Smile 2 Review

Smile 2 is a psychological supernatural horror movie and the sequel to 2022's Smile. It's produced by Temple Hill Entertainment and Bad Feeling and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Smile 2 is written and directed by Parker Finn.

The story is, pop-star Skye Riley is making a comeback tour after a highly publicized struggle with both substance abuse and a car crash that killed her boyfriend. Just before a show, Skye goes to a dealer where she witnesses him killing himself just before freaking out and giving her a disturbing smile. Now, Skye is being haunted an entity that killed another woman not too long ago.

Initial Reaction

It's very simple as to why I wanted to see this. The first movie was surprisingly good and I was curious where the sequel would go.

Cons

I've got nothing.

Middle Ground

I'll keep this part of the review short because it's exactly the same mix feeling I had with the previous movie. That being Parker Finn's directing. Again, the movie looks stunning, but again, Parker makes some unusual choices. Maybe there's a reason behind it and it's just me missing something, but it was so odd choices.

Pros

One credit to give the movie is once again Parker focuses on people's struggles. The guy seems to have a knack for writing stories of how horrible events can really mess people up. So go job there Mr. Finn. I also liked the horror, but not just with the evil entity. This is something I wished I brought up in my review of the first, but while the demon is scary and the jump scares are actually worth it, what I found most terrifying with both movies is how we sadly see our main characters lose their grip on reality. And it goes without saying but that's scary because you actually picture that happening. Cut out the supernatural element and you can picture somebody, maybe yourself, a family member, or friend, one moment seem normal and next then you know they look like they're breaking down mentally. Which brings me to the ending. I found it to be a great "Oh sh*t! What's gonna happen next?" I won't give it away, but if there's ever a Smile 3, I'd be very interested in seeing that. But if we don't because this is where Parker Finn wants to stop, then I'd be fine with that because then it'll be a great "Well those people are royal screwed" ending. My last praise goes to Naomi Scott. This woman held nothing back. She was in full force with her acting. If there's any other reason to see this, it'd be for her performance.

While it has flaws, Smile 2 is just like it's predecessor where it's actually pretty good and you'll have a fun time.

My final rating is, Good.

That's all for now. Come back on Monday, Oct 21st, for my review of Scream 4. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.