With gratuitous gore, violently disturbing, and better jump scares than the first, I daresay Smile 2 is a sequel that is better than the first.
Naomi Scott stars in Paramount Pictures Presents A Temple Hill Production A Parker Finn Film “SMILE 2”
Smile 2 Review – A Sequel that Slays the First
Smile 2 is back with a vengeance. Parker Finn’s masterful direction sets us up for likely a third film but creates a sequel that I daresay is better than the first Smile film, something rarely accomplished. Smile saw a parasitic Entity that latched on to and exacerbated mental illness as part of its symptoms.
Smile 2 opens with the last victim of Smile looking to pass on the parasite to a new victim who doesn’t deserve to live (in his law enforcement opinion, anyway). In failing to successfully pass along, and hopefully end the cycle, the parasitic Entity continues.
While the story of Smile flowed a bit better than Smile 2, as a whole Smile 2 was an overall better film. It could have been improved by using the context of the parasite itself a bit earlier on. If you hadn’t seen the first film, there were moments that would have been confusing to the viewer.
Naomi Scott is phenomenal in her should-be award-nominating performance as Skye Riley, though we know we won’t ever see that from the Academy. Smile 2 will have you at the edge of your seat and your skin crawling.
So much gore. Gratuitous gore. And I’m here for it. Smile 2 successfully made me turn my head in a few scenes.
Full of horror tropes but not overly loaded with them, Smile 2 was a great balance of store and classic horror tropes, including some very well-placed jump scares that made me pop out of my seat.
Verdict
It’s rare to have a better sequel than the first, but Finn succeeded with Smile 2. If you love a good creep factor, Smile 2 is your horror film of the season and maybe even of the year. Setting us up for a third film, the parasitic-now “Monstrosity” is even bigger than in the first film.
About Smile 2
About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.
Runtime: 132 mins
Rating: R
Director: Parker Finn
Producers: Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, Parker Finn, Robert Salerno
Cast: Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kyle Gallner, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Raúl Castillo, Dylan Gelula, Ray Nicholson
Snile 2 is in theatres October 18, 2024.
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