If I had a nickel for every time a horror movie had a focus on the struggles of pop stardom, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it’s happened in the span of three months. Of course, we had films this year, like MaXXXine, addressing the dark side of the industry. However, another movie, Trap, explored it in a way that felt intriguing and special, albeit in its own unique way. The new sequel to what’s perhaps 2022’s most diabolically impactful horror film, Smile 2, ups the scare factor to a new level. In fact, it puts its own spin on that latest trend by using its supernatural elements to a bloodier extreme.
Smile 2 is a direct follow-up as it’s set after the events of the original film. Following the rehabilitated pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott), the movie’s story sees Riley preparing to make her grand public return. However, when her dealer Lewis (Lukas Gage) accidentally subjects her to the entity, Riley’s life turns for the worst. Struggling between broken relationships and old habits, Riley must try to regain control of her life before the entity drives her insane.
If you’re expecting to go into Smile 2 for the tension and the scares, you’re in high luck. There’s a lot of cinematographic play at work, done by Charlie Sarroff, that truly gets the adrenaline going. From extreme close-ups showcasing Riley’s fear to eerie shots of the entity’s forms, the film is consistent on maintaining tension. There’s also many trailing shots that will make you really suspicious about where the scares will appear. Yet, they linger just long enough to make those jump scares catch you off guard, which are really effective. The second half of Smile 2 contains most of those scares, which were super gory in classic Smile fashion.
As for the story of Smile 2, the film definitely emphasizes the original themes present in the original. Given how this film has kept the same crew, from director-screenwriter Parker Finn to its producing team, it was interesting to see the new approach they took. However, by keeping the same team, Smile 2 seamlessly connects itself to Finn’s depressive ideas about gaslighting and control. It simply works to a dime.
This film highlights how industry stars are forced to grapple with societal expectations and their personal pushbacks. By integrating those concepts through the perspective of the entertainment world, it’s able to present something more intriguing. The demonic entity continues being that physical representation even if it feels like it’s there to be there.
The writing of Smile 2 itself strikes a deft balance between the drama of horror and comedy. The cold relationship between Riley and her mother doesn’t feel like it truly goes until the last third. However, there are a few standout scenes between the two that do tug on your emotions a bit. You could tell Riley still cares for her mom even if she’s too focused on making sure Riley’s return is perfect. On the other hand, Riley’s bond with her lost friend Gemma (Dylan Gelula) lands somewhere between funny and serious. Again, several scenes have that brevity to make Riley and Gemma’s friendship realistic. Albeit, Gemma drops a few jokes here and there to lighten the film’s mood.
However, when Smile 2 reaches its final act, it completely goes all out on the horror. Although, to get to that point with Riley, there’s huge exposition drops by a certain character played by Peter Jacobson. As such, it has a need to explain the series’ supernatural occurrence in an understandable timeline that feels forced. While the details feel peculiar about a certain entity (see It Follows for more), it can feel like it does more telling than it does showing. Though, these scenes do show certain things to keep things intense, which mostly work.
The reputational decline of Skye Riley is all the more compelling with a killer performance from Naomi Scott. She’s able to capture Riley’s fear and trauma in a way that really shows all the rage she’s holding in. In the beginning, Scott’s performance easily lets on that Riley’s somewhat struggling to get past her old self. However, when that fact becomes much more clear in the second act, Scott truly lets Riley’s desperation show with its own grace.
In addition, her singing shows itself much clearer here than it did in 2019’s Aladdin and the song Scott sings is the cherry on top. If Smile 2 doesn’t prove Scott is capable of being a leading lady in the future, I truly don’t know what is.
As for the rest of Smile 2‘s cast, it’s a diverse range of personalities. Kyle Gallner‘s Joel, who returns for just the opening sequence, is rugged as hell given his own experience. Although, it’s good to see those narrative connections even if he appears for a few brief moments. Rosemarie DeWitt does great playing Rose condescendingly gaslighting mom, who tries to hold this composure for as much as possible. She puts on this facade that feels sad as she tries to empathize with Rose, leading to incredibly sad moments. Miles Gutierrez-Riley plays Rose’s “yes-man” secretary, who’s definitely the comic relief as he provides some hilarious takes that got some strong laughs. His character is a fun addition to add to that lightheartedness in an otherwise bleak horror flick.
Overall, Smile 2 is a totally terrifying twister of a horror film that delivers on presenting the struggles of stardom through its scares and humor. Parker Finn and her team has shown that by tackling these universal ideas, going bigger can be better. Plus, Naomi Scott’s fiercely emotional performance is simply impeccable, truly showing her potential to be a headliner. If you want a film where Supernatural meets Trap, then Smile 2 happily fills in that void for all horror fan looking for a thrilling watch!
Smile 2 releases in theaters on October 18.
