Taylor Swift is terrorized by a smile demon in Smile 2, a suspenseful and scary thriller that sends its protagonist to the edge of insanity. Well crafted, cleverly scored, and satisfyingly gruesome, Smile 2 is a solidly wicked sequel from returning director Parker Finn.
Naomi Scott (Aladdin) gives a terrific performance as a famous pop singer who witnesses a brutal, smile-inducing suicide—and, well, you know what happens next.
Though the movie may do little to add to the formula presented in the original (which was great, albeit somewhat similar to the superior It Follows), it executes upon its formula extremely well while layering in disturbing elements of past traumas and sins. The visuals are top notch, the horror elements anxiety-inducing, and the story, as basic as it is, effective. Of course, the score, by returning composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer (who also did “The White Lotus”), is a unique highlight.
Smile 2’s biggest shortcoming is that it is… not short. At 2 hours and 7 minutes, it’s about 25 minutes longer than what a horror movie of this variety needs to be. The movie doesn’t necessarily feel 25 minutes too long, and yet it definitely sags in the middle.
The ending is fun, even if how it’s achieved isn’t entirely earned. Without getting into details, there’s an element of semi-unintentional cop-out at play here that normally would rub me the wrong way (and will certainly bug the hell out of some audience members)—one wonders if Finn could have achieved the same results while simultaneously avoiding the minimization of what happened earlier.
Despite its faults, there is plenty to smile about with Smile 2. Its ability to generate a true feeling of uncertainty and anxiety is palpable, and the movie shows that Finn can adapt to bigger budgets and a bigger stage. For horror fans, there are plenty of deliciously nasty kills, and Scott is a perfect scream queen. I’m excited to see what Finn does next (I’m hoping an original horror movie, not another Smile sequel). As for Taylor Swift, the poor thing… well, not all concerts go off without a hitch.
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.