Smile 2 – Movie Review
Director: Parker Finn
Writer: Parker Finn (Screenplay)
Cast
- Naomi Scott (Power Rangers)
- Kyle Gallner (Strange Darling)
- Drew Barrymore (Charlie’s Angels)
- Rosemarie DeWitt (Your Sister’s Sister)
- Lukas Gage (Assassination Nation)
Plot: About to embark on a world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her past.
Runtime: 2 Hours 7 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Smile 2 starts when pop star Skye Riley (Scott) is trying to make her recovery tour. She was involved in an accident, battled substance abuse and struggles with the isolation that her celebrity status has given her. Skye turns to a school friend turned drug dealer, who ends up committing suicide in front of her.
However, Skye isn’t prepared for what is going to happen next, as she knows her reputation will be ruined if she stays. Her reputation is the least of her problems, as she discovers the demon has latched onto her and starts playing games, leaving her questioning what is real. Can she break the curse before it is too late?
Verdict on Smile 2
Smile 2 is a horror sequel following a pop star getting tormented by a demon. She must overcome her problems if she is going to fight back, but the demon has started bending the reality in the world she lives in.
This is a sequel that left me having two sets of feelings. On one side, Noami Scott is fantastic and diving into a pop star’s paranoia elevates the possession. It explores how difficult her life is and never knowing who to trust in life has created a conflict that is already in place. The scares are effective and get the pulse pumping and the creepy elements make things great.
On the other side, it moves away from people in a career who solve problems. Joel being a detective started his investigation during the first movie and has come to a decision. It felt like watching his turmoil about what to do would have been more intense, then after jump to the pop star one. I also got slightly confused about the crash Skye was in and the one from the opening sequence, which left me scratching my head for a large part of the movie. It also seemed to step away from understanding the lore behind the demon, we never once get a proper investigation as to what is happening, like the first one tried to do.
In the end, if you want more of the same only bigger and bolder, Smile 2 delivers.
Final Thoughts – Smile 2 is bigger, bolder and more chaotic.
