Smile 2, released on October 18th of this year is the new highly anticipated sequel to the original Smile from 2022. Directed by Parker Finn, this film brings thrill and upgraded creativity to the horror genre. Critics often argue that the horror genre lacks longevity and fresh ideas, making these arguments quite prevalent. However, Smile 2 is exceptional, and stands out with its originality. This film also includes a fantastic cast starring Naomi Scott, Ray Nicolson, Dylan Gelula, Kyle Gallner, and more.
To serve the premise of the story, in the Smile universe there is a curse that makes an individual see extremely realistic illusions that bleed into their everyday lives. These illusions include the recurring creepy smiling faces on the people close to the individual. This would last seven days, and with each day the illusions increase in intensity until the final day when the Smile demon takes over their body. The curse then moves on to another person that witnessed the original victim’s passing.
What makes Smile 2 special is that it raises the potential danger and possibilities for the curse to spread. In the original, the demon possessed a regular person in the protagonist, Rose, who got the curse from a patient from her job in the hospital. In the sequel we follow Skye Riley played by Naomi Scott, a famous pop singer who got the curse from her influencer friend. This creates a dysphoria in Skye’s life, as she is a public figure being tracked by the paparazzi everyday. With the smiling illusions, Skye’s ability to establish what’s real and what’s fake is slowly lost by the end of the film.
The performances of all the actors in this film made the momentum high and attention grabbing. Naomi Scott’s acting truly shined as her raw, and true fearfulness was gushing out for the audience. Her capture of celebrities’ mistrials and tribulations made us as an audience feel exhausted from living in her daily life. The character Skye Riley suffered a lot throughout the film as the smiles took over her life, and Scott’s performance really showed it.
The embarrassment and shock we experienced in the theater during certain scenes were relentless, each of them not calming down from the last. The tension was constantly ringing as Skye was being cornered by the Smile demon everywhere she went. No matter what, in no scene she was safe. The sound design and production from the original and this sequel is what amplified the horror aspect to the max. Even the ending credits sparked discomfort due to the terrifying sounds that surrounded us.
Although Skye Riley’s life isn’t an average one as she is famous, her personal life prior to the Smile curse is what really connected the audience to her. The only visible complaint is that the gore and violence has significantly increased compared to the original, and I would refrain from younger audiences indulging in this film. I found myself covering my eyes for a lot of the screen time. Making sure to take measures from a parental figure is for the best as this is an R rated film. I highly recommend this film for horror lovers, and for people who want a fun scare.
