Parker Finn’s 2022 smash hit, “Smile,” achieved massive financial success grossing over 200 million dollars worldwide. Advertisements of the film portrayed it like it would be the most horrifying film ever made. Although having some really fun moments and great jump scares, the film struggled to rise from a generic horror film to being something notable. That being said, “Smile 2” is different.
The 2024 follow-up to “Smile” is led this time by Naomi Scott, most known for her role as Jasmine in the live-action “Aladdin” film. Skye Riley (Naomi Scott), the main character, is a pop star. She is introduced to the screen after recovering from a violent car accident which killed her partner. Revealing early on in the film that she is recovering from addiction, Skye Riley’s time in limelight is akin to that of The 1975’s Matt Healy, who also struggled with substance abuse.
The violence and horror that permeates “Smile 2” is different from the first film because it pulls from the natural fears that a celebrity would have: no privacy, creepy fans and stalkers. Some of the most haunting scenes in the film have nothing to do with the possessions that were displayed in “Smile” but instead have to do with her doing meet and greets and facing pressure from her mother.
Many may compare “Smile 2” to another 2024 film involving a pop-star directed by a horror filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan, “Trap.” However, “Smile 2” is more comparable to HBO’s “The Idol.” The trauma, pressure, anxiety and ambition that comes with being a pop star is reflected in both projects. What succeeds in “Smile 2” and separates it from the HBO property though is its use of the horror genre to elicit Riley’s fears in more abstract ways, rather than relying on performance to convey its ideas.
This may sound like “Smile 2” is an uncomfortable watch, but this could not be further from the truth — it’s a hoot. There are jokes from the front to back. Dylan Gelula plays Skye Riley’s best friend in the film, Gemma, and she is the perfect comedic relief character. With her millennial phrases, disgust of Staten Island and love for making matcha, there’s never a dull moment when she’s on screen.
The entire supporting cast of the film is great. Rosemarie Dewitt plays Riley’s mother and works excellently as the classic guilt-trippy mother that finds its way in so many horror films (“The Birds,” “Hereditary,” etc.). Miles Guiterrez-Riley plays Dewitt’s assistant Joshua and his facial reactions play perfectly as the punchline to so many jokes.
The real star of the show is Scott who brings home an incredible performance. So many scenes play solely off of her reaction to what she’s seeing and she does a great job, giving the performance her all but never overdoing it.
The short haircut she has in the film, coupled with the ‘80s era t-shirts she wears help in harkening the movie back to films from the era, and the same can be seen in the filmmaking. Finn’s direction and use of extremely wide-angles invoke the feelings of the cult-classic ‘80s Polish film “Possession,” which Finn, alongside Robert Pattinson, is currently in the process of remaking.
The verdict: The film is claustrophobic, hilarious, terrifying and exhilarating in all the ways a viewer expects a horror film to be. Its overall story may not immediately make it unique or an instant classic, but “Smile 2” is among the best of movies playing in theaters right now.
