Paramount Pictures
One of the subjects mainstream horror has been particularly preoccupied with in recent years is trauma seen through the lens of supernatural horror.
And while there have been several gems, the trend is starting to lose the interest of audiences.
One of the latecomers in the wave of trauma-themed horror movies was 2022’s Smile, a serviceable effort with a handful of memorable moments encapsulated by a dizzying narrative where it was at times unclear what was real and what was not, the protagonist’s mental health swiftly deteriorating as she was left increasingly confused about what was going on while trying to find a way to be rid of the entity’s curse and regain control over her life in general and sanity in particular.
With Smile 2, the scope is widened and the stakes are raised as the film opens with the inaugural feature’s Joel (Kyle Gallner) trying to outsmart the curse, which of course goes horribly wrong, allowing the curse to eventually be passed to troubled pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) who is trying to stage a comeback after struggling with substance abuse that culminated in a terrible car crash.
Much like the first film, what ensues is the curse pulling the protagonist’s mental health into a dizzying, downward spiral, all of it underlined by a myriad of jump scares and hallucinations in a seemingly endless array of horror set pieces.
While it is in essence the same story as its predecessor, in the sequel, everything is – for better and worse – turned up a notch.
The best thing about Smile 2 is without a doubt the exceptional performance by Scott, as that alone makes the film worth watching thanks to how she commits to the role with a potent mix of intensity and dedication.
The visuals are presented competently with often well-executed horror set pieces, but having set piece after set piece after set piece only for it to be hallucinated by the cursed protagonist leaves the film feeling overstuffed and needlessly meandering.
It should also be mentioned Smile 2 has a distracting amount of Voss bottled water being guzzled by Scott at any given moment, to the point where it takes you completely out of the movie, bordering on having the same effect on the audience as a running tap.
At first, you may assume this is due to aggressive product placement, but this creative choice only becomes more baffling when you learn that the brand in question was not a sponsor, it was just the brand the filmmakers liked the best.
While Scott’s performance – and her bladder capacity – are deeply impressive, the film’s pacing, scare anatomy, and lack of plot progression become increasingly tedious when you have to sit through 127 minutes of it, and Smile 2 would have benefited greatly from a significant trim.
As horror franchises go, the Smile films are unlikely to join the pantheon of all-time classics, but they are worth watching at least once due to their production value and central performances, however, this sequel does leave a lot to be desired, and the prospect of further installments is questionable at best.
Extras include commentary, interviews, featurettes, deleted and extended scenes.
Verdict: 6 out of 10.
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