I saw the first Smile movie. I heard the buzz, bought into the hype, and was pleasantly surprised by the new and innovative take on the typical ghost-slash-demon jumping from victim to victim genre (think It Follows). I left the theater feeling content and excited for the franchise’s future.
Smile 2 dials it all up to 200,000.
Even after seeing the trailer, I had literally no clue what was in store for me with the second iteration in the series. Everything is bigger, badder, and scarier. The plot twists in newer, less expected ways, and the performances by the cast, especially star Naomi Scott, are phenomenal. All of these culminate to create an experience I was absolutely floored by.
From the moment I sat down, I was utterly and completely captivated. The intro sequence of the film establishes its connection to the first film, and from that moment on, it’s not a roller coaster; it’s an entire theme park. Having seen many horror movies, I am not generally impressed by cheap jump scares, and while this film has its share of heart-pounding jump scare moments, they are far from cheap.
They all serve to demonstrate main character Skye’s descent into madness, and are artfully done. They each push the plot forward and keep the viewer guessing in a way that doesn’t feel like the movie simply consists of connected scares, but instead that the scares contribute to an overarching thread that fleshes out the inner workings of Skye’s mind. The palpable tension throughout made me literally dig further back into my seat, and my heart went through a complete cardio workout. No movie in many years has had that effect on me, and this is not because of the jump scares, but rather the tightly spun plot that delivers shock after punch.
And what a legendary tale it is. To not give away the ending that peaks in a grand reveal and utterly depressing conclusion, the way director Parker Finn builds suspense and convinces the audience in one thing while distracting them from the true nature of Skye’s predicament is masterful.
There was no way I could have seen it coming, and this is the hallmark of great writing; subverting expectations and delivering a blow that guts the audience. Not to mention, all of this is done with an amazing score, and great musical direction: I’m a sucker for eerie synths and screaming basslines, and that’s here in multitudes. It also feeds into Skye’s background as a singer/performer, as it would not make sense for such a character to exist in a film without a proper musical theme. It’s all here: dance choreography, a pop song that feels like it could exist in real life on today’s radio hit list, and a representation of fame that feels accurate to the highs and lows that a sensational super star would go through.
What’s amazing is that to complement the film, Naomi Scott recorded an actual album under the Skye Riley name, and it is absolutely beautiful. This just further goes to show the effort that was put into transcending the film into something larger than life, tangible, and extremely memorable. The album can be heard on your streaming service of choice here.
In short, the film was amazing. I enjoyed every moment of it, and I cannot think of one critique that detracted from my experience. Terrifying, unnerving, and sure to leave a mark on even the toughest of movie-goers, it has everything I would want from a good scary movie: scares, a solid plot, and enough to leave me thinking about the film for days after. With that stellar ending, I am utterly excited for the next installment in the series, and I implore any horror movie fans to watch Smile 2 in theaters ASAP this Halloween season.
