Becoming The Muse

Smile 2 Movie Review

Smile 2 is a psychological supernatural horror film written and directed by Parker Finn. It is a sequel to the 2022 movie Smile. Smile 2 was theatrically released on 18 October 2024 and from 3 December available to stream on Paramount+

The story follows a pop star battling with fame and addiction who upon witnessing a disturbing incident inherits a curse that threatens her grasp on reality to terrifying effect…

The Good

Naomi Scott as Skye Riley delivers an award-winning performance playing the troubled pop star trying to balance fame and the publicity that comes while coming to get to grips with her personal struggles and internal demons. The portrayal gives the movie an emotionally charged atmosphere, lending a vulnerability and relatability to the character.

Skye Riley could easily be one of my favourite fictional popstars. Her character draws influences from Lady Gaga and early 2000s pop stars in costumes, style and sound. The song New Brain performed is an earworm with a choregraphy that will stick with you long after the credits…. And you find yourself randomly singing “I need a new brain….”

 Having the film centred around a pop figure, gives the film an interesting dynamic that juxtaposes public persona and private torment adding terrifying new perspectives to the narrative and a whole lot of tension and dread….

The Bad

With a runtime of 2 hours it can feel like it drags with a lot of unnecessary clips that serve nothing more to the plot than just extended scenes, that should have never made the final cut…. I sometimes felt the urge to press the fast-forward button… like ok I get it creepy scene no need for more cinematic shots than is absolutely necessary.

The film then information dumps in an outlandish exposition, which goes into a rushed third act with plot twists that will leave you on that what just happened tip, but not enough to compel you to rewatch the movie.

The Ugly

First, it’s a horror movie and its not shy about making you squirm on the edge of your seat, from its claustrophobic tension to jump scares, graphic violence and self-harm styled brutality which can be a bit much for sensitive viewers.

Final Thoughts

Smile 2 is an ambitious sequel that expands on the original’s themes while offering an intense cinematic experience. Though it doesn’t introduce anything new and largely follows the plot design of the original movie, it still provides some intense scares and thrills for fans of the horror genre.