Well, Parker Finn is official two-for-two with the Smile series. This sequel is a deft expansion on the themes of the first film. Whereas the demon in the original seemed to be a metaphor for trauma, you can view it this time around as a manifestation of guilt, substance abuse, fame, or all three, really.
Since a new character has inherited the curse, the film consequently has a slightly different flavor. Instead of the demon latching on to an overworked shrink, it’s a pop star struggling to make a comeback. I hope this theme continues from sequel to sequel as it makes each film feel like it’s part of an anthology series rather than a traditional horror franchise.
Naomi Scott is positively riveting as the pop star cursed to see smiling people until she goes mad. Very few actresses can covey the feeling of true fear in horror films. It often comes off looking stagey. Or “movie scared”. Scott looks, acts, and reacts the way an average person would if they were frightened out of their wits. Finn’s camera is fixed to her frightened face for a good 50% of the movie and as such, we get to experience the terror through her eyes. There are jump scares aplenty to be sure, but the film is at its most effective when we just see Scott’s bulging eyeballs reacting to the horror.
We are having a banner year for women in horror. From Sydney Sweeney in Immaculate to Nell Tiger Free in The First Omen to the one-two punch of Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley in The Substance, there has been a wealth of amazing performances by actresses in the horror genre. Any other year, Scott would’ve been a shoo-in for Best Actress at The Video Vacuum Awards. However, the competition this year is the fiercest it has ever been. And frankly, you love to see it.
Smile 2 is one of the best movies of the year, but I think I may have enjoyed the first film slightly more. That said, this stands on its own as a terrific shocker. It builds slowly (mostly because it has to clean up the cliffhanger of the first film before getting into Scott’s story), but when the shit hits the fan for Scott, things escalate in spectacular fashion. It’s here where the movie really sizzles. In short, it’s sure to leave a smile on any die-hard horror fan’s face.
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