Smile 2 review: Naomi Scott shines, but the horror franchise begins to lose its edge

Smile 2 explores fame and trauma, with Naomi Scott delivering a gripping performance in this eerie sequel.

Smile, a low-budget horror film, became an unexpected box office hit in 2022. Originally intended for streaming, the $17 million film impressed in test screenings and went on to earn $217 million globally. Its modern take on a supernatural curse, intertwined with themes of trauma and mental illness, was a major success for Paramount and the horror genre.

Parker Finn, the film's creator, demonstrated skill in directing but fell short as a writer. His film, which drew comparisons to The Ring and It Follows, struggled to differentiate itself from these influences. The subtext needed more nuance, though the use of gore was effectively visceral. A sequel was expected but raised questions about how it could justify retelling a similar story.

Smile 2 finds a fresh angle by switching the protagonist from a psychiatrist haunted by her mother’s death to a pop star dealing with her boyfriend’s death and her struggles with addiction. The curse remains unchanged: someone kills themselves in front of you while smiling, after which you are tormented by disturbing visions for six days before meeting the same fate. The sequel begins with the love interest from the first movie witnessing the protagonist’s suicide, cleverly connecting the two films.

The film fits into a growing trend of stories centered around pop stars and horrors exploring the pressures of fame for women. While Smile 2 doesn’t introduce new ideas about the downsides of fame, it uses its celebrity setting effectively, capturing the disintegration of a star under immense pressure. The film recalls 70s and 80s genre entries like The Eyes of Laura Mars and The Fan, with Skye struggling to maintain her public image while facing terrifying visions. The world of celebrity is portrayed convincingly, with a cameo from Drew Barrymore, although the film’s big concert scene takes place at a fictional venue, “Herald Square Garden,” since Madison Square Garden wasn’t available.

While the unsettling smiles from the first film return, they remain more strange than scary. However, the violence is graphically intense, tapping into the gruesomeness seen in late 2000s torture-porn films like Saw and Terrifier. Finn continues to juggle a mix of grim and goofy tones, which sometimes clash, especially when the film attempts to address serious themes like trauma, addiction, and suicide. Naomi Scott is excellent as the film’s "Scream Queen," but even she struggles with the over-the-top, chaotic final act.

The film also stumbles by expanding the demon’s powers to a confusing degree, making much of the movie feel like an extended dream sequence. At 127 minutes, Smile 2 feels unnecessarily long and doesn’t break far enough from the original's formula. While stylishly shot, it lacks a distinct identity and becomes repetitive. There is a twisted and predictable final scene that sets up more sequels, but the impact of the Smile franchise is already beginning to fade.