‘Smile 2’ is better than the first part, even if it’s just more of the same

PHOENIX (AZFamily) – Open wide!

Synopsis

Smile 2 follows pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) as she tries to make a big comeback after a drug addiction and an accident that nearly killed her the year before. Skye’s comeback tour seems to be going well, but the pain of her accident causes her to secretly take Vicodin.

When Skye’s drug dealer, Lewis (Lukas Gage), commits suicide after giving her a creepy smile, Skye begins seeing smiling people stalking and pursuing her. Skye’s mother (Rosemarie DeWitt) and social circle all think she is going crazy, but Skye believes she is cursed and must figure out how to stop it.

My thoughts

The first for me Smile was one of those cases where it just didn’t live up to all the hype surrounding it. I didn’t really mind seeing it in the first place because I just don’t find the whole “creepy smiling person” thing that scary, but the hype was too much to ignore. People behaved like it was a horror movie for the ages.

So consider me disappointed when the movie turned out to be just… good? It’s not bad or anything. It’s well acted and expertly made, but just not that scary. Even though it didn’t really scare me, it seemed to have an effect on the majority of viewers, enough to allow it to make a lot of money and give Paramount the green light for a sequel. However, will it just be more of the same?

Smile like you mean it

Yes, it turns out to be basically more of the same, but that’s not exactly a bad thing. I’d say writer-director Parker Finn made a better film this time around, most likely because he honed his skills with the first one. The horror aspect of Smile definitely leans more towards cheesy than scary for me, but like the films themselves, they’re not too bad.

What makes this Smile The thing about movies is that they are primarily character-driven stories, with the horror elements on top. You could even remove the supernatural smiling people completely and be left with the exact same movie. From the other characters’ perspective, they don’t see what the main character sees; it seems as if they are witnessing a nervous breakdown.

Like Sosie Bacon’s Rose in the first film, Naomi Scott’s Skye Riley carries with her a tremendous amount of emotional trauma, guilt, and grief. While it seems like Rose had her life in order before she was chased by the smiley demon, Skye Riley is a complete train wreck from start to finish. The people laughing are a little more spread out this time, so we’re basically watching a pop star’s downward spiral into madness.

It’s certainly a long downward spiral at 128 minutes, but that running time goes by quite quickly thanks to Naomi Scott’s captivating lead performance. She’s basically in every scene and often performs in her own one-woman show, complete with lots of close-ups of her various terrified expressions.

Scott’s performance captivates you from the start, but as Skye Riley’s mental state deteriorates, she is like a magnet pulling you in further. I couldn’t take my eyes off her, with her intense eyes and manic grimaces. It was an incredibly emotional and physical role that Scott dove into, creating an ever-growing tsunami wave until the end.

Even though she’s clearly modeled after the likes of Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande, Skye Riley feels like a real character. Parker Finn may be retreading a lot of old ground here with this sequel, but the way he and Naomi Scott brought Skye Riley to life made for a uniquely compelling final girl.

If one thing is certain, Naomi Scott certainly deserves a spot in the 2024 horror Hall of Fame, along with Mia Goth, Maika Monroe, Cailee Spaeny, Willa Fitzgerald, Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley. Seriously, what an incredible year for women in horror.

Say cheese and die

The pop star trying to make a comeback after battling addiction and a near-death experience was an interesting angle, but the actual story and thematic exploration we get here doesn’t go much further than last time.

The format and structure are basically the same, with the main character witnessing someone commit suicide and then being chased by smiling people as they try not to pass on the curse.

There’s a thrilling opening scene with the always great Kyle Gallner to wrap up his storyline from the first film, but anyone hoping for him to be part of the larger story will be disappointed. Smile 2 is essentially a standalone sequel with little connection to the original, aside from the curse the main character has.

It was nice that Finn didn’t feel the need to explain the curse further and still keep things vague. It’s just a curse that if you get it, you’re screwed unless you think outside the box. Finn flirts with some deeper ideas that, frustratingly, haven’t been fully explored yet, so even if the characters and setting are different, it feels like we’re watching the same movie as the first.

But just like the first, Finn knows how to make a fantastic, atmospheric film. He does want to indulge himself a little too much with the tilting and rotating camera and drone shots, but the man knows how to set the atmosphere. The way he builds and builds tension feels almost Hitchcockian at times, with lots of long, wide shots so you can take in the eerie environments.

Finn also brings out the goods for the horror dogs. If you’re afraid of the laughing lunatics sneaking around in the dark, you’ll get plenty of them, all capped off with predictable jump scares. Some of the gory moments are quite awesome though, with some creepy effects. It’s actually impressive that a horror sequel largely unrelated to the first is so decent.

It’s kind of funny and a bit ironic that the scariest part of both films is the opening credits. Not in a funny, “Haha, this movie isn’t scary at all” kind of way, but they are legitimately disturbing. Composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer creates a haunting, cacophonous soundscape over the closing credits that gives you an almost sick feeling. It’s just a shame that the rest of the film doesn’t convey the same reaction.

Final verdict

Smile 2 isn’t exactly a case of diminishing returns, but it’s usually a matter of seconds tasting just a little bit better than the first serving. It all seems a bit familiar, but it is a more than serviceable horror film, largely supported by an enchanting leading role by Naomi Scott. From now on, when I see her appear in an upcoming film, I have faith that she will take it to the next level like she did here.

I’ll definitely be interested to see where Parker Finn’s career goes. His next project is a remake of the 1981 film Possessso I hope he will move on Smilesince it has already run dry so well. He has the qualities to make something truly excellent. If you enjoyed the first one Smileyou’ll enjoy this, but just expect more of the same. It’s just the same thing, but done a little better.

My rating: 6.5/10

Smile 2 will be released in theaters nationwide on Friday, October 18.

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