Smile 2 – Review

Cert – 18, Run-time – 2 hours 7 minutes, Director – Parker Finn

Popstar Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) finds a demonic curse passed onto her as she’s about to embark on a comeback tour after becoming sober.

Smile 2’s spin on the success of the 2022 hit horror (originally intended for direct release on Paramount Plus before a series of positive test screening results) allows for a story of someone who thought she was past a crumbled world only to find herself entering a new one. After being involved in an intoxicated car accident which took the life of her boyfriend (Ray Nicholson), popstar Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) is preparing to set out on a freshly-sober comeback tour. However, when the demonic smile curse is passed on to her following the death of her friend (Lukas Gage), she’s tormented by stalking, grinning figures, including in the form of her late-boyfriend, and a time limit of seven days to remove the curse.

Certainly the bigger scale in terms of the character and those who surround her brings an extra layer to this sequel which allows for interesting moments in regards to her personal life and recovery from past traumas. It’s enough to avoid a re-tread of the original, which could so easily happen in a pass-the-curse situation such as this, up until the events of the third act, which still have the edge of Skye’s celebrity and upcoming tour.

The overhanging threat and horror may not bring in consistent creeps due to a cyclical feel to the narrative which occasionally feels as if it repeats ideas throughout, but there are some effective jump-scares dotted throughout. Mix in some well-used gore when it enters the picture and there are some solid moments of horror on display to bring in solid momentary bursts of suspense and eeriness. Scott gives a good performance in the lead role as her character’s world fractures to unveil perhaps unhealed wounds while she increasingly struggles to present a calm and collected demeanour to her friends, family and the press – one of the ideas which begins to feel repetitious as the 7-day timer ticks down.

While it may run into some of the same problems as the original, largely in the third act, there are clear tweaks on display in regards to the narrative and perspective of Smile 2 that it works rather well. Repetition might create an issue as the tension should be rising amongst the growing, smiling figures surrounding Skye more and more, but there’s still some solid creeps to be found amongst the claustrophobia and occasional 18-rated gore.

Smile 2’s events may occasionally feel as if they repeat themselves, but the bigger public presence of the protagonist brings a new layer to the narrative that helps things hold up amongst it, alongside a handful of solid scares and bloody scenes.