Smile 2: Movie Review

Cast: Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kyle Gallner
Director: Parker Finn

The sequel to 2022's Smile is here - and has a lot to live upto.

The original film packed in examinations of trauma, deeply unsettling imagery and a lingering sense of unease before its conclusion led to a desperate whiff of cash-grabbing sequel material.

Whilst it's fair to say the second Smile lacks some of the tension of the original first film, director Parker Finn has managed to turn the fright-fest into something that's deeply unsettling and downright disturbing in parts.

Cleverly setting the tale in the pop world, a place that's already populated by fake grins, Smile 2 wastes no time upsetting audiences in many ways.

With a blistering performance by Aladdin's Naomi Scott as former washed-up popstar Skye Riley, who's on a comeback trail after addiction battles, the story spends no time in delving into the past or mythology of the smiling demon parasite, simply setting the action 6 days after the end of the first film.

As she readies herself for a global tour, and following a meeting at a contact's place that goes haywire, she begins to find herself haunted by strange goings-on.

Finn's foray into the pop world and mental trauma that comes with being in the spotlight is an excellent choice to set a tale that deals in fake platitudes and paranoia. With committed choreography and also some very well-paced scares and jolts, Smile 2's penchant for the disturbing proves to be potent.

But while the film's MO is much like the first, it's the constantly upsetting imagery, the perversion of some tropes and the staging of some set pieces (chiefly a backing dancer nightmare) that gives the film its frisson of frights to mask over the familiar creeps.

As mentioned, Scott is incredible in the role, taking her Skye Riley to the edge and teetering there for much of the film. From stalkers to self-doubt, Skye is put through the wringer, and Scott more than capably rises to the challenge.

Ultimately, Smile 2 sets the scene for a third outing - and quite where it goes next is tantalising to say the least. But with a requisite number of frights, Smile 2 will leave audiences with a smile on their faces that the sequel hasn't squandered the ideas of the first.