I don’t remember much from the first movie, ‘Smile,’ except its dramatic ending confrontation where the demon finally reveals itself and I thought the imagery of that was quite gruesome and original. But I don’t remember much about the story or the main character and what happened to the demon after the film. Luckily, the sequel, ‘Smile 2’ takes none of that story and just presents the demon and how it is victimizing new characters.
Unfortunately, this means that writer/director Parker Finn must establish his new protagonist and the world that she lives in and how the demon fits in all of this. Going over my review of the first film, I commented that Finn has an issue with drawing out scenes and overextending his moments and storytelling and he’s still at it. The film is a little over two hours and it gets exhausting. Finn has a good sense for creating tension with his camera but as a storyteller, he is constantly trying to scare you and after a while, we forget the story, we can’t invest in the characters, and we are just preparing for the scares.
In the sequel, the demon finds its way to haunt Skye Riley (Naomi Scott), a pop star who just got back from serious car accident. At the top of her game, she succumbed to the lure of drugs, and she is attempting a redemption tour, trying to stay sober while the death of her boyfriend who perished during the same car accident is still fresh in her mind. She has a new album and is preparing a tour and it’s the worst time ever for someone to be making a comeback but there is pressure from her management, who is also her mother (Rosemarie DeWitt).
So now Skye must rehearse, make appearances, fit for costumes, and psych herself up for her concert in just ten days while the demon begins to plant delusions in her head. What follows is a slow descent into madness for Skye and because the film never really takes the time to humanize her, it’s hard to be on her side and root for her to survive.
Naomi Scott does not have the most expressive face, and it creates a resistance to trying to connect with her. She comes off as cold and unfeeling and it may be part of the character but it’s a performance that doesn’t help us want to be on her side. When she’s performing as Skye – singing and dancing – you can see that she’s made for it, and she’s prepared. She looks amazing. But it’s a horror film. I have to root for her, and I don’t. Later on, when the hauntings escalate, she begins to really express her fear and frustrations; she really works double time to show us she’s going mad. It’s a committed portrayal but she needed a softer approach early on and that is a point against the film.
What Finn creates are some gruesome and twisted imagery, playing off Skye’s own hurts and insecurities. He brings in the pain and the trauma from the car accident for some really strong visuals that can elicit horror. He also isn’t’ afraid to get silly, with a choreographed tableau that is equal parts frightening and funny. He keeps pushing and pushing for Skye to lose her mind and hoping that we’d all have fun seeing her break and at some point, I felt that the film may have gone far away from where it is set up to be, but it manages to turn back and deliver the ending that was needed for a film like this.
In the landscape of horror, ‘Smile 2’ has some vivid imagery that may find longevity as a meme but outside of its thrills in the cinema, it might just get lost in the shuffle of all the other horror films coming out this October for the month of Halloween. It’s a fun watch with a date or your barkada but it’s not something you need to rush to see.
My Rating:
Smile 2 is now showing! Check showtimes and buy tickets here.
