film. Naomi Scott’s Skye Riley is a different kind of horror protagonist, for more reasons than one. Her profession as a global superstar pop singer means the character is under a unique set of stressors and exists in a world of fame not often explored in horror movies. Finn’s decision to focus the film on a different kind of protagonist and focus on themes discrepant from the previous movie’s is admirable as it makes Smile 2 as much an odyssey of fame, mental health, and substance as it is a big-studio horror movie. Surrounded by an overly long and hallucinogenic story, Smile 2 finds its greatest success in its exploration of fame, in large part due to the phenomenal performance from Naomi Scott.
Scott, who previously starred in the live-action Aladdin movie and the underappreciated Power Rangers reboot, produces a performance as Skye Riley that is the best the horror genre has seen in 2024. Scott carries the film with a performance so filled with a panic and distress so palpably contagious to the audience (much like the Smile curse itself). The desperation her character experiences and exploitation at the hands of those around her in the music industry are so genuinely realized by Scott. The actress makes Skye Riley far more than a stock horror film lead in delicately playing a character who has made mistakes, but remains so worthy of empathy nonetheless. Like real-life celebrities Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston, Skye suffers at the hands of those close trying to exploit her and those in the public complicit to her deterioration. If deprived of all of its supernatural and overtly horror elements, Smile 2 would still excel for its exploration of fame, mental health, and substance use, bolstered by a truly impressive lead performance from Scott.
Where Smile 2 stumbles is with its pacing and storyline. Parker Finn showcases once again that he is an excellent director, with numerous cleverly crafted scare scenes and scene transitions. Unfortunately though, his film overstays its welcome and needed 20+ minutes trimmed off its bulky 127 minute runtime. Slow burn horror movies can be extremely effective exercises in suspense and intensity, but Smile 2 doesn’t really fall into the category of slow burn horror. A lot is happening in the film, events are always propelling forward, but there is an enduring and surprising sense of boredom that sets in.
Compounding pacing issues is the film’s reality-bending storyline. It is not unusual for horror movies to feature all sorts of visions and surreal imagery as the lead character loses grip on reality, but Smile 2 takes this to the extreme. Even the first film, which played with visions the lead character was seeing, managed to stay more grounded in the world in which the story was unfolding, although this is not the case in the sequel. The film includes numerous ‘fake outs’ in which it is revealed that what has just transpired on screen has actually only occurred within the mind of our lead Skye. Once or twice, this sort of fake out can work, but it is a trope so overused in Smile 2 that it often deprives the film of its stakes and sense of story. All of this culminates in an ending twist that renders much of the preceding movie to be aimless in entirely changing (and not for the better) our perception of the events that have transpired.
Although the final act twist misses the mark, the ultimate conclusion of Smile 2 is executed well. It is an ending that, in many ways, feels inevitable and yet still comes as a surprise when it finally happens. The ending sets the stage for more grand stories in this universe to come, which hopefully expand upon the film’s mysterious supernatural entity and the lore behind it (which Smile 2 unfortunately lacks).
VERDICT: 6/10
The inevitable sequel to 2022’s surprise hit, Smile 2 continues to follow the passing of the Smile Entity curse in a sequel commendable for its lead performance and exploration of deeper themes of fame and mental health, but, ultimately, hindered by sluggish pacing and an overly reality-bending story. Beginning with a superb one-take sequence that would not be out of place in a John Wick-esque movie, Parker Finn’s sophomore effort eventually overstays its welcome with a bulky 127 minute runtime that makes the film fit more so into the category of ‘boring’ rather than ‘effective slow burn.’ More success, however, is found with its focus on Skye Riley – a different kind of horror movie protagonist, who opens the door for the film’s captivating exploration of several nuanced themes. And Skye is brought to life by Naomi Scott, who delivers the year’s best horror movie performance. Unfortunately, the sequel deteriorates with an overabundance of visions, hallucinations, and ‘fake outs’ that repeatedly reveal that what has just transpired on screen has actually only occurred in the mind of our lead character. This culminates in a frustrating ending twist that renders much of the preceding movie pointless, although the final note on which the movie concludes terrifically raises the stakes and opens the door for grander stories to come. Smile 2 may not be the breakout smash that its predecessor was, although writer/director Parker Finn and company should crack a smile at being able to follow-up their surprise hit with a sequel commendable for its ambitions.