Parker Finn is back with another with Smile 2. The follow-up to his wildly successful first film. The series began as a creepy short screened at SXSW and is quickly turning into a powerhouse horror franchise. Smile 2 follows a new protagonist, popstar Skye Riley, played excellently by Naomi Scott.

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to create a standout horror film, especially in a year filled with fantastic indies. But Smile 2 holds its own and aims to deliver a forever sequencing franchise. It may not be the scariest or most original film of the year, but despite its flaws, Smile 2 is a component horror film aiming at a franchise legacy.

Keep Smiling

Smile 2 picks up right where part one left off. Kyle Gallner returns as Joel who is now infected with the curse. He attempts to lay the curse on someone more deserving. A group of low-level drug dealers. But the plan goes awry in spectacular fashion.

The opening minutes of Smile 2 are the strongest in the entire film. The scene is shot in a one-take with the camera meticulously following Joel as he tries to extract the smiling demon. A group of unknown drug dealers thwarts Joel’s exorcism attempt and the ensuing shootout is full of tension and spectacle. Parker Finn is putting his talent on full display here and it’s exciting to think about what this filmmaker will do next.

Smiling Through Fame

The first Smile film was really a story about mental illness. Smile followed Sosie Bacon’s Rose as she dealt with the curse and struggled living in a world where only she could see the evil around her. Smile 2 is a film about fame. Naomi Scott’s Skye Riley is an uber-famous pop star one year removed from a tragedy that left her scarred and traumatized. The first film delves into the lore of the Smile demon, but no such exposition is given here. The audience is expected to know the demon feeds on trauma and in doing so has found the perfect host in Skye.

Naomi Scott gives a truly brilliant performance but the single character focus of the franchise makes Smile 2 less relatable than its predecessor. While following Rose in the first film, it’s easy to relate to someone suffering through familial trauma. It’s a more universal theme that affects millions of Americans and is on full display in Smile. Smile 2 instead focuses on Skye and her struggle with fame. While it’s a fun idea and executed well, it does add an extra removed layer that alienates the audience from the story.

Smile 2 Continues Trauma

Skye’s struggle with addiction and fame is at the forefront of the film and allows her madness to go unseen by those around her. The supporting cast, specifically Rosemarie DeWitt as Skye’s mother, brings an excellent layer of paranoia to Scott’s performance. The film continues with the creepy smiling imagery from the first and it’s just as effective here. Watching Skye try and fail to overcome her own struggles while an unseen entity attempts to bring her further down is done exceptionally well and adds a sense of dread to the entire film.

That feeling of dread is where Smile 2 really shines. Throughout the film, there is always the sense that things will get worse. Even when we get glimpses of hope, there’s a feeling that it won’t last for long. And truly it does not as Skye Riley continues to fight the reality-bending demon. This dread culminates in a shocking and effective ending, but one that leaves the audience with more questions than answers.

The Shocking Finale of Smile 2

Those who remember the twist ending of the first film may not be surprised by where Smile 2 ends up. Parker Finn employs the same unreliable narrator trope but cranks it up much higher than the first. This leads to a shocking and satisfying ending, but one with a lot of unanswered questions. There are multiple reads on the finale and plot but with the audience so closely following the unreliable narrator, it’s hard to know what’s real and what isn’t.

This may end up being a problem for the franchise going forward. The actual powers of the demon are not fully explained and it’s borderline impossible to know where reality ends and fantasy begins. This worked great for the first film which at the time was a stand-alone project. But now as it appears a series is emerging, it’s curious to see how the writers will reckon with its lack of concrete narratives.

The Future of Smile

Smile 2 is a good film on its own but one that doesn’t give me hope for the future. Typically when a horror film does well it’s sequeled ad nauseam until the original plot gets lost four or five entries in. Smile 2, while fine on its own, makes for an odd continuing point. The series may choose to just repeat the first two films. Finding one character struggling with trauma and following them for the story. But I doubt this will be the case. Eventually, this will run stale and audiences will demand some expanded lore to the Smile universe.

As a character study and a story about trauma, both Smile films are great. But as a horror franchise following a smiling demon, it will probably wear thin. Once the magic of the demon is gone all that’s left will be the creepy smiling imagery. It’s an effective and visceral image, but not enough to sustain a litany of sequels. Despite concerns for the future, Smile 2 is a great time at the theaters, if not just for the incredible opening sequence.