Smile 2: A Jump-Scare Rollercoaster with a Surprisingly Funny Side!
Naomi Scott Shines in Smile 2, Despite a Flawed Story
Director Parker Finn’s Smile (2022) was a terrifying exploration of mental anguish and those terrifying psychological aspects of horror which really worked. Smile 2, however attempts to recapture that same magic and those similar themes of Mental Health struggles; however, its efforts come up short and many audiences won't necessarily find everything in the movie particularly effective.
Naomi Scott shines; portraying Skye Riley, a pop superstar battling substance abuse and crippling back pain which also results in that moment of witnessing a horrific suicide— an event that adds significant weight and completely rewrites everything and sets this movie into motion; but those same strengths end up having various plot weaknesses in various areas. Let's discuss!
Smile 2’s Plot Issues: A Slow Burn That Never Quite Catches Fire
Skye’s mental health struggles follow a formula established in the first film and it mostly follows those already familiar tropes found previously. The aftermath of witnessing the horrible suicide kicks things off; the audience knows almost immediately what this really implies. But instead of building on those events quickly, the movie makes this plot incredibly slow in revealing several other elements and those reasons surrounding Skye’s very troubled circumstances: The mysterious back pain is tied to past traumas, but this key fact emerges far, far too late. That late-game reveal undercuts the initial tension surrounding those moments where the audience is unable to adequately connect and understand Skye's emotional state; further impacting how these very powerful connections and empathizing should otherwise happen.
The use of Jump Scares works, as that was what truly characterized that very first Smile title; yet the plot struggles. The storytelling lacked the kind of emotional depth presented in that predecessor which did create more compelling stories with that stronger empathy; this contrasts sharply from that first installment and audiences were often left questioning those specific events occurring without realizing what truly made everything worth connecting with in this sequel. Everything seems overly obvious—even forced. The overall attempts of the movie at conveying those realistic sentiments relating to real-life traumas relating to addiction is greatly underplayed in certain areas; this makes audiences disconnect even further as certain plots remain too forced and unsubtle for generating much needed empathetic reactions, resulting in weaker emotional impact that a far better script could’ve resolved.
Surprisingly Funny: A Gory Comedy?
Smile 2 is surprisingly funny. That sounds incredibly bizarre; right? Considering the subject matter: the relentless torment and haunting of this key protagonist through a menacing supernatural entity; which culminates in scenes where characters commit Suicide– these very aspects become oddly amusing. The storyline never takes itself seriously enough; adding to that tone entirely through the actors’ interactions, delivery of various comedic plot aspects.
Yet this kind of approach is questionable: This jarring juxtaposition of intense gore with unexpected, surprisingly delivered humor becomes disorienting. Those scenes create odd disconnects; resulting in many viewers having an odd sense of emotional distance despite all attempts from Scott, the protagonist. This choice, the comedic style combined with that intensity, isn't entirely bad but requires further creative justification.
Conclusion: A Solid Performance, but a Missed Opportunity
Smile 2 is not horrible. It provides good moments, good acting, especially Naomi Scott! Her role really elevated everything and added so much passion! The writing is weaker; and some of the major reveals arrived far too late. While this does result in plenty of thrills; there's plenty missing here: A stronger script with better character development would have created a far better movie overall; highlighting this profound loss; highlighting what that might mean and really showcasing how the main character changes over time; but the efforts attempted fell far short of expectations, creating disconnections which lacked needed clarity for those audiences unaware of some earlier details.
It's a decent jump scare experience; that’s completely undeniably enjoyable! But don’t expect any groundbreaking statements on Mental Health; that particular storyline is not developed with appropriate creativity; highlighting how undercooked some areas truly were.
