Smile 2 is the highly anticipated horror sequel to Paramount’s 2022 blockbuster. Directed by Parker Finn, the film stars Naomi Scott as a pop sensation who begins to experience unsettling hallucinations just before embarking on a long-awaited tour. Additionally, Kyle Gallner makes a special return to his character from the original film in a shocking opening sequence that effectively establishes the chilling tone of the movie. This sequel expands on the scale of its predecessor and dives into new depths of grotesque horror.
Following the incredible success of the first Smile film, plans for a sequel were set in motion swiftly, with Parker Finn resuming his role as director. Smile 2 hit theaters globally on October 18, 2024, and has garnered favorable reviews, boasting an impressive 85% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film will contend at the box office against another horror sequel, Terrifier 3, making for an eerie showdown this spooky season after recently outperforming Joker: Folie à deux at the top of the box office.
What Is Smile 2 About?
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Smile 2 |
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Featuring |
Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Raúl Castillo, Dylan Gelula, Ray Nicholson, and Kyle Gallner |
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Parker Finn |
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Directed By |
Parker Finn |
Starting six days after Rose Cotter’s tragic suicide, Smile 2 follows former officer Joel (Kyle Gallner) as he attempts to transfer the Smile curse onto two criminals at their secluded hideout. After killing one of them, he becomes embroiled in a shootout with the other, resulting in both of their deaths. Witness Lewis Fregoli (Lukas Gage), a drug dealer, finds himself plagued by the curse instead. As Joel tries to flee, he meets a brutal end at the hands of an oncoming vehicle.
The story then shifts to New York City, centering on pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) as she prepares for a significant comeback tour. Having faced personal challenges following a fatal car crash that claimed the life of her partner, Paul Hudson (Ray Nicholson), Skye grapples with unhealed trauma. Under close supervision from her mother and manager, Elizabeth (Rosemarie DeWitt), as well as her assistant, Joshua (Miles Gutierrez-Riley), Skye attempts to stay in line. However, she ventures out to obtain some painkillers from Lewis, who is acting erratically and meets a grim fate. Fearing the consequences, Skye opts not to involve the authorities and instead tries to move on as eerie hallucinations start to invade her reality, including unsettlingly smiling faces. As pressure builds from her mother to deliver a speech at a charity event, she also tries to reconnect with her estranged friend, Gemma.
Later that night, after dreaming about Paul’s death, Skye receives a grim text from an unknown number, warning that she is in danger. During her charity event, technical difficulties cause her to divulge personal struggles in her speech, resulting in hallucinations—one involving Paul’s smile, and inadvertently attacking an elderly attendee, further straining her relationship with her record label.
Key Facts About Smile 2
- Skye’s late husband, Paul, is portrayed by Ray Nicholson, son of actor Jack Nicholson.
- Drew Barrymore makes a cameo as herself in a scene where Skye appears on her talk show.
Intrigued by the mysterious texts, Skye meets with a new character named Morris, who is determined to lift the curse following the death of his brother at its hands. He reveals that to rid herself of the entity, Skye must experience clinical death, as the curse simply transfers to another host otherwise. Morris promises to revive her once the entity has departed.
During her rehearsal, the entity attacks Skye again, leading her to wrongly accuse her backup dancers. When she examines her injury only to find none, confusion sets in. The traumatic recollections push her back to the disastrous night of the car accident, where she and Paul had a heated argument, ultimately leading to the tragedy fueled by her substance abuse.
How Does Smile 2 End?
Skye finds herself awakening in a rehabilitation facility with her mother, Elizabeth, by her bedside. Despite Elizabeth’s criticisms regarding Skye’s recent actions, she remains oblivious to her daughter’s struggles and is determined for her to complete the tour, regardless of Skye’s fragility. Under the grip of the entity yet again, Skye brutally attacks her mother, ending her life before making a desperate escape. She subsequently encounters Joshua, who alerts security, but Skye manages to flee and commandeers a car. On her way out, Gemma joins her, signaling her loyalty.
Bonded in chaos
As Skye drives to meet Morris, she receives a phone call from Gemma even though her friend is seated beside her. The shocking revelation unveils that Gemma was an embodiment of the entity all along. Meeting Morris at a dilapidated pizzeria, he outlines the startling plan involving freezing her to induce clinical death while waiting for the entity to vacate her body. After being placed in the freezer, Skye suddenly sees a younger version of herself as the entity, turning their encounter into a violent struggle. Just as she injects herself to stop her heart, it turns out to be another hallucination, thrusting her back into the hectic launch night of her comeback tour, her mother notably unharmed. The entity takes on a monstrous form, smiling widely, and on a horrific note, Skye tears open her abdomen, becoming possessed, ultimately stabbing herself in the eye. Thus, in a grim conclusion, the curse is passed on to all attendees who witnessed the harrowing incidents unfold.
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