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Sometimes I write things, but mostly I watch movies.
Who can trust if you can’t trust your own mind? Writer-Director Parker Finn once again seeks to explore that and more in Smile 2. As the follow-up to Finn’s 2022 feature film, Smile, this sequel takes everything from its predecessor and amps it up to 11. This time, the terrifying smiling entity latches itself onto pop star Skye Riley, portrayed by Naomi Scott (Lemonade Mouth, Power Rangers, Aladdin), as she attempts a comeback tour following a tragic accident. Also in the cast are Rosemarie Dewitt (La La Land, United States of Tara), Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Lukas Gage (The White Lotus Season 1, Road House), Dylan Gelula (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Dream Scenario), and Ray Nicholson (Licorice Pizza).
Pop Star Performance
Skye Riley’s journey as someone recovering from drug addiction and accident survivor creates a strong narrative. Her fame and the pressure thereof have driven her to do extreme things. Consequently, that makes her a perfect target for the smiling entity to torment. As she descends further into madness, people write her off as either using drugs again or just an eccentric star. More often than not, her mental health needs are set aside in favor of what’s good for the tour and her career. It’s a grim reflection of our own reality where many pop stars have faced the same issues only to be ignored, Britney Spears perhaps being the most notable example.
Skye of course is also contending with the regrettable actions of her past. Just because she used drugs doesn’t make her actions inexcusable. She is constantly forced to relive her past and come to terms with her actions and traumas. Of course, none of this would work were it not for Naomi Scott’s incredible performance. Scott gives one of the year’s best performances and easily the best of her career. She breathes so much life into the character. Every laugh, cry, and scream feels tangible and genuine. In the few moments of peace where Skye is being a top-tier star, Scott nails it. She could be a legitimate pop star with ease with her stunning vocals and coordination. It’s a powerhouse performance that few could easily pull off.
More Smiling Roles
The rest of the cast works well too, even if they aren’t featured as much as one would like. DeWitt plays Elizabeth, Skye’s mother and manager, from whom a lot of Skye’s issues seem to stem. The actor plays the part perfectly and has the appearance of caring. However, underneath it all is a deeper concern for her own financial well-being. Also in Skye’s entourage is her assistant Joshua, performed by Gutierrez-Riley, who is hilarious, providing most of the film’s comic relief. Yet, he also pulls off the creepiness quite well when required.
Additionally, there is Lukas Gage as Lewis, Skye’s old friend and former drug dealer. Gage is extremely unsettling and intense to watch. His paranoia feels very real, and his smile is just pure terror. Then, there is Gelula as Skye’s old friend Gemma. Gelula is also well-cast as a big source of comedic relief, being able to switch into a terrifying smiling freak with ease. Last but not least is Nicholson as Paul Hudson, Skye’s boyfriend. He may get minimal screen time but the effects of his character and role are felt throughout the whole film. His smile may just be the creepiest of them all.
Smile 2 Behind the Camera
While Scott and co serve as the onscreen talent, a bevy of talent behind the screen makes Smile 2 so good. Filmmaker Parker Finn already showed promise with Smile, but with Smile 2 he cements himself as a modern-day horror visionary. Smile 2 could easily be a generic horror film; there’s nothing too unique about the concept. It’s reminiscent of It Follows and many others. With that said, Finn has such a strong voice in both writing and direction.
From a script perspective, Finn crafts such a strong character in Skye Riley. It would be easy to retread a lot of the same ground as the original film, and Smile 2 does at times, but Finn always manages to subvert or put a new twist on it all. With the character of Skye being such a big star in the universe, the stakes instantly become much higher. If she dies, the entity could be passed on to potentially many more people, or people in positions of power. The problems that huge stars already face, e.g. stalkers, create perfect conditions to play with the audience. Is there an actual stalker in her home, or is the entity merely toying with her? It’s the logical extreme to take the franchise.
Visual Delights, Horror, and More
Wisely, Finn avoids revealing much more about the entity. Although, the one time the movie does lose a bit of steam is when the rules for the entity are explained. It’s a necessary scene albeit one handled a bit clunky in execution. Speaking of which, Smile 2, even though it is a direct follow-up to the prior film, functions well as a standalone entry. Outside of the opening sequence, which is a gorgeous tracking one shot that sets the tone perfectly, there is not much connection to its older sibling.
Furthermore, Finn and cinematographer Charlie Sarroff, who returns from the first film, always make interesting decisions with the camera. The shot composition is all excellent and always draws your eye in. Combined with some slick editing from Elliot Greenberg, Smile 2 is a visual feast. There never is a dull image on the screen. Everything serves a purpose and crafts such an ominous and foreboding tone. However, Finn does smartly inject some more humor into the sequel, allowing for a little more breathing room in Smile 2‘s otherwise relentless destruction of Skye Riley.
While Smile 2 relies heavily on its mood and atmosphere to frighten the audience, there are plenty of jump scares. Each jump scare is well-timed and nearly perfectly delivered. None quite live up to the infamous one from the first film’s trailer, but in the aggregate all of them more than make up for it. Finn effectively uses gore too. There’s never too much of it, but always enough to be uncomfortable and hard to look at. Altogether, it makes for one of the year’s scariest films.
Final Thoughts on Smile 2
Parker Finn is quickly becoming one of the preeminent voices in horror and the sky is the limit for what he can achieve. And of course, Naomi Scott gives a career-best performance and is no doubt the standout here. All in all, Smile 2 is nothing revolutionary, although everything is done with such craft and care that it becomes a must-watch.
Score: 4/5
Smile 2 is playing in theaters now!
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Sometimes I write things, but mostly I watch movies.
This article was edited by John Tangalin.