Warning: This article discusses suicide.
In 2022, Parker Finn wrote and directed the supernatural horror movie Smile, a skin-crawling viewing experience that became a successful sleeper hit with $105 million domestically and $217 million globally. The first Smile movie has an 80% rating on rotten tomatoes and was praised for its “deeply creepy visuals” and “unsettling exploration of trauma.” That film was once slated for direct-to-streaming but has now become a franchise with the release of Smile 2 into theatres on October 18. Smile 2 increases the creepy visuals and use of trauma that made the first film great and surpasses the original with its scale and stakes.
Like all horror franchises, the Smile films revolve around their bad guy. The Smile entity, a large skinless caterpillar-like being with multiple mouths, makes its host see warped illusions of reality (specifically, people with creepy smiles that aren’t really there) and severs them from the important people in their life. After seven days, the Smile entity then fully possesses the hosts, smiles big, and commits suicide in a horrifying way in front of another person, who then becomes the new host.
At the end of the first Smile film, police detective Joel (Kyle Gallner) witnesses the self-immolation of his former girlfriend after she becomes infected by the Smile entity, which starts his infection. Smile 2 picks up seven days later with Joel trying to save his own life by committing a violent murder in front of a witness (which would pass the Smile entity onto the witness of the murder). His plan goes awry, and he ends up infecting drug dealer Lewis (Lukas Gage).
The movie then focuses on music star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott), who is about to launch a comeback tour a year after surviving a terrible car accident. played by actress Naomi Scott. Her concert dance routines leave her still-recovering body in pain, but she cannot get prescription painkillers after just getting out of rehab. She goes to get pain medication from Lewis the drug dealer, sees him commit a horrible act of suicide, and becomes the new host for the Smile entity.
Smile 2 has an amazing cast. Naomi Scott’s performance is impressive, not just in how she depicts Riley’s wild emotions but in the singing and dancing her pop star character must do (though she was great as Jasmine in the live-action Aladdin remake, so this shouldn’t be a surprise). Dylan Gelula is realistic and often darkly funny in her role as Skye’s estranged best friend Gemma, and Rosemary DeWitt brings full stage mom intensity as Skye’s mother and manager.
The visual effects are haunting. They aren’t different from the first film but are more advanced. For instance, the first Smile featured a memorable upside down shot as protagonist Rose drove away from the city; the sequel has an upside-down shot over the city and into the window of Skye’s apartment. The music is also used really well in this film–the same sinister chords as the original are played during a scary scene but also mixed into Riley’s pop hits.
The consistency with the first film makes Smile 2 feel familiar, but the way it elevates its scares is shocking at times. With a big star being haunted, the film goes bigger with frightening stages, possessed backup dancers, and unsettling fans that are too obsessed with the pop idol. There are a bunch of jump scares, just like in the first movie, but there are also many moments of tension where the audience expects a scare but nothing happens.
Smile 2 isn’t a perfect film—those hoping that more would be explained about the Smile entity, like what it is or where it comes from, will surely be disappointed that those questions still aren’t answered. This isn’t a big deal until the ending, as audiences are left unsure about exactly who will be infected by the Smile entity next. The film even introduces a character who is on the hunt to kill the entity—Morris, played by Peter Jacobson—but he fails to tell the audience anything they didn’t already know from the first film.
Despite some flaws, Smile 2 is more real, more disturbing, and more thrilling than the first installment. Each scare is unexpected, the performances are fantastic, and the plot is suspenseful. Those who don’t like films with gore or suicide may want to stay away (or cover their eyes during a couple of brief scenes), but almost every other horror lover will be more than satisfied with this Halloween treat.
