Last Updated on October 18, 2024 by
Smile 2 is a 2024 Psychological Horror Movie written and directed by Parker Finn. It stars Naomi Scott, Kyle Gallner, and Drew Barrymore and has a runtime of 2h 7M. It will be released on October 18, 2024.
Smile 2 is a sequel to Smile (2022), a horror film that was initially planned for release on the streaming platform. But when people who watched the test screenings responded significantly, Paramount Pictures considered releasing the movie in cinemas, where it ultimately became successful. Subsequently, due to the high profitability and box office success of Smile, Smile 2 was greenlit for production in 2022. Following the horror genre, the sequel directed and written by Parker Finn aims to repeat the success of the first part by providing the same shocking experience. But does it succeed?
It is set immediately after the events of the first movie with a focus on a new leading character named Skye, portrayed by Naomi Scott. Skye was once a musical icon whose songs were enjoyed by fans across the globe. However, her life changed drastically after a car accident that claimed the life of her boyfriend and revealed her battles with drug dependency. She is now in the process of rebuilding her life a year after the accident and getting ready to go on tour. However, as Skye tries to balance her job and alcohol-free living, she is faced with more challenges when she finds herself being an eyewitness to a commit suicide of a man. This man’s death passes a terrifying curse onto Skye: she is slipping further into insanity as she begins to see people smiling at her in an eerie manner as if threatening her.
At the same time, the film returns to Joel, the character of Kyle Gallner present in the first Smile movie, who still struggles with the obtained curse. Joel tries to seek revenge by intending to place the curse on the life of a dangerous drug lord, but this does not work as planned. It goes back and forth between Joel’s curse and Skye’s descent as her career and mental health crumble due to the same affliction.
The film establishes Skye as a former lively and talented singer who battles with her inner demons and aims to revive her career. Her accident and the public scandal that ensued will also see her battling with substance abuse as she physically heals. Her anxiety and self-doubt also make her susceptible to the curse’s psychological abuse. Much attention is paid to the preparation for Skye’s return to the music scene, and the audience sees her rehearsals, fittings, and preparations for the tour. However, instead of dwelling entirely on these character issues and, thus, allowing the audience to get engaged with Skye emotionally, the movie reverts to the standard horror tropes of menacing apparitions and abrupt scares.
As was the case in the first Smile movie, the major menace arises from the curse that causes people to see other people having evil smiling faces. The eerie grins presented in the films are not only unnerving but provoke a sense of entrapment, where the victim feels as though they are living in a continuous nightmare. In the beginning, Skye seems not to comprehend what is being done to her. Gradually, the happy figures appear more and more, and while her career goes down the drain, she feels increasingly lonely and paranoid. Having absorbed her fear and anxiety, the curse erodes her mental stability and she no longer can distinguish reality from hallucinations. However, instead of exploring Skye’s inner battle deeply, the movie keeps relying on sudden shocks and violent moments.
A common critique about Smile 2 is that it is too similar to the original Smile movie and does not bring many new elements to the concept. While applying the recipe with a keen adherence to the original formula, Director Parker Finn builds up extended scenes that are followed by jump scares. Although this was effective in Smile (2022), it is redundant and cliched in Smile 2. It also lasts for more than two hours, which is unnecessary and frustrating as the suspense, fear, and panic are prolonged for extensive minutes.
It is only at the seventy-fifth minute that Skye begins to comprehend that she is haunted by the curse of the Broom, and the movie often portrays her helplessly confused and panicky. Character growth is lacking, and it wasn’t given sufficient attention to portraying Skye’s professional hardships or her journey of sobriety after becoming addicted. These could have provided more humanity to the movie and certainly would have been more effective in making the movie-oriented towards supernatural horror.
The film could have offered more layers to the audience about Skye’s character and development. They could have told a fascinating story of her trying to combat addiction, heal her physical wounds, and address the stress of stardom, along with the supernatural angle of the curse. However, the film relies more on visuals such as smiling faces and loud, abrupt scenes without properly focusing on the story. Although some scenes like Skye meeting her fans or rehearsing for her tour bring more detail to the character, they are rather generic.
Final Thoughts:
All in all, Smile2 will likely be entertaining and enjoyable only to those who loved the first movie and want more of the same; for everyone else, it might be a tad boring and repetitive. This sequel is watchable and even visually appealing with an extra dosage of the jump scares and moments of terror but it offers nothing new or profound that could have helped it go beyond being just another unremarkable horror film sequel. Although the movie revolves around Skye’s deterioration, it spends more time establishing scares and not enough on the protagonist’s arc. This results in a movie, which has a lot of scenes that can easily be avoided and classified as redundant as the audience gets bored of the tried and tested horror tropes.
Smile 2 2024 Parents Guide Age Rating
Smile 2 is rated R by the Motion Picture Rating (MPA) for strong bloody violent content, grisly images, language throughout and drug use.
Language and Profanity: This movie contains strong language profanity and the use of explicit terms is often heard throughout the movie. This could be attributed to the passion and profound content incorporated into the storyline.
Violence and Graphic Scenes: Smile 2 also has disturbing scenes, including high-intensity jumpscares and gory scenes. There is also a symbolic depiction of self-harm and suicide, whereby the acts are not explicitly shown but are rather suggested through actions or lines spoken by the characters.
Sexual Content: Despite there being an absence of any nudity in the film, there are some scenes of implied sex and conversations regarding sexual relationships that are best suited for teenagers and above.
Substance and Drug Use: One of the areas that the film focuses on is the difficulty of dealing with substance dependence, which is portrayed by Skye. This aspect is crucial to her story and brings awareness of the challenges that people with such issues experience. There is an example of Quiton’s striving to buy drugs when Skye is depicted in the film, embodying the problem of addiction. These scenes demonstrate the internal conflict and stress that she undergoes but does not promote the use of drugs. The aspect of addiction is portrayed as having disastrous repercussions on the life and interactions of Skye. It does not glamorize substance abuse and shows that substance abuse has ramifications one would have to face.
Overall Suitability: Smile 2 has a creepy story, with good production quality. Although it was rated R for the presence of violent scenes, it also provides a profound perspective on the sophistication of some topics. Parents should consider whether it is suitable for their child or not depending on the impact that the movie will have on him or her.
