Smile 2 – Review

Parker Finn’s 2022 directorial debut and sleeper horror hit, Smile, introduced audiences to a truly unsettling antagonist: a malevolent entity that forces its victims into gruesome suicides while sporting a chillingly wide grin. This sinister phantom, with its contagious smile and penchant for psychological torment, tapped into a primal fear, leaving viewers with a lingering sense of unease long after the credits rolled. The film’s success, raking in over US$217 million worldwide against a modest US$17 million budget, proved that a simple yet effective horror concept could resonate with audiences, even in an era saturated with grotesque genre offerings.

Unsurprisingly, Smile 2 arrives with the promise of a heftier budget of US$28 million and a grander, more elaborate spectacle, offering Finn the opportunity to expand upon his terrifying creation. One might expect a sequel with increased resources to delve deeper into the mythology hinted at in the original, exploring new facets of the grinning entity and expanding the narrative’s scope but instead of demystifying the monster or venturing into uncharted territory, Finn opts to revisit familiar ground, essentially rehashing the first film’s formula, albeit with a slightly different thematic lens. While the original Smile focused on a psychologist grappling with mental health and trauma, the sequel turns its attention to the pressures of modern celebrity stardom and the unrelenting scrutiny of the public eye.

The sequel unfolds with a direct connection to its predecessor, initiating with a seamless, single-shot sequence that reminds viewers of the unresolved dread from the first film. It quickly transitions to showcase its expanded budget through an unexpected cameo by Scream (1996) alum Drew Barrymore (Charlie’s Angels, 50 First Dates), before introducing us to the glittering yet grim reality of pop star Skye Riley, portrayed with an onstage charisma and offstage vulnerability of an idol grappling with the dark side of fame by Naomi Scott (Power Rangers, Aladdin). This reality is, sadly, one that the sinister entity exploits with cruel irony.

Adding to the mounting tension, Riley is still recovering from a near-fatal car crash and struggling with sobriety, all while on the verge of a high-stakes comeback tour. Her carefully constructed facade begins to crumble as she witnesses a horrifying death of her friend Lewis (Lukas Gage, Euphoria, The White Lotus), triggering a series of disturbing visions that threaten to derail her career and sanity. 

Her struggles are compounded by a host of personal challenges, including a manipulative stage mother played by Rosemarie DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married, Poltergeist), a controlling record executive (Raúl Castillo, Looking), and unresolved guilt over past actions that ruined a close friendship with ex-best friend Gemma (Dylan Gelula, First Girl I Loved). Finn intertwines these personal dramas with Skye’s psychological descent, as she tries to maintain her glamorous facade while grappling with increasingly terrifying hallucinations.

Smile 2 truly shines when it taps into the specific anxieties of a life lived under the harsh spotlight. A standout scene features Riley, mouth smeared with blood-red lipstick, delivering an uncomfortably honest impromptu speech at a charity event after the teleprompter malfunctions. This sequence, among others (including facing a crazed stalker at a meet-and-greet), draws parallels to the struggles of real-life figures like singer Amy Winehouse and singer/songwriter Chappell Roan, whose mental health and personal struggles often become fodder for public consumption. 

Scott, a musician herself, embodies the character’s frazzled nerves and inner turmoil with impressive authenticity, making this her most alluring big-screen performance to date. One can’t help but wonder if Scott is channelling her own experiences navigating the treacherous waters of the music industry, as she delivers a poignant and vulnerable rendition of her song, titled Blood on White Satin, about the curse of fame.

This vulnerability is further amplified by Finn’s sophisticated approach to horror, which masterfully blends subtle unease with shocking body horror. The film’s technical execution has matured since the original, using disorienting angles and atmospheric lighting to enhance the sense of disorientation and fear. Smile composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer returns with yet another eerie score, a blend of industrial noise and distorted sounds that perfectly complements the film’s unsettling visuals, including a particularly memorable sequence with phantom backup dancers contorting into grotesque poses.

While Smile 2 delivers its fair share of jolts and its commentary on celebrity culture is sharp and insightful, the bloated runtime dilutes its impact. Clocking in at over 2 hours compared to its predecessor’s 1 hour 55 minutes runtime, Smile 2 occasionally feels repetitive, labouring its points when a more concise approach would have heightened the tension and emotion. 

This overextension is particularly evident in the film’s overreliance on the villain’s reality-bending abilities. While the initial hallucinations are effective in creating a sense of unease and paranoia, the constant shifting between reality and delusion, punctuated by increasingly graphic violence, creating a distancing effect, preventing the audience from fully connecting with Skye’s terrifying ordeal. Each plot twist, revealing yet another mere figment of Riley’s imagination, starts to feel less like a clever narrative device and more like a frustrating gimmick. 

Ultimately, Smile 2 is emblematic of the classic sequel dilemma – bigger doesn’t always mean better. The sequel may amp everything up, from Scott’s star performance to its critique of celebrity culture, but it loses some of the chilling simplicity that made the original Smile so effective. Nevertheless, Finn’s bold, untempered direction ensures that the film will find its audience, leaving many horror fans smiling – though perhaps not as widely as the first film.