Release Date: Oct. 18, 2024

Director: Parker Finn

Genre: Horror, thriller, mystery

MPAA Rating: R

Rating: B 

After the success of the original movie, “Smile,” its sequel, “Smile 2,” has managed to instantly gain popularity and rank in the top 30 movies in revenue intake. Fans have eagerly awaited the film for the past two years, and this movie has successfully lived up to their expectations.

Released in late 2022, “Smile” was an attention-catching movie, starting an obsession that later set the stage for the second movie. “Smile 2” is a continuation after the main character Rose Cotter played by Sosie Bacon manages to defeat a curse but transfers it to someone else. The plot provided for a seamless transition between movies, effectively capturing watchers’ attention long enough to maintain excitement for the next movie.

“‘Smile 2’ was a really interesting movie. They did great with the plot, which caused me to just stay curious the whole time. The movie was extremely confusing and it gave me lots of things to question, which is what was so good about it and why I enjoyed it so much. It’s the type of movie I would rewatch because it was not only scary but also intriguing and overall enjoyable,” sophomore Abel Fernandez said.

The storyline is carried on in the second movie focusing on the famous singer Skye Riley. In this movie, Riley inherits the curse from Lewis, a friend who helped her cope with the mental health setbacks that came with her fame. Lewis himself received the curse from Joel, a character from the first movie who witnessed Rose’s death during an attempt to defeat the entity. Despite the change in characters, the main problem remains the same, an indescribable entity is terrorizing a new victim.

While the change of characters was interesting, Riley’s immense fame complicated the movie, adding unnecessary drama that eventually led to confusion. This fame allowed the spirit to torment her in more intense ways, whether during her performances, while she made speeches or even during her breaks. This torment was bad for her mental health and added an extra layer of confusion, which was detrimental for viewers and a flaw in the movie.

“I was especially excited for ‘Smile 2’ because [social media] hyped it up a lot. They even had people sit in the stands at baseball games, smiling at the cameras throughout the whole game, which was a whole new level of advertising the movie. The movie was great, but if I were to watch it again, I would have to watch it with at least two other people because of how scary it was,” sophomore Alexander Erazo said.

An important scene in the movie is when Riley meets a key character, Morris, at a bar. Suggesting a meeting place, he reveals how she can break the curse and offers to help. Tensions rise as many people in the bar recognize her, and feeling stressed, she hesitates to make a decision in that moment. This scene cleverly introduces another complex situation within the movie, forcing Riley to make a decision which could change the whole movie, whether or not to trust a stranger. This was one of many nerve-wracking moments that shaped the movie and left the audience eagerly awaiting her decision.

After enduring countless amounts of torture, innumerable bloody scenes and the destruction of her public image, Riley realizes she has no choice but to run away, desperate to escape the media’s invasion of every moment of her life. In her journey she revives a friendship with an old friend, who helps her escape and together they set out for a cabin as instructed by Morris, however, as they are almost there, the story takes a dramatic turn.

“I watched ‘Smile’ with my friends when it came out two years ago, and although I liked it it wasn’t the best movie. I watched ‘Smile 2’ and honestly I didn’t enjoy it very much. It’s not something I would watch again,” junior Elyse Harris said.

What really brought the movie to another level was the plot twist. It both impressed and shocked the audience when it was revealed that a great part of the movie was a hallucination, and the friend driving her in that moment was not really there. Regaining consciousness, Riley manages to take control of the car and barely arrives at the cabin. The emotion and suspense in the scene manages to bring together the whole film making the experience more captivating and reignited interest for what was to come.

Moments before Riley receives the opportunity to potentially end the curse, the spirits begin to terrorize her once again. She is shown desperately trying to inject GH.325, a questionable serum derived from blood into herself, but the entity continues to interfere. As the movie is minutes away from ending, the plot takes a dramatic turn revealing that many key events: countless people who were attacked, died and had an impact on her life were hallucinations and never actually happened. The film ends abruptly with no explanation, leaving Riley back on stage, distraught and confused about what is real anymore. While this ending is the puzzling result of the plot holes, it meanwhile manages to keep viewers curious for the next scene.

“It was an unforgettable horror movie that kept me on the edge of my seat. The plot twists scared me, and each scene made my heart race. The chilling atmosphere and storyline created an exciting experience that continued even after the credits rolled,” sophomore John Gelety said.

“Smile 2” left viewers wanting more as they realized what truly happened throughout the film. The numerous plot twists and unforeseen events contributed to the movie’s rapid rise in attention. Although out for months, the movie continues to attract audiences and has remained on the charts throughout this entire time. As audience members, this movie left viewers eager for more and raising the standards for a “Smile 3“.