In horror, lightning rarely strikes twice because when it comes to follow-ups to popular horror originals, filmmakers often face the daunting choice to either play it safe or swing for the fences.  Stick to a proven formula, and you can keep your fans cozy and close; take a bold risk, and you may alienate the core crowd that has championed your movie.  Some of the greatest sequels in cinema, easy selections like Aliens or The Godfather Part II, not only built upon their predecessors but redefined what a sequel could achieve.

I’d add writer/director Parker Finn’s Smile 2 to that elite club because it takes the eerie mechanics of his 2022 hit and proves he can fashion a more imaginative, darker, and ultimately more satisfying horror experience.  Outshining its predecessor by delivering more than rote scares (though it has those, too), it ratchets up the tension gradually, building a more immersive and emotionally resonant world that rests almost entirely on the shoulders of its mesmerizing star. 

Beginning six days after the previous film ended, Finn wastes little time wrapping up any loose ends left hanging, preferring to start semi-fresh.  The slate isn’t so much wiped clean as it is smeared with bloody entrails before the opening credits, moving right into a cameo by Drew Barrymore welcoming pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott, Aladdin) to her daytime talk show one year after the singer survived a shattering car accident that claimed her equally famous boyfriend’s life. (It’s a nice little meta-twist to have stars of two different Charlie’s Angels films brought together for a moment.)

Poised for a comeback with the upcoming launch of her tour, Skye is still recovering physically and emotionally from her wounds and coming to terms with how close she skated to death, working hard to stay away from the drugs and hard partying that nearly ended her life.  A reunion with an old friend for under-the-table Vicodin to help with the pain derails her journey on the straight and narrow, not for any addiction-related reasons but because he’s haunted by a familiar evil that transfers to her.  As the mysterious entity begins to shred her grip on reality, Skye is forced to confront her past trauma if she intends to survive and hold on to her sanity.

Though Finn dials the jump scares up to an almost unbearable level, what makes Smile 2 rise above most returning horror fare is a focus on character development, which helps to elevate the stakes.  Yes, most supporting characters are shuttled to the side with little known about them. (Even so, Rosemarie Dewitt, as Skye’s mom-ager looks like she’s having a ball.) Still, a psychological depth explored with Skye adds emotional contrast and complexity to what could have been a standard narrative.  That grounded vulnerability makes the growing tension even more heart-pounding.

The decision to shift from a government worker in the first film to a celebrity protagonist is a stroke of genius, allowing for an intriguing exploration of fame’s pitch-black side.  Scott fully embodies this character, making her as believable on stage as when fleeing unseen supernatural forces.  The original songs performed, penned by real-world hitmakers, are earworm-y catchy, and the accompanying LP with Scott taking on the Skye Riley persona is all-around terrific.  The wise use of music doubles as a plot device, heightening the film’s atmosphere and adding layers to Skye’s fight to avoid her grief and a horrible fate.

As someone who loves scary tales and well-made ones, I again geeked out at Finn and his team’s strong technical presentation.  Alexis Forte’s costume designs balance pop star glamour with Skye’s growing vulnerability, making an onstage dazzler look almost as menacing as a blood-soaked hospital gown.  While it may make you want to close your eyes to stop the room from spinning, Charlie Sarroff’s cinematography transforms New York City into a nightmarish maze with dizzying camera work that finds threats in every shadow. Along with the catchy tunes, Cristobal Tapia de Veer’s score is punctuated with an eerie, otherworldly danger. At the same time, Lester Cohen’s muted production design allows the violent moments to hit even harder.

What sometimes gets missed in these films is the importance of the editor in ensuring the scare lands and the suspense is sustained.  With that in mind, Elliot Greenberg’s razor-sharp editing is perhaps the film’s unsung hero.  Taking Finn’s ideas and Sarroff’s camera work, Greenberg orchestrates each scare with surgical precision, from weaponized jump scares to slow-building dread that stays with you even after the initial shock has subsided. Though running slightly over two hours, the pacing is near perfect, keeping the audience on edge while allowing the story to unfold at its own rhythm.

There’s a spark of creativity here to prevent Smile 2 from coming across like a cash-grab sequel.  You sense that Finn has been sitting on this story, refining it for just the right moment.  I suppose there is an argument to be made that the film is rehashing old formulas, but having just rewatched the original, I didn’t find a lot of similar set-ups or predictability staring back at me from the screen.  Instead, the dread force at the heart of the Smile universe feels more developed, its motivations more twisted and terrifying, progressing toward a finale that opens thrilling possibilities for the franchise’s future.

A study in trauma, addiction, and the fragility of the human mind. Finn takes the best parts of the original and cranks them up to eleven in Smile 2, adding layers of psychological depth and sharp social commentary on celebrity and the fame game. Scott’s all-in, powerhouse performance is reason enough to make this a must-see with a large audience (like the original, it was great fun to be in a packed house listening to the leagues of screams and interactions throughout).  For fans of the first film, this sequel is everything you hoped for. And for newcomers, it’s a gripping, nerve-wracking ride that will leave you smiling—if only because you survived the experience.