Published 11/20/2024
Rating : 8/10 Recommended
Parker Finn’s Smile (2022) was a quietly unnerving horror film that involved a demon jumping between victims like a parasite, causing hideous hallucinations before the infected lost their minds and took their own lives. The creature was revealed at the end, and made the wait to see it worthwhile. The film may be best known for its unorthodox marketing campaign involving random people in large public events standing and smiling, but it worked.
Fast forward two years, and we get Smile 2, the sequel! That didn't take long at all, did it? Smile 2 is all glitz and glamour as the story revolves around pop singer sensation Skye Riley (played by Naomi Scott). Skye has a troubled past, and we're introduced to her character on a potential upswing as she prepares for a musical tour. She injured her back sometime prior (we find out more later) and still relies on prescription drugs to cope. What Skye doesn't realize is the demon responded to her text and creates an ambush at the drug dealer's house. The film doesn't waste any time doling out the blood and gore.
This time around Smile 2 boasts improved production quality, score and sound design. Naomi Scott sells the pop star character through a number of expertly choreographed dance sets, allowing us to believe she is a famous singer who suns the spotlight unless she's on stage. Naomi is asked to perform essentially three characters in Smile 2: the famous singer, the recovering addict, and the crazed manic. All three were well done, and believable.
The gore factor has definitely been ratcheted up as well. We see plenty of self-mutilation that made even myself squeamish. The weight lifting plate scene was particularly well done. The entity takes pleasure in reducing his victims to bits and pieces. Although not directly responsible for the death's there is a car crash that stands as the catalyst for Skye's character arc that is so gory and well detailed I winced.
If there is a weak point it lies with the script. While the illusions manifested by the Smile entity are engrossing this creates a backlog of scenes that essentially go nowhere. While a few of these can be acceptable in the grand scheme of the story I feel like Parker could have used a few more grounded scenes to keep our feet planted better. Leveraging the whole film as a fake-out does cheapen the end, and the end provided us a glimpsed of what could be a drastic escalation in death and madness.
In all, Smile 2 is a legit funhouse of madness. Parker Finn steadfastly reduces Skye's character to an unreliable narrator, and by the end we are left to question everything. One thing is clear, the entity was always in control. Smile 2 is nearing its theatrical run.
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