Whereas most sequels pale in comparison to their predecessors, Smile 2 is one of the rare exceptions of a follow-up that manages to be stronger than the first while upping the franchises game. The sequel has Naomi Scott playing a pop star who begins experiencing a series of increasingly disturbing events as she prepares to go on tour. Smile 2 takes what was a relatively decent supernatural horror thriller that boasted early 2000's style of terror and builds upon it with an improved story, more creative scares, and a fantastic performance from its main lead actress. Naomi Scott is terrific here as pop music recording artist, Skye Riley with her role demanding that she screams, cries, dances, and sings while giving audiences a female protagonist whom they can find themselves connecting with. Other noteworthy performances from the cast include Rosemarie DeWitt as Skye's mother and manager, Elizabeth, Lukas Gage as Skye's former classmate and drug dealer, Lewis, Dylan Gelula as Sky's estranged best friend, Gemma, and Ray Nicholson as Skye's former boyfriend and deceased actor, Paul.
With Smile 2's directing, Parker Finn outdoes himself here with giving the sequel a scope that feels bigger and more ambitious than the original films story with the level of gore and sound effects being amped-up in comparison. A prime example is the films incredibly brutal yet stunning opening sequence that was filmed entirely in one shot or the scene-stealing car moment between Skye and Paul. Both moments are extremely well-crafted and filmed with top-notch cinematography. Even with a running time spanning 2 hr 12 minutes, the film never allows the audience to feel its length and keeps things moving while steadily building up the creepy tension and dark mood. The soundtrack proves effective in bringing originality to the story as well as playing into Skye's persona as being a pop music star. The writing does an excellent job of the taking all the elements that worked from the first Smile and applying them here while building upon its universe. Everything about the sequel feels like a significant upgrade from the stakes being raised to the deaths being more gruesome and torturous to watch. The plot feels smarter than the original with the tone and mood being undeniably darker. Making New York as the films setting also makes the whole smiley demon curse feel much larger in scope along with increasing the stories unpredictability. The audience becomes invested in the character of Skye and the building up of her character to the point where audiences are left rooting for her to survive is a significant part of why the sequel bests the first film. Whereas that one prioritized setting up the jump scares and curse, the sequel takes a more personal approach with Skye as she's further plagued by the trauma entity. The sequel feels bigger, scarier, darker, and ultimately better than its predecessor.
As far as sequels go, Smile 2 is surprisingly very good. Though as a horror one, it's rather exceptional as audiences will be genuinely shocked to discover how much bigger and superior this one feels in comparison to the first. If one didn't exactly find the original Smile to be that impressive of a supernatural horror story, they'll be astonished to discover how much more enjoyable they'll find the sequel to be with it taking its initial premise to terrifying new heights in what's arguable the year's best horror flick that's not to be missed.
Final Verdict: SEE IT
