By Grace Bennett
During Smile 2’s opening weekend, director and writer Parker Finn’s sequel dominated the box office, skillfully offering a fresh twist on the original while staying true to its core premise. This film is follow-up to the viral 2022 horror hit that featured psychiatrist Rose, who contracts the “Smile Entity curse” — a paranormal parasite — from a patient who violently commits suicide in front of her, thereby passing on the five daylong psychological torment that feeds on its host’s trauma until she fatally repeats the same cycle.
The film’s first 20 minutes outline the parasite’s unlikely path to Skye Riley, “America’s favorite pop star,” played by British actress and singer Naomi Scott. It picks up just six days after the original ends, with Rose’s ex-boyfriend Joel (Kyle Gallner) desperately trying to free himself from the curse she passed on to him. He attempts to break the cycle by killing a member of a nearby drug ring and transferring the curse to another dealer. Instead, he accidentally kills both of them, leaving “innocent” drug client Lewis (Lukas Gage) with the curse.
As the Smile Entity torments Lewis for five days, it later transfers to Skye, who is already grappling with trauma from her substance abuse issues and a tragic car accident that killed her boyfriend a year prior. Seeking relief for her back pain — since no doctor will prescribe medication to her due to her addiction history — Skye visits her old high school friend and drug dealer, Lewis, to get some Vicodin. Her visit quickly takes a disturbing turn as Lewis begins screaming and behaving erratically, ultimately taking his own life in front of her, passing the paranormal parasite onto her.
The film explores underlying themes related to the exploitation of celebrities and how they are constantly forced to put on a “smile” — ironic, isn’t it? — through everything and anything. Viewers can see this through the pressures to be perfect that are put on Skye and how this is portrayed even through her entity-driven hallucinations.
In the days following the initial possession, Skye shifts between reality and hallucinations, which usually consist of a distorted version of her surroundings. One eerie moment occurs when a young fan approaches her at a meet and greet, wearing the sinister smile the franchise is built upon. As in the first movie, her condition progressively worsens until, as a viewer, you can no longer distinguish between what is real and what is not. Skye’s hallucinations bring her close to thinking she can break the curse.
A doctor, whose brother was possessed by the same entity, informs her that if they briefly stop her heart, they might be able to kill the entity and then quickly bring her back to life. But this plan ultimately fails, proving to be a cruel illusion. This leads to the final scene where she regains consciousness in front of a sold-out arena, signaling the end of the six days. In true Smile fashion, Skye then commits the worst-case scenario by taking her life on stage, passing the curse on to thousands of people.
Overall, Finn masterfully elevated the horror experience for viewers by blending Scott’s outstanding performance with unsettling atmospheres, terrifying visuals, and expertly timed jump scares that kept audiences on the edge of their seats. Smile 2 solidifies itself as a must-see for horror enthusiasts looking for a truly chilling experience.