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Story: Smile 2 picks up soon after the harrowing events of
the first film after a series of mishaps transfers the curse to a new
protagonist: pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott).
Review: One of the most intriguing elements Smile 2 introduces is the idea of a haunted pop star. The marketing promised a twist on the formula, suggesting that the protagonist’s celebrity status and gruelling world tour schedule would play a significant role in the story. However, this idea isn’t explored as deeply as it could have been.
Despite the grand setup of a Taylor Swift-esque tour, most
of the movie takes place in isolated environments—mainly Skye’s
apartment—echoing the claustrophobic feel of the first film. While this
decision enhances the tension and focuses on Skye’s unravelling psyche, it
feels like a missed opportunity not to fully explore the chaos and public
scrutiny that could come from a haunted pop star on tour.
But Smile 2 succeeds beyond its scare in its lead
performance. Naomi Scott’s portrayal of Skye Riley is one of the film’s
strongest assets. She brings a compelling vulnerability to her role, capturing
the desperation of a star struggling to maintain control over her life while
haunted by her past traumas and the supernatural terror looming over her.
Skye’s fame, strained relationship with her overbearing manager-mother
(Rosemarie DeWitt), and mental health challenges make her a more complex
character than the protagonist in the original film.
Scott’s nuanced
performance adds emotional weight to what could have been a one-dimensional
scream queen role, and her portrayal of Skye’s gradual unravelling feels
grounded, even as the film’s horror elements become increasingly surreal.
Director Parker Finn delivers on the promise of
heart-pounding, aggressive scares that will keep audiences on edge. The film’s
sound design is particularly effective in creating moments of sudden terror.
From quiet, tense scenes that explode into loud, disorienting chaos, the movie
ensures that even seasoned horror fans will be jolted out of their seats at
least a few times. That said, the novelty of these scares begins to wear thin
as the movie progresses. Since Smile 2 follows many beats as the first film, the
viewer quickly becomes conditioned to expect the reality-warping tricks the
demon plays on its victims. What was shocking in the original, such as the
realisation that an entire scene was a hallucination, feels more predictable in
this sequel. The demon’s manipulations of Skye’s reality are still creepy, but
they don’t pack the same punch as they did the first time. The ending does
provide a memorable moment of dark, twisted humour that fans of the genre will
appreciate. It’s a satisfying conclusion, though it’s easy to see where the
film might have benefited from more creativity and risk-taking.
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