At least give writer-director Parker Finn credit for finding a new angle into his “Smile” saga. He follows up his popular but slightly overrated 2022 horror debut with the same premise, but in “Smile 2” it’s a celebrity pop singer – Skye Riley (Naomi Scott, “Terra Nova”) – who is cursed.
The curse of addiction
I find the rules of this possession curse generic (riffing on “The Ring” and “The Grudge,” to name a couple) but also a little confusing. But Finn considerately has Morris (Peter Jacobson), an ER doctor whose brother was cursed eight cycles ago, enter at mid-film to explain the rules to Skye – and thus also to the viewer who might not have remembered the details.
In a way, it doesn’t matter all that much, because – just as “Smile 1” used the curse as a metaphor for grief – the sequel leans into a metaphor of addiction-based mental illness. Skye wishes aloud that her mom/manager (Rosemarie DeWitt) could “see what it’s like inside my head.” Other people can’t, but we as viewers are treated (cursed?) to that POV.
“Smile 2” (2024)
Director: Parker Finn
Writer: Parker Finn
Stars: Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage
The conceit makes “Smile 2” less scary than some other horror premises; instead, it’s gloomy. Skye is possessed and haunted, but no one else can see it. It’s real in a way, not real in a way. I’m not saying her situation is pleasant, but the fear impact is lessened for us because we can cut away to the “real” (outside her head) situation. Skye herself has many reprieves away from her visions, when she’s merely wary that she’s losing her mind (which she literally is).
Yes, the demon (or whatever) is gradually – and I do mean “gradually,” this is a 2-hour slow burn – leading Skye toward death, with insanity as the appetizer. But instead of the nightmare of reliving the car crash that gave her back problems – and exacerbated her addictions due to her need for pain pills – we can cut back to a sane world where everything is fine.
A couple of annoyances for sensitive viewers: “Smile 2” uses a fair amount of shots of text messages, so people who don’t have giant screens won’t be able to read them. That doesn’t matter too much to the plot, since it’s pretty generic. And two, maybe three, key male characters have similar bearded faces, a nightmare for those with face blindness.
Shooting for the Skye
This is Skye’s story, so you can’t steer wrong remembering that, and Scott is solid. She looks and sounds like Miley Cyrus or Justin Bieber. She’s totally believable as a pop star of that ilk, and touches of “Suspiria”-esque dance-choreography horror slide in nicely.
In a fun coincidence, 2024 had previously given us three other horror films about the weird world of celebrity; ranging from best to worst, they are “The Substance,” “MaXXXine” and “Trap.” “Smile 2” most closely resembles “The Substance,” and fails that comparison by every metric. But “The Substance” is an ingenious work of horror, so it’s not really an insult, just unfortunate timing (and rest assured, “Smile 2” is far less dumb than “Trap”).
“Smile 2” lacks “The Substance’s” darkly winking satire, and comparing the two films’ climactic stage shows, we see a clear difference in degree of “going there.” Finn actually gives us a rather straightforward examination of how a celebrity’s life can be horrific; how she can be surrounded by “helpers,” but none of them can help her, or are even all that interested in understanding her issues.
Sure, he throws in some gore, but Finn is far more tethered to mainstream sensibilities than “The Substance’s” Coralie Fargeat. Ironically, that means his movie is getting less attention. “Smile 2” is thoughtful enough to avoid the horror basement of a cranked-out cash grab, but it’s too timid to be better than its middling level.