Smile 2 (2024): Review and Summary
“Smile 2” presents the idea the franchise is perfecting a formula which should be able to get it through a few movies before getting stale.
| Film Length | 2 Hours 7 Minutes |
| Advisory Rating | Rated R |
| Release Date | October 17, 2024 |
| Initially Available On/Via | Theatrically |
| Genre(s) | Horror, Thriller |
| Distributor | Paramount Pictures |
| Director | Parker Finn |
| Writer | Parker Finn |
| Based On Work By | Parker Finn |
| Character Name | Actor |
| Skye | Naomi Scott |
| Morris | Peter Jacobson |
| Lewis | Lukas Gage |
| Paul | Ray Nicholson |
| Gemma | Dylan Gelula |
| Elizabeth | Rosemarie DeWitt |
Plot Summary
It has been a year since tragedy caused Skye Riley to not only put a pause on her “Too Much For One Heart” tour, but to actively pursuit getting sober. Now, with the tour back on and hopes to recover her image, Skye is ready to go all in. However, thanks to her drug dealer Lewis, she finds herself haunted by the demon from “Smile” that plans to not only destroy her but use her fame to find a massive amount of future victims.
Character Descriptions
Skye
Skye is a major pop star whose life has been difficult for a multitude of reasons. From her partner and her going through a tragedy a year ago, past drug and alcohol abuse, having a momager who doesn’t know how to balance the two roles, and various insecurities that stem from the accident, and may have existed prior to it, Skye is the best type of host for The Entity to possess. Especially since, unlike Rose, Skye doesn’t have the tools to face her demons.
- You May Also Know The Actor From Being in “Power Rangers“
Morris
Morris is an ER Nurse and the sole connection to The Entity’s previous victims. He does his best to help Skye escape the Entity.
Paul
Paul is Skye’s boyfriend who she has a dysfunctional relationship with due to how much drugs and alcohol are part of their connection.
- You May Also Know The Actor From Being in “Something From Tiffany’s“
Gemma
Gemma is Skye’s best friend and former assistant/emotional support friend.
- You May Also Know The Actor From Being in “Under the Eiffel Tower“
Elizabeth
Elizabeth is Skye’s mom who seemingly invested her entire life into Skye’s success.
- You May Also Know The Actor From Being in “Men, Women & Children“
Lewis
Lewis is someone Skye and Gemma knew from high school who eventually became Skye’s drug dealer.
- You May Also Know The Actor From Being in “Wyrm“
Other Noteworthy Information
- Movie Contains: Cursing, Gore, Blood, Torture, Self-Harm, Criminal Acts (Murder), Depiction of Corpses, Body Horror, Drinking, Drug Use, Vomiting
- The distributor is also known for “IF.”
- This production has a similar theme/storyline: “Black Swan” due to Skye being a performer under immense pressure, psychologically breaking, and with minimal support.
- Based on Morris’ off-hand comment, it has been less than 4 weeks since the events of the first film, as Skye is only separated from Rose by two to three people. One of them being Joel who isn’t seen in this movie.
Review
Our Rating: Positive (Worth Seeing)
Audience
For fans of the original “Smile,” they’ll love how this takes things up a notch with the violence, body horror, and mind games. The jump scares also do the job of providing you a few shocks to the heart and story wise, having a celebrity have their perception of the world manipulated leads to many situations perfect for the franchise’s monster and will surely entertain throughout.
Highlights
It’s Far More Gruesome
With Skye dealing with body image issues, especially after being in a car accident and the scarring that left, “Smile” introduces a level of body horror which may not go as far as “The Substance” did, but it does feel like it upped the ante. It leads to far more gory moments that won’t ruin eating whatever you may have brought, but definitely shows where the $11 million added to the budget, compared to the first movie, went to.
The Psychological Element
One of the best things about the now “Smile” franchise is that the psychological element isn’t purely based on jump scares and creepy moments. With “The Entity” being a parasite that feeds off your fear and memories, and isn’t limited to your dreams like Freddy Krueger, it has limitless potential. Which, for “Smile 2” is shown by how it alters Skye’s perception of reality, leading to twists and turns that aren’t at the level of a mystery, but does allow for some interesting storytelling.
Getting a bit more specific, with Skye having grief from the accident she had with Paul, how she ruined her relationship with her best friend, Gemma, the pressure her mother, Elizabeth, puts her under, and her having no back up if her career ends up over, you appreciate the madness the Entity causes her. It makes her see these smiling faces in a new light, wonder if the more odder fans are the Entity messing with her, and as the pressure increases, so does her insecurities of whether she deserves or even wants this life anymore.
I would say it doesn’t tap into mental health and struggle the same way the first film did, but it does open the door for future films to tap into different lifestyles and explore the dark side of the lead character’s path.
The Music
While, within an hour, I’ve forgotten Skye’s music, I will say that hearing it on repeat at times didn’t aggravate me. It was pop music which may not fit the current trend, but you could imagine them being hits a couple of years ago.
On The Fence
You Can Jump Into This Without Seeing The First One – To A Point
When it comes to lore, “Smile” hasn’t really tried to build up the Entity to be anything specific beyond some kind of demonic parasite. The benefit of this is, it means anyone can be the lead character. The negative of this is, with each entry seemingly being open and shut, with there being a minor connection to past entries, there isn’t much of a reward for seeing past films – or a need to watch them. This ultimately pushes the idea “Smile” is kept simple, maybe even formulaic to a point, to be a far easier franchise to churn out than its peers or forefathers.
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