Instead of short trailer clips of action and gore to attract viewers, the marketing campaign for the horror and thriller movie “Smile 2” took a more creative and subtle approach: planting actors in baseball game crowds to smile unsettlingly into the camera. This eerie, uncanny twist in advertising extends throughout the movie, setting the film apart from conventional horror movies.
Following the release of the popular horror and thriller movie “Smile” to movie theaters in 2022, “Smile 2” was released this year on Oct. 24.
While the sequel didn’t match the popularity of the original, with “Smile” producing $202.9 million six weeks after its release and “Smile 2” producing $123.6 million, director Parkor Finn upheld the characteristically unique cinematography with twists from traditional horror movies, while still turning a sizeable profit.
Both “Smile 2” and the original follow an unnamed entity that haunts its victims through hallucinations of their trauma, in which people smile creepily. After the hallucinations manifest and drive them insane, the victims themselves begin to smile uncannily and brutally kill themselves, parasitically passing on the entity to whoever witness the suicide. In the sequel, singer Skye Riley — played by Naomi Scott — is preparing for a comeback tour after recovering from substance abuse and a car crash that killed her boyfriend Paul Hudson — played by Ray Nicholson.
Although “Smile 2” follows the chronological timeline of the original, the new cast continues to add depth to the gruesome horror and message of controlling desires and ignoring trauma. Scott’s portrayal of the already mentally unstable Skye brings the audience into Skye’s transformation as Skye slowly self-destructs and the line between her hallucinations and reality blurs.
In an interview with Forbes, Scott reported she had gone into the audition considering it as not only a great horror script, but also an excellent script overall, stating that “if you take away the horror elements — which I believe not only actually adds to the experience of the viewer but also the conversation itself and the entertainment — it really plays as a drama.”
With “Smile 2” being the first horror movie Scott has ever starred in, she carefully calibrates her emotions and reactions so as not to overdo them. Without exaggerating the unnaturalness of Skye’s sudden, bloody hallucinations, Scott depicts her character’s shift subtly, moving from short gasps and screams to more vulgar, agonizing wails of torment. Finn also utilizes sound throughout the hallucinations that depict the state of horror that Skye is forced into. Moments of long silence hold a thick tension when the hallucinations appear, keeping the viewer in a state of apprehension.
Finn also employs unusual cinematic techniques to emphasize double meanings throughout the film. The viewer is often left doubtful, questioning if a smile is genuine or to the effect of horror — if what Skye is seeing is reality or hallucination. By also sprinkling in random, mentally unstable side characters — such as a stalker — and actors in disjointed body poses, Finn continues to blend hallucination with reality.
Moreover, by flipping some shots upside down, filming through the angle of a mirror and hiding arcs that resemble smiles throughout the film, Finn hints at the hidden subtext of each scene. For instance, the movie begins with an intense chase that results in a side character being run over by a truck. Slowly zooming out from the trail of blood and guts, the ending shot reveals a full red arc made of blood.
The horror aspect of the movie is also achieved skillfully, with just enough psychological gore that leaves viewers grimacing away from the screen, only to look back a second later. Contrary to many stereotypical horror movies that portray the blood artificially or the mutilated bodies like Halloween decorations, the guts and blood imagery is created craftily to satiate a horror movie craving.
While the audio and blood are used tastefully, the length of the movie is exaggerated to an extent. With the film clocking in at 2 hours and 12 minutes, the message becomes repetitive with the usual switch between hallucinations and reality occuring countless times. However, the ending still presents some plot twists and captivating acting that is worth finishing the movie for.
The movie also holds onto the traditional horror genre, paying homage to Jack Nicholson’s iconic, creepy smile in “The Shining” through his son Ray Nicholson’s smile. With modern approaches to horror, “Smile 2” is a must-watch for horror movie fanatics, as it incorporates conventional jump scares with psychological torments. The juxtaposition of an uncanny smile with stiff body movements holds just enough tension to captivate the audience without being too tacky or grotesque. While “Smile 2” is still playing in movie theaters, it is also available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
