Sequels to good horror movies can sometimes be tricky to pull off, depending on the concept behind the scares. Unfortunately, despite a solid effort, “Smile 2” doesn’t stick the landing.
The film picks up just six days after the end of the 2022 film, with the smile spirit being passed on from the police officer from the original to a drug dealer. That individual just so happens to be the supplier to a major pop music star named Skye Riley (Naomi Scott), who’s taking pain meds for a lingering injury.
The bad news for Skye is she meets up with her dealer just as he is killed by the smile entity, passing it on to her. As a result, her preparation for a new musical tour turns into a nightmare.
Some paranormal horror concepts are just good as one offs, working in a lightning in a bottle sort of way, “It Follows” from 2015 was one example, and another was 2022’s “Smile.” As mentioned in the lede, though, trying to pull it off twice isn’t as easy with the audience being more accustomed to things.
The first “Smile” featured a woman going through a traumatic, horrific experience with awful visions leading to terrifying situations. The second one is pretty much more of that with a different character, and it does largely feel repetitive.
In fairness, credit should go to writer/director Parker Finn for trying to up the ante with a different type of protagonist, this time a singer in the spotlight, Vs. the private life of a therapist. It does raise some of the stakes, as there are fewer places for the protagonist to hide with fans and the press all around.
However, the film still feels like it’s largely retreading the same ground. That’s not necessarily a deal breaker with all horror movies. The slasher genre can get away with it in sequels because the selling point is interesting kills, more than psychological thrills and a specific type of haunting.
But with a property like this that uses a such a distinct concept, going through the motions in such a similar way noticeably sticks out. It’s unfortunate because some pieces do indeed work in “Smile 2,” but it never truly separates itself from its predecessor enough, so every scare and thrill is that much more predictable.
It also doesn’t help that the film’s third act is a real mess. There’s an intriguing factor to help set act the film’s final portion, but it doesn’t execute it all that well, and it leads to a conclusion that’s confusing and doesn’t make sense all things considered. It also comes across like a studio decision because it leaves things open for a sequel.
One can appreciate Scott’s performance in the film, though, as her character’s degrading mental state due to the entity is convincingly portrayed. Scott is believable as the pop star trying to revive their career after a downward spiral, only for a new one to start because of an evil spirit.
Scott’s performance and some effective frightening moments, as well as using the pop star angle to make the universe have a larger scale, gives some juice to “Smile 2.” However, it’s also pulled down because it starts to feel too much like a rehash of the first and the third act goes off the rails. 2.5 out of 5.
Matthew Liedke on Film 
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