Cast: Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Ray Nicholson, Dylan Gelula, Raúl Castillo and Kyle Gallner
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Director: Parker Finn
In Irish Cinemas: 18th October 2024
Writer and director Parker Finn introduced a chilling concept reminiscent of It Follows in his 2022 feature film debut, Smile. In the movie, Sosie Bacon delivers a standout performance as a psychiatrist who becomes the unfortunate witness to a patient’s horrifying, self-inflicted death. The disturbing detail? The patient wears a sinister, fox-like grin during the violent act, adding to the film’s unnerving atmosphere. Smile 2 builds on the original premise, in which those who witness these gruesome suicides become cursed and haunted by an evil entity. Over several days, the victims spiral into madness, ultimately ending their own lives in front of someone else, all while wearing the same eerie grin — thereby passing the curse on. The sequel retains and amplifies this terrifying concept, expanding the story in bold, ambitious ways. Some choices enhance the horror, while others may stretch the premise in unexpected directions, leading to mixed results.
Finn returns as both writer and director for the sequel, seamlessly connecting it to the previous film by picking up just six days after the events of the original. This time, the story centres around Skye Riley (played by Naomi Scott), a pop superstar with a level of fame akin to Taylor Swift’s. We are introduced to Skye during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, which serves as the launch pad for her public comeback. The interview marks the start of her rehabilitation tour, signalling her efforts to restore her image and career after a personal and professional crisis.
A year ago, Skye was involved in a devastating car crash that killed her actor boyfriend and left her with serious injuries. The physical and emotional scars still linger, both visible and buried deep within her. She masks her pain with costumes and a layer of denial. After battling alcohol and drug addiction, she sought help and is now sober. Her appearance on Drew Barrymore’s talk show (where Barrymore plays herself) marks her first step toward reentering the public eye and planning a professional comeback. However, during a rehearsal for the tour, Skye aggravates her back, triggering a familiar source of pain. Unbeknownst to most, Skye has long struggled with chronic back problems. Although she doesn’t abuse medication, she keeps a secret stash of Vicodin to manage the pain when it flares up. When her supply runs low, she reaches out to a high-school friend (played by Lukas Gage) to get more. But what begins as a simple favour quickly spirals into a disastrous situation, pulling her back into a dangerous cycle reminiscent of her past struggles.
This time, instead of centring on a psychiatrist in an isolated psychiatric hospital, the cursed protagonist is none other than the biggest pop star on the planet. It’s an intriguing twist, as it allows Finn to explore the intense pressures, isolation, and distortions of reality that come with extreme fame. At a certain point, celebrities at Skye’s level often become disconnected from the real world, so it’s no surprise that she starts to unravel. Why should Skye be any different? Naturally, she begins seeing the sinister, cursed grin everywhere, on the faces of everyone she meets, and her tenuous grip on reality starts to crumble—just as the curse demands. We, the audience, understand what’s happening to Skye. But what about the people around her—her overbearing stage mother (played brilliantly by Rosemarie DeWitt), her quirky but loyal assistant (Miles Gutierrez-Riley, who delivers a sharp comedic performance), and the calculating record executive (Raúl Castillo) overseeing her massive upcoming tour. As Skye’s behaviour becomes increasingly erratic, what must they be thinking? From their perspective, she might seem like another superstar succumbing to the pressures of her success—until the true horror reveals itself.
The consensus is clear that they think Skye is using drugs again. With no rational explanation for the strange events happening to her, Skye cannot offer any defence. Desperate for support, she turns to her estranged former best friend (played by Dylan Gelula), someone she hasn’t spoken to since before her life-altering accident—a fallout caused by Skye’s erratic behaviour. Understandably, her friend is cautious and hesitant to rekindle their old bond fully.
Naomi Scott delivers an impressive performance as Skye in Smile 2, embodying the complex mix of fear and desperation. At this point, things get complicated for both director Finn and the audience. Finn has carefully crafted Skye’s world, but he must still balance it with the overarching “Smile” universe. Enter a mysterious stranger (played by Peter Jacobson) who seems to know more about the curse than anyone else, offering potential solutions—though they come with risks and uncertainties. From here on, the film’s narrative becomes more unpredictable. Whether or not Finn succeeds in making it all work is up for debate, but he leans heavily on Skye’s deteriorating mental state to justify the more surreal elements. Scott’s portrayal grounds the film, anchoring Skye in the universal emotion of fear. She gives a raw, layered performance, portraying a woman shedding her celebrity status in a frantic fight for her sanity and survival. The result is a gritty and gutsy performance, with just enough camp to keep the audience engaged. Smile 2 is a much bigger film in nearly every sense—scope, stakes, and scale. While bigger doesn’t always mean better, it works out reasonably well in this case.
Overall: 6.5/10
Movie Reviewer
