So, let me be upfront here and say I have not seen the original Smile. It just never really looked that interesting to me, the reviews were mixed and it just wasn't something I wanted to run out and see. Since then, other movies have come up that I did want to see and those took over from my viewing of Smile.
I had zero expectations, then, when I saw Smile 2 was coming. The first one didn't interest me, why would the sequel. Then it came out and I was surprised. The reviews were very positive and overall people were saying it was better than the first. So, it was on my radar, but only when I came to Paramount + did I finally get to watch it.
I am so glad I did, or I might have missed the amazing performance by Naomi Scott in the lead role and it might not have ended up on my 2024 Best Of list.
The Plot of Smile 2
I guess Smile 2 starts off right where the first one left off. The guy who gets the demon passed to him at the end of that first movie is trying to pass it off, but to someone who deserves it. See, this demon latches on to a person that it sees and digs into their mind, showing them horrors of people smiling, and hallucinations and when that host is used up it makes them kill themselves and anyone who is a witness now has the demon to contend with.
Interesting idea, but I liked it better when it was called It Follows. Thankfully, the connection to the first one ends dramatically and we now follow a brand new person.
Pop star Skye Riley is making a comeback. A few years ago she was lost in drug abuse and ended up in a serious car accident that killed her actor boyfriend, Paul. Despite being in treatment, she is still in constant pain due to the accident, so she sneaks away from her handler to get pain pills. This puts her in front of the latest person who now has the demon and when he kill himself brutally in front of her, now she has the demon latched on to her.
That's about all I can tell you. She has to spend the rest of the movie trying to figure out how to get rid of the demon (if she can) and determine what is real and what is an hallucination put into her mind by the demon. Meanwhile, she appears to be having a full on breakdown in front of the press and her fans while supposedly getting healthy and making a comeback.
A Singular Performance
What really holds this together is the woman at the center of the film: Naomi Scott. She plays Skye Riley and she is in almost every frame of the film. She adds a depth to the character and it quickly becomes obvious that the demonic entity stalking her is really an allegory for addiction. She is relentlessly pursued by the demon which is very much like trying to get over an addiction to a substance. It is always there. It is always smiling and waving to you. Come over here, try this again. It's going to be okay.
At the same time this is also an allegory and comment on fame. Skye is recovering from something devastating and yet she can't go anywhere without people pointing, wanting a selfie, wanting a Tik Tok, and to get her autograph. She has to put on a smile to all of them, but inside she is crowded, imprisoned by the fame she has built. It is as relentless as the demonic entity and both the addiction and her fame will likely destroy her unless she can find a way out.
Naomi Scott turns in one of the best performances of the year in this regard. She is the glue that holds each scene and because she is so relatable, I went with her through each more devastating aspect of this journey.
Great Scares
Getting rid of the symbolism and allegory, this is also still an amazing horror movie. There are genuine jumpscares and moments of pure terror. The ending of the movie also becomes a bravura body horror film. There is lots of gore in this one, so for those of you who like your horror movies with a heavy dose of viscera, you will not be disappointed.
The scares keep piling up right up to the shocking and violent ending. The ending made me wonder where this movie franchise might go next, but I can't get into that now.
Smile 2 Delivers the Scares
Overall, I was into the story. I was glad I didn't have to know the first movie. I was stunned in a good way by the central performance in this movie. I was scared several times and any movie that can make me jump these days is a good one in my mind. Naomi Scott is now on my radar as an actress to watch for in the future. Plus, if you did a little deeper into the story and search for the allegory and symbolism (and great horror always has some of that), this film also works really well.
See it. See Smile 2. I think you'll like it.
Be sure to check out my latest tale of horror called Newcomers
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