Smile 2 (2024)

★★★★

It is rare for a sequel to be better than the first movie. It’s even rarer for it to completely change its form and one-up itself. And that’s exactly what this movie did! Not since the likes of Terminator 2 has there been this significant of a quality jump between the first and second films! I loved itIt is rare for a sequel to be better than the first movie. It’s even rarer for it to completely change its form and one-up itself. And that’s exactly what this movie did! Not since the likes of Terminator 2 has there been this significant of a quality jump between the first and second films! I loved it

Smile 2 took everything I loved about the first film and amplified it, delivering more intense scares, bloodier gore, and enough anxiety to drive anyone insane. It’s as if Smile 1 was the proof of concept, but this was the true vision all along. Writer/director Parker Finn showcases a lot more creative talent here, and clearly has a lot to say about fame and trauma.  With these two films, Parker Finn has cemented himself as one of the top horror directors working today. His command over the pacing and dreadful atmosphere is truly impressive. I loved the creativity with the cinematography, editing, and sound design; all employed so well to build the tension, atmosphere, and feeling of dread — not to mention assist with some extremely effective jump scares. It also doesn’t play into horror tropes/cliches too much which was nice, and has a strong script with such an excellent hook with so many satisfying payoffs. If he’s willing to keep making these films and finding new ways to psychologically scar and thrill us, I’ll be there, ready and with a sick smile on my face. Naomi Scott gives a truly committed, emotionally charged performance that will likely turn a few heads as she pushes herself to terrifying extremes. What an unrelenting, wild, and disturbing ride! Filled with effective jump scares — definitely not a film for the faint of heart.

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Premise: About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley begins to experience increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and pressures of fame, she must face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.

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Paramount

Written & Directed by Parker Finn

Cast: Noami Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Ray Nicholson, Dylan Gelula, Peter Jacobson, Kyle Gallner

Runtime: 2hr 7min

Rating: 18A

Horror, Mystery, Thriller

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IMDb Rating: 7.2/10

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%

RT Audience Score: 81%

RT Critic Average: 6.9/10

RT Audience Average: 4.1/5

Metacritic Score: 66

CinemaScore: B

Letterboxd: 3.4/5

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Fun Fact: Director Parker Finn says doing the sequel was like fitting a 10-gallon movie into a five-gallon budget, saying "I tried to push everything to its absolute extreme. "We had a few more resources, more toys to play with. But I'm always trying to punch above my budget and above what the schedule affords," Finn also said. "[I tried] to push everything to its absolute extreme. So in a way, it felt the same or almost more stressful because of what we bit off in this one."

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