Movie Review: Smile 2

It’s nice to see horror getting appreciated more than usual with this year’s Academy Award nominations, thanks to the artier inclinations of The Substance and Nosferatu, but it’s a shame that it is otherwise overlooked most of the time, especially in the acting categories. If Demi Moore wins it for her stellar performance in The Substance maybe that will change things, though it will be too late for Naomi Scott’s equally impressive turn as troubled pop star Skye Riley in last year’s Smile 2.

Having just come out of recovery following a severe car accident one year earlier that claimed the life of her actor boyfriend Paul Hudson (Ray Nicholson), Skye is now rehearsing for the launch of her massive comeback tour. Momager Elizabeth (Rosemarie DeWitt) is determined to keep her away from the reckless behavior and drug use that led to the crash but Skye is still in severe pain due to her extensive injuries and is looking to obtain some Vicodin without public scrutiny and so contacts old-schoolmate-turned-dealer Lewis (Lukas Gage) for the pills. When she arrives at his apartment he is behaving erratically, even for someone as high as he is, and appears to be afraid of something that only he can see. Ignoring her instincts to leave, she winds up witnessing him taking his own life in grisly fashion, not yet realizing that in so doing she has now also become cursed by the same entity that had driven him mad.

From here the basic plot beats largely mirror those of the previous movie, with Skye experiencing increasingly upsetting visions that no one else sees, growing isolated from those around her who refuse to listen to her pleas for help, and reuniting with an old friend, Gemma (Dylan Gelula), who agrees to help her figure out what is happening. Less time is spent on solving the mystery however, as we the audience already understand the core mechanics, which leaves more space for creepy visuals, which returning writer and director Parker Finn is only all too happy to serve up.

Finn and his Smile cinematographer Charlie Sarroff continue to display masterful skill with their shot composition and inventive camerawork, laying on “unnecessary” but visually striking moments like peak-period Dario Argento. Likewise, the movie once again features Cristobal Tapia de Veer’s eerie, unusual, and memorable electronic compositions to create a mood that is almost all-enveloping. Finn knows how to set a scene, and he has dreamt up some truly incredible set pieces here, many of which will likely remain permanently lodged in viewers psyches.

As with the prior film there are themes of depression and trauma which are handled well, but Skye’s story also allows the movie to examine the ways the entertainment industry can exploit its “stars” and how even those who are supposed to have our best interests at heart can become blinded to our needs when enough money becomes involved. Scott is perfect in the role, making it easy to believe that she would be an A-list singer, but also fully selling the damage she struggles so hard to keep out of view. She won’t get the awards recognition she deserves for this role unfortunately, but if it’s any indication of what’s to come from the actress it’s only a matter of time before she does.

Taking everything that worked about the first movie and both refining it and molding it in impressively unexpected directions this is a rare sequel that outdoes its already excellent predecessor. Every piece of Smile 2 has been assembled with care and it shows on screen. This is a smart, scary, inventive, thrill ride of a movie that builds towards an unforgettable climax and promises to take things even further in the inevitable Smile 3. I can’t wait. ★★★★★