Smile 2

Parker Finn's feature debut 'Smile' was a tense horror that made commentary about the devastating effects of trauma. Featuring striking visuals and production design, alongside an atmospheric score, the film was both compelling and creepy, following a psychiatrist who becomes convinced an unseen entity is stalking her after witnessing a violent incident. Boasting a strong central performance from Sosie Bacon, 'Smile' performed well at the box office, taking in $217.4 million on a $17 million budget.

Although critical opinion was mixed, only months after its release, Finn was thinking about a sequel, noting "there is still a lot of interesting stuff to explore in the world of Smile..." Fast forward two years, and 'Smile 2' is upon us. This time around, the action follows pop singer Skye Riley, who starts experiencing increasingly disturbing events on the cusp of a world tour. Forced to face her dark past, can Skye regain control of her life before it spirals out of control?

'Smile 2' is a very rare beast: a sequel that is arguably better than its predecessor. As in the first, the theme of trauma is cleverly interwoven into the narrative, alongside which themes of control, psychosis, grief and addiction are made the lynchpins upon which the horror revolves. Riley must battle both her internal demons as well as the 'smile creature,' never sure what is reality or fantasy. This makes for both a compelling and unpredictable ride, as Finn, making excellent use of both visual and audio jump-scares, takes one into the grinning heart of terror.

Menace lurks in the corner of every frame, waiting to give you a sharp shock. From the brilliantly frenetic opening to the barnstormer of an ending, the film fires on all cylinders, never letting up. Finn's characterisation is astute, and his narrative surprisingly funny; it's a horror with pitch-black comedy at its core: in contrast to the overwhelming bleakness of its predecessor; 'Smile 2' has a bit more to offer viewers.

The film reunites Finn with the majority of the crew from the original, including cinematographer Charlie Sonoff. His work on the first film created an unnerving atmosphere of unpredictable instability; as it does once again. Sarnoff's use of lighting effectively generates contrast and mood, while his framing of images heightens the narrative's suspense. Similarly, he captures Riley's performances with aplomb, lending them authenticity. Although the camera might be flipped upside-down to create an ominous effect one too many times, overall, Sarnoff's stellar work compounds the impact of proceedings; and is creepily captivating.

Moreover, Cristobal Tapia de Veer's score generates a disturbing ambience, imbuing the film with a raw, horrific power. While the songs written for the Riley character are fairly generic, they are performed well (and are considerably better than the similar tunes written for the Lady Raven character in M. Night Shyamalan's recent 'Trap').

Lester Cohen's detailed production adds an element of realism, grounding the film despite the fantastical horror of its narrative. In addition, Alexis Forte's costume design effectively contributes to the personalities of the characters, particularly Riley's. Her work for Riley's on-stage costumes is particularly impressive. Furthermore, Elliot Greenberg's editing establishes for the film a steady pace, meaning- even at over two hours- it never drags.

Naomi Scott stars as Riley, delivering a powerful, compelling performance that is the stand-out of her career thus far- as well as, perhaps, the stand-out of the year. Scott portrays Riley's multifaceted, flawed personality with nuance, realistically capturing her internal struggles, adding depth to the character. Scott's portrayal of Riley's fear and resilience in the face of mounting horrors is both believable and gripping. An immensely versatile talent, Scott has all the qualities of a great scream queen, as well as brilliant comedic-timing and a strong singing voice. She is- to put it simply- absolutely terrific.

Her supporting cast don't let her down. Rosemarie DeWitt does stellar work as Riley's mother and manager Elizabeth, bringing complexity to the role. Dylan Gelula is commendable as Gemma, Riley's best friend, while Lukas Gage and Ray Nicholson both impress as Lewis, her drug dealer, and Paul, her ex-boyfriend, respectfully. In addition, Kyle Gallner briefly reprises his role as Joel from the first film, doing great work, and Iván Carlo is fantastically creepy as Riley's number-one-fan (somewhat comically named 'man with bad skin').

In conclusion, Parker Finn's 'Smile 2' is an improvement over its predecessor in nearly every regard. Both frightening and fun, the narrative engages and exhilarates, while Finn's characterisation is impactful. Boasting atmospheric sound design and cinematography, as well as fastidious editing from Elliot Greenberg; it is hard to fault. Moreover, star Naomi Scott is marvellous and her co-stars don't disappoint. In short, 'Smile 2' is sure to leave you grinning.

I just watched the movie at a premiere here in my country and i was pleasantly surprised by this actress: Naomi Scott!

Her acting was top notch!! Her screams, her grimaces were so good, her acting was very convincing!! The movie is a little bit slow but it is not boring! It has very brutal and gory scenes when the killings happened! The gory effects were scary and not for a weak stomach!

The opening scene of the movie was chaotically filmed but in a good way, Kyle Gallner's small role was perfect! And oh boy..poor guy!(I don't want to do a spoiler but..yeah, poor guy) The musical part of the movie(yes, it has little musical scenes miles better than what we saw in Joker 2) were pretty cool with some good songs! Well, my opinion? I like it!! A little bit slow at some parts but it was a very decent sequel!! It deserves your attention and go and see it on a big screen!! Not for kids, definitely! Some really brutal scenes in the movie!!

Naomi Scott absolutely outdid herself in this role. I didn't know she was THIS talented before-that was my mistake. I loved the movie, and I was really on edge while watching it, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The storyline is more successful than the first movie. Some might say it's a repeat of the first film, and to some extent, they're right. Does this movie offer something new? Do we learn anything new? The answer is no. But it's incredibly enjoyable and tense, giving us two hours of gripping entertainment. Also, I loved how this time they focused more on the psychological aspects. Great music and costumes. The only thing that bothered me was how much the film toyed with our minds. The fact that some events in the movie don't actually happen, and that it is hard to tell what's real and what's happening in the character's mind is fun at first, but after a while, it gets tiring. Great ending. Looks like a new movie is on the way. I'll be waiting. <3.

Smile 1 was far superior for me. The main character of this film wasn't likeable or relatable. I really wish the film would have been about Joel, would have been really interesting and he's much more likeable. Way too many jumpscares, I didnt like how the hallucinations went way way overboard. I felt frustrated while watching this, rules were thrown out the window. We didn't get any new information about the entity which is what really interests me. None of the characters were likeable. This movie was dumbed down big time to please the dumbed down masses. Way too many loss water plugs, I couldn't stand thr hair pulling. I can go on and on. The first one was terrific, this one falls short.

Smile 2 takes the foundation of its predecessor and runs with it, offering a premise that lends itself to endless possibilities. The filmmakers made a unique choice by centering the story around the descent into madness of a pop star, giving the psychological horror a fresh angle. This creative decision keeps the narrative compelling, especially with the main actor delivering an outstanding performance, fully capturing the unraveling of the character's mind on screen.

Visually, the film excels. It's well shot, with a stunning opening sequence that immediately sets an unsettling tone-a mood that persists throughout the entire movie. The tension never truly lets up, which keeps you on edge from start to finish. The gore is another highlight, unapologetically upfront, making sure those moments are as visceral and disturbing as they need to be for the story.

However, the supporting cast doesn't add much to the overall narrative. In fact, a late addition to the story introduces an eye-rolling amount of exposition, which feels unnecessary and jarringly pulls away from the madness that had been steadily building throughout the film. This shift undercuts the psychological intensity that the movie had worked so hard to establish. While the supporting characters may not be memorable, the film still manages to maintain its suspense thanks to its strong lead and striking visuals.