Smile 2 (2024) Film Review : Die With A Smile, Literally!

When the first trailer for the 2022 horror flick, Smile starring Sosie Bacon came out, I initially dismissed it as just another forgettable horror flick thanks to its generic title. But lo and behold, it was one of the best horror flicks to come out that year. Two years after the release of Parker Finn’s box-office horror hit, we finally get to see the much-anticipated follow-up with Smile 2.

Promising to expand on the universe set up by the events of the first film, this sequel features Naomi Scott as global pop sensation Skye Riley, who’s been trying to get back in the spotlight after a horrible accident injured her and killed her boyfriend, Paul Hudson (Ray Nicholson). But as she tries to move on from the guilt brought by her partner’s death and prepares for a new world tour, she witnesses the bizarre suicide of one of her former friends (Lukas Gage), which is followed by increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events, leading her to believe that a supernatural force is haunting her.

Parker Finn, writer and director of the first film, returns for the sequel, which directly connects with the events of its predecessor. It’s admittedly a pretty bold move to feature a character like Naomi Scott’s Skye as the center of the smile curse, and it ultimately pays off here, as the stakes are way bigger and the set pieces become more extravagant than the first film. It feels like a cross between Gore Verbinski’s The Ring (2002) and Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue (1997), as its central protagonist gets eventually overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and pressures of her fame, leading to her life spiraling out of control and her losing her grip on reality.

While the first film revolved around how trauma affects people’s minds and how the curse uses it to spread itself to others, this sequel gives heavy focus on society’s disregard for one’s mental health, as everyone around Skye insists on pushing her to do her world tour despite her constant pleas to cancel it- even with her mother/ manager, played by Rosemarie DeWitt, her cries for help falls on deaf ears. Clocking at 2 hours and 7 minutes, this sequel takes its sweet time in peeling off its layers of themes, while scaring the hell out of its viewers with its effective frights and gruesome thrills.

Admittedly, I still prefer the unpredictability of the first film’s ending. But this sequel deserves some credit for taking a bold, albeit obvious, direction. This second installment also boasts some of the best visual effects I’ve seen in a horror film this year, particularly the practical effects that bring those gruesome deaths and gnarly-looking Smile entity to life.

It also helps that the film is buoyed by a show-stopping performance by Naomi Scott, who, much like Sosie Bacon in the first film, carries the entire thing on her shoulders with her electrifying turn as Skye. Rosemarie DeWitt also impresses with her effective portrayal of Skye’s controlling mother, while Kyle Gallner’s return for the sequel was a welcome sight.

Bigger, bolder, and bloodier, this is one of those rare sequels that promises and ultimately delivers.