Smile 2 Delivers Its Most Shocking Twist in the Opening Scene

WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for Smile 2.

Essential Insights

Joel attempts to disrupt the curse’s cycle but becomes embroiled in a perilous shootout.
Joel uncovers a loophole in the Smile curse by transferring it to a witness.
The curse then falls upon a low-level drug dealer, who inadvertently passes it to Skye Riley.

The film’s opening sequence has generated considerable buzz due to its shocking moment. In Smile 2, Kyle Gallner reprises his role as Joel, the police officer featured in the original film, albeit for a short time.

The sequel introduces Naomi Scott as pop sensation Skye Riley, who aims to revive her music career following the devastation caused by her substance abuse issues. However, her life spirals into chaos after the malevolent Smile entity latches onto her, mirroring the torment faced by Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) in the previous installment.

Joel’s Battle Against the Curse in Smile 2’s Opening Sequence

Smile 2 has made a significant impact at the box office, debuting with a remarkable $23 million in the United States, surpassing the indie horror favorite Terrifier 3. It has also achieved a higher Rotten Tomatoes score than its predecessor, a noteworthy accomplishment in the horror genre.

The narrative begins with Joel, as portrayed by Kyle Gallner, before shifting focus to Skye’s story. The opening scene offers closure on Joel’s ambiguous fate from the first film, where he attempts to rescue Rose, only to have the curse transmitted to him. The sequel opens with Joel desperately seeking a way to escape his grim destiny, as previous curse victims have all met tragic ends before witnesses, thereby transferring the demonic presence to them.

Having witnessed Rose’s horrific self-immolation, Joel sets out to discover a method to escape the curse. Fortunately for him, he is aware of the curse’s intricacies and its established patterns. Time is of the essence as he races against the clock to avoid an inevitable similar fate. His determination leads him to explore a potential loophole.

Joel Identifies the Loophole in the Smile Curse

Joel recalls a critical detail: by killing someone in front of a witness, he can shift the Smile curse to them and liberate himself. This suggestion came from Robert Talley, a convicted murderer in the first film. Joel devises a plan to murder a drug dealer’s sibling in view of the dealer himself, with intentions of saving an innocent party from the curse.

His rationale is that despite committing a murder, transferring the curse to a criminal feels justified given his dire circumstances. Joel successfully executes the murder, and the curse inadvertently moves to the witness as he intended. However, his moment of relief is short-lived when he becomes entangled in a shootout with another dealer. In a chaotic twist, Joel inadvertently kills that witness, leaving him vulnerable to the curse once more.

What remains ambiguous is whether Joel truly escapes from the curse or not. After fleeing, a truck tragically runs him over, resulting in his death, and complicating matters even further.

Joel’s Understanding of the Curse

Joel shared a mutual understanding of the curse with Rose, knowing the critical steps required to transfer it without succumbing to death. With Rose dead from self-immolation and Joel killed by the truck, the curse knowledge rests solely with Robert Talley. This proves that the potential means of breaking the curse remains hidden from future victims, leaving them in hopelessness. Parker Finn skillfully chooses not to extend this aspect of the story, opting instead to invoke despair among the characters and audience alike, while cleverly introducing a more dangerous alternative for dealing with the curse.

After taking the lives of two drug dealers, Joel comes across a minor player, Lewis Fregoli (Lukas Gage), who witnessed the murders. Lewis subsequently becomes the new target of the curse. Although Joel is initially relieved that he managed to pass on the curse without taking his own life, this relief is short-lived after his fatal collision. Poor Lewis is left oblivious to the dark fate that awaits him and lacks the critical knowledge that might have spared him from his impending doom. Thus, the curse ultimately attaches itself to him, setting the stage for its next victim, Skye Riley, portrayed by Naomi Scott.

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