“Smile 2” - Film Review
As is the case with any sequel, a follow-up must prove its worth. In the case of Smile 2, the film continues the story of Smile from 2022. The original plan called for the movie to be unceremoniously released on Paramount+, but test screenings performed so well that the studio took it to theaters. The gamble proved to be a good one, with Smile 2 earning back its budget and more. The original story is fairly self-contained, and it’s the kind of horror movie that can seemingly exist forever, given the world it establishes. Smile 2 picks up six days after the first movie left off and expands the scope of these films to dizzyingly violent new heights.
The characters in the Smile films are haunted by a sort of demonic entity. It infects one person at a time and causes terrifying hallucinations. The entity feeds on the host’s insecurities, addictions, and anxieties. All of this culminates in the host killing themself in front of a witness, who then becomes infected. In the first film, the entity finds its way to mega pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott). A year prior to the events of the film (but not a plot point of the first film), she was in a car accident that killed her boyfriend (Ray Nicholson) and left her scarred. Now she’s on the precipice of a comeback world tour. Skye is sober and turning over a new leaf, but the entity is making things difficult for her.
courtesy of Paramount
The inherent issue with a premise like the one that exists with the Smile films is that the bulk of both movies must feature the protagonist trying to understand the purpose of the entity. With a sequel, most of the audience is usually aware of the story of the entity and the person who is being haunted. In the case of Smile 2, it’s thanks to Scott’s mesmerizing performance that the retreading of the premise never feels like it’s plodding along. She is the brutal beating heart of the film. As Skye, she’s a stand-in for so many real-life pop stars struggling to make sense of their own fame. The expectations, the weight of fame, and the parasocial relationships that form are all front of mind for Skye and today’s pop singers. Smile 2 touches on the anxieties that come with fame. As much as Skye and singers like her want to live their dreams of singing in stadiums, they also deserve to not be poked, prodded, and worked to the bone. It’s no wonder that so many young stars turn to substances as the industry wrings them dry.
The entity in Smile 2 feeds on Skye’s insecurities and substance abuse. What made audiences connect with the first film was its ability to speak to something beyond itself. The entity thrives when its host is spiraling in negativity and harmful actions. It works as a metaphor for the debilitating nature of anxiety and a litany of other mental health and personal struggles. Unfortunately, Smile 2 loses momentum in its ending. For a while, it seems as though the film is working toward the idea that the only way out is through. That in order to defeat the demons that live inside, one must take control of their own life. The demons never go away, but they can be beaten back through personal work, relationships with friends, and medication. Smile 2 doesn’t need to have a happily-ever-after ending, but the decision to close the film as it does feels bleak and without a definitive purpose. The film is far bloodier, nastier, and angrier than its predecessor, but it also unfolds itself in a way that could’ve provided some peace without losing the preceding viciousness.
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