‘Smile 2’ Review – Terror Takes Center Stage As Naomi Scott Stuns

Synopsis: About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.

It’s been said thousands of times before but it bears repeating, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. As lavish or exciting, jubilant, peaceful, or near-perfect as someone else’s life appears, every experience comes with its complications. Whether in person or through various screens, we admire, idolize, and aspire to be or be like those living a life we wish we could only imagine. However, what we tend not to see and rarely gets highlighted are the struggles and difficulties that people go through in private despite their projected rosy lives. Occasionally, those highest up would opt to return to a life of anonymity. Life is what you make it and you can’t cultivate anything if you constantly compare yourself to others. To quote J. Cole, “Love yours.”

“I let you all down.”

You may be scared, you may avert your eyes, and you might even have a nightmare or two, but horror films tend to be filled with just as much depth as despair. This film has a healthy serving of both. Written and directed by Parker Finn, Smile 2 is an inescapable psychological hellscape. The devilishly captivating sequel is a grim dagger-toothed grin that is thirsty for trauma and craving carnage. In this character-driven follow-up to 2022’s Smile, terror takes center stage as Naomi Scott stuns. Led by Scott’s incredible performance, Smile 2 towers above its predecessor as it unleashes a flood of inner turmoil, gore, and anguish, leaving you in a state of shock and amazement. At the same time, you lie still, jaw agape in a pit of hopelessness. While it may not be in 3D, it’s an incredibly tactile, affecting, and thought-provoking experience.

While the first film focused on building mythos and examining trauma from a macro perspective, this installment infiltrates deep within the psyche of our popstar protagonist and feasts on a buffet of depression, anxiety, stress, self-doubt, self-loathing, and most of all, guilt. As it plays with mental instability like a snake and cornered mouse, it also touches on substance abuse, physical trauma, perception, insecurities, and sacrifice all through the eyes of someone who presents perfection. The social commentary on celebrity takes what we thought about this evil smiling entity to a frightening new level. Providing the seemingly unbeatable parasitic devil spawn a stadium of potential witnesses to its jaw-ripping, throat-cutting, reality-distorting, trauma-inducing suicidal bloodbath, is glorious mayhem on the grandest scale. Popstar takes on a new meaning when eyeballs start popping out.

“I can see you’re sad on the inside.”

Taking something simple and relatable like a smile and adding a sinister layer to it is what makes this franchise intriguing to watch. As the audience attempts to discern what’s real and what’s a hallucination while watching smile-clad torture and then death, this franchise does to smiles what Jaws did to sharks or It did to clowns, they’re never perceived the same way again. It would also seem that Finn took note of how fans felt about the previous film’s jumpscares and utilized them more effectively this go around. They work perfectly. Go use the restroom before you sit down.

The kills are brutal, the performances are terrific, and the visual storytelling is impressive. Naomi Scott delivers the best work of her career and transforms this phenomenal horror movie into a great film. Smile 2 is easily one of the best horror films of the year. Don’t let the somewhat lengthy runtime scare you before the movie can, it’s worth its price of admission. Its rewatchability is high.

Pace & Pop

Despite being labeled as horror/mystery, the film’s pacing builds like a psychological thriller. As it seduces us early with chaotic crimson flare and remnants of its predecessor, it carefully yet turbulently crafts a complete character profile that represents your average person and those in the spotlight as well. Furthermore, as we trek through the tornado of turmoil, terror and a dash of humor are folded in like butter to a flour mix to create laminated dough. What popped for me was the production design and overall aesthetic. The polished glitz, glam, and vibrant colors juxtaposed with the dark and macabre are reminiscent of how Midsommar’s horrors unfold in daylight.

Characters & Chemistry

Starring: Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kyle Gallner, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Raúl Castillo, Dylan Gelula, Ray Nicholson

As I said above, Naomi Scott knocks it out of the park and delivers a career-best performance. She takes us on the most turbulent, tortured, and emotionally disturbed ride of the year. She allows herself to become completely unhinged at times as the descent into insanity is a sight to behold. As Skye, she gives a character that is both relatable and unimaginable. She’s simultaneously a superstar and a very flawed real person giving us an uncensored peek into celebrity hardship. Not only is she a chart-topping sensation, but her mistakes and transgressions affect more than just her. From her internal battles to her abrasive relationship with her mother and career, Scott ensures that we know that Skye is more than a name in neon lights. Feeling like the weight of the world is on your shoulders while struggling mentally and physically is enough to sit anyone on the bench, then add a murderous parasitic entity to the mix. Pandemonium.

Smile 2 releases in theaters on October 18, 2025. Stay safe and smile on.

Rated: R Runtime: 2h 12m Director: Parker Finn Writer: Parker Finn Producers: Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, Parker Finn, Robert Salerno Production Design: Lester Cohen Score: Cristobal Tapia de Veer Director of Photography: Charlie Sarroff Costume Design: Alexis Forte