Upping the ante in every way possible, Smile 2 is nerve-racking, funny, and relentless AF in its quest to torment the sh*t out of you.
Smile 2 Review
Parker Finn's directorial debut about a supernatural force that feeds on misery and despair became an instant hit. The sleeper horror introduced us to this demon through the mild-mannered Rose, a therapist who after witnessing a patient kill themselves in front of her, becomes haunted (and hunted) by this thing. As with any curse, there are rules to follow: the monster needs a host to drive crazy with disturbing images and haunted sadistic grins until they die by suicide in front of the next host. Fairly straightforward. The formula worked and served up nightmare fuel that made horror fans scream with excitement. The follow-up, Smile 2, could have taken the safe route, continuing the story in the same way more-or-less. But Finn really said you thought the first one was crazy? Well, buckle-up besties.
Smile 2 is bigger, gorier, and surprisingly more violent than its predecessor. The opening sequence is a graphic visual and auditory barrage of squelching sounds, blood, flesh, bone, and entrails. It's the perfect wrap-up to the first film while also serving as a merciless re-introduction to this world where your trauma is fuel for a monster. Upping the ante in every way possible, Smile 2 is nerve-racking, funny, and relentless AF in its quest to torment the sh*t out of you. While it does have some flaws, it holds your attention start to finish, thanks to some inventive horror sequences and a career best performance by Naomi Scott.
Skye Riley (Scott) is an international pop star who is staging a massive comeback tour after taking some time off due to a nasty, drug and alcohol fueled car accident that killed her boyfriend leaving her with chronic pain. She may have gotten sober but her longtime demons still haunt her and now Smiley does too. On top of her past, Skye must deal with her mom-ager (Rosemarie DeWitt) who cares more about money than her daughter, a demanding record-label head (Raúl Castillo), and the guilt of losing her best friend due to her erratic behavior. Already loaded with inner turmoil, she is the perfect host for the smiling monster, who latches on to her after she gets a ringside seat to her Vicodin dealer’s death. Unlike Rose, who had some tools to combat her mental anguish, Skye has nothing, leaving her wide open to the monster's most sinister machinations.
Smile 2 keeps with Finn's black comedy style, working in laughs alongside jump scares and several WTH moments. The original more so found its humor in poking fun at film-festival darlings that told stories where trauma was the real monster. Finn took that notion and made the trauma into a literal living beast, scary as all hell and essentially unescapable. It's more bleak than any that offer hope for healing, but I don't think anyone goes into a horror film expecting a therapy session. Smile 2's humor isn't tongue-in-cheek so much as it is just flat out funny. From absurd moments (creepy dancers) and secondhand embarrassment to Scott's facial expressions and other spoiler territory things, I found myself laughing more than I did with Smile. But just like the first one, Finn gives you those brief moments of amusement before screaming in your face, making you jump back, heart-racing all over again.
Scott is put through everything imaginable in this film and she handles it all with commitment and grace. Even in the beginning, Scott shows us the crack in the mask Skye wears to show the world. Then she slowly allows the pieces to fall off so that by the end we get a glimpse at the real Skye, inner demons and all. Giving a career best performance, Scott fully throws herself into the physical demands of a film like this. With snot running down her face and lipstick smeared across her cheeks, she is both vulnerable and determined as she runs from one horror to the next. Scott has what it takes to be the next scream queen.
Smile 2 is relentless in its pursuit to terrify its audience to the point they leave the theater still unnerved by the whole experience. For the most part it works, I certainly needed a few moments to come back down off of the adrenaline pumping high. However, that doesn't mean it's without flaws. The biggest issue with a lot of films is the runtime. Where the first film clocked in under the 2 hour mark, Smile 2 extends its run, culminating in a bonkers ending that opens the door for some interesting concepts should Smile 3 happen. Then there is the curse that is being a sequel. Not that sequels are a bad thing, but it means the concept isn't new, making certain aspects/twists obvious. You see many of the jump scares coming from a mile away. Finn also has a thing for inverting the camera to really emphasize the destabilizing nature of the demon. We get it.
As with the first one, Smile 2 plays in the sandbox of what is real and what is fake. As Skye's grip on reality slips, it's hard to tell what is actually happening. Many sequences play out and end with a wink as if to say “just kidding Skye!” It works to drive her mad but when that trick happens repeatedly it can make these moments fall flat. But Finn pushes through it all, giving one helluva spectacle ensuring genre fans will be chomping at the bit for more. Special effects master Alec Gillis and his team are back. As is the theme of the rest of the film, he too is going bigger for an ambitious twist on the monster that you will either love or hate. Personally, I like when creatures of this nature are left to the imagination. Brief glimpses are one thing, but fully realized monsters take out some of the scary for me. The Boogeyman was more effective to me, because they never defined what it looked like. Everyone's trauma monster looks different, but hey, it's not my movie.
Verdict
Smile 2 really said, you thought the first one was crazy? Buckle up besties because Parker Finn is eager to take you on another wild freaking ride. Everything from the first film is dialed up to 10 for better or worse and the result is a nerve-racking, funny, and bloody film. If the visceral carnage and PTSD mayhem aren't enough for you, Scott gives an amazing performance as the tortured singer Skye who seriously could benefit from having at least one person in her inner circle not using her for her fame. Ultimately, Smile 2 is an unrelenting, horror-filled thrill ride, perfect for anyone looking for a Halloween treat that'll scare the sh*t out of them.
Smile 2 is in theaters now. It is rated R for strong bloody violent content, grisly images, language throughout and drug us with a runtime of 2 hours 7 minutes.
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