Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
In case you’re wondering if ‘Smile 2’ is a standalone horror film, well, it can definitely be watched independently, but watching the first ‘Smile’ would make this one more enjoyable.
Written and directed by Parker Finn, ‘Smile 2’ stars Naomi Scott as Skye Riley, a successful pop superstar whose plans for a comeback world tour are jeopardized after she witnesses a bizarrely violent suicide and begins to lose her mind due to terrifying, inexplicable visions that seem real only to her. However, someone reaches out to help, claiming Skye isn’t imagining things at all, that she’s been cursed. But with constant media attention and a back-breaking tour schedule, finding time to fight ghosts isn’t easy.
So yes, ‘Smile 2’ follows the same premise as its predecessor. An unseen entity terrorizes its victims through unsettling visions of people eerily smiling at them, gradually driving them to take their own lives in front of a witness. With its host dead, it moves on to haunt the witness, and the cycle continues. I remember writing in my review of the first film that it also serves as a metaphor for trauma, something that relentlessly follows its victims until the very end. Can Skye Riley break the chain?
‘Smile 2’ opens with police officer Joel (Kyle Gallner, reprising his role from the first film) attempting to pass the curse on to someone else without having to die himself, but his plan goes horribly wrong. The entity ultimately finds its way to Skye, an already troubled pop superstar struggling with PTSD and a history of drug abuse after surviving the car crash that killed her boyfriend, leaving her physically scarred and emotionally broken.
Kyle Gallner deserved a few more minutes as Joel, both for his talent and the plot. His cold open feels far too abrupt and could have done more to reinforce the sinister, ever-present nature of the entity. Skye inherits the curse from her classmate Lewis (Lukas Gage), whose brief cameo gets the right amount of screen time to make an impact before meeting a horrifyingly brutal end. I’m not sure if ‘Smile 2’ is gorier than the first film, but it’s drenched in enough blood and grisly violence to keep horror fans flinching.
Rosemarie DeWitt plays Skye’s tough taskmaster mother, Elizabeth Riley, constantly micromanaging both her career and personal life, including her stage outfits and how much water she drinks. She pushes Skye even when she begs for a break, putting her career commitment over her mental well-being. This allows the film to explore the grueling schedules and impossible pressures faced by public figures like Skye, along with the intense media scrutiny and unwanted attention from fans.
Increasingly isolated, the only person Skye feels she can trust with her unimaginable nightmare is her estranged best friend Gemma (Dylan Gelula), who, much to her relief, agrees to reconcile. Not that having a friend sleep over is going to stop the entity from showing up in the middle of the night, or whenever it pleases. One of Smile 2’s strongest ideas is pitting Skye against her own past, with the entity at times taking the form of her younger, self-destructive self, taunting her with its signature unnerving smile.
Naomi Scott is an absolute scream queen in this horror sequel. Whether she’s confidently singing and dancing as global pop sensation Skye Riley or descending into terror as the victim of a relentless supernatural curse, she rules every scene. I honestly didn’t even realize she was the same actress who played Princess Jasmine in Aladdin. Her blonde bob gives Skye an edgy, fearless look that evokes pop icons like Kylie Minogue and Lady Gaga. The styling team needs applause for her flashy pop star-inspired wardrobe through the runtime.
Given Skye’s music career, Smile 2 also features a great catchy original soundtrack by Cristobal Tapia de Veer. Skye’s new single, ‘New Brain’, sounds like a chart-topper, and its lyrics cleverly reflect both her deteriorating mental state and the film’s central themes:
“Doctor, I need a new brain
Lost in a spiral, keep making old mistakes again…
If I don’t stop, I’ll end up dead.”
With a terrific lead performance from Naomi Scott and an already established mythology, ‘Smile 2’ may have a few pacing issues, but it’s ultimately a stronger film than its predecessor. Parker Finn and his team deliver a worthy sequel, building toward a wildly over-the-top climax that’s grotesque, exaggerated, and almost darkly comical. It all ends with a twist that signals one thing for certain: the Smile films can easily grow into a franchise of their own if Parker Finn wants them to.
Watch ‘Smile 2’ on Netflix.
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