“Smile 2” movie poster from their Instagram.

The thrilling horror movie, “Smile” was released in September of 2022, and was a big hit across the board, making approximately $200 million. Now, almost two years later, the sequel to this popular movie “Smile 2” came out on Oct. 18 and released to streaming services on Dec. 3.

I remember being shocked when they announced the idea for a sequel, considering the ending of the first movie seemed to wrap everything up. However, an even bigger feeling was how excited I was. I am a big horror movie fan and also really enjoyed “Smile” when I saw it two years ago.

The original “Smile” was not only filled with jumpscares, but it had a major psychological element to it. I also usually like psychological horror films more than just your typical killer and victim story because I find them more scary and believable.

“Smile 2” continued the emphasis on psychological elements, like its predecessor, with the idea of the main character becoming possessed by the “smile demon” and the supporting characters trying their best to help them. The smile demon, as established in the first movie, is passed from person to person by watching someone kill themself. This demon feeds off of stress, trauma and overall, the bad things in your mind and life. The demon also causes hallucinations and essentially makes you go insane, until it takes over.

“Smile” follows the story of a therapist named Rose Cotter played by Sosie Bacon who gets the demon from one of her patients. The original movie deals with thematic ideas such as trauma and grief, and how it can consume you. Rose struggles with keeping down trauma from her mother, which became more evident throughout the movie.

“Smile 2,” however, follows pop star Skye Riley played by Naomi Scott who is about to embark on a comeback tour and gets the demon from an old high school friend, Lewis. Lewis is a drug dealer that Skye goes to somewhat consistently for pain medication because considering her history with drugs, no doctor will prescribe her stronger medication than Tylenol.

The demon possessing Skye also demonstrates a unique perspective on the mental health of celebrities. With the pressures of performing, and the idea of putting up a front for the public eye, it can be exhausting.

Many pop stars and celebrities have discussed their mental health to the public in different ways, all explaining a feeling of loneliness which is displayed by Skye. “Smile 2” showing Skye fighting the “smile demon” can also be seen metaphorically, considering we never know what demons someone is facing behind closed doors.

In the movie, Skye is having this “comeback” tour because she has had a history of drug abuse and in the prior year, got into a car accident that was fatal to her boyfriend who was driving. Skye and her mom (Elizabeth Riley), see this tour as an opportunity to show the public that she has learned from her past mistakes.

Considering this, when Skye becomes possessed, her fans and mom begin to think that she is falling back into her old habits. While she tries to convince everyone she’s just having a hard time, the demon starts taking over which made me feel like I was going insane with her.

The movie’s pacing was one of the main things that stood out to me. While keeping the plot frightening with several jumpscares that kept me on-edge for the whole movie, it also had a sort of slow-burn feel to it.

Along with pacing, the cinematography was really intriguing with things like the music and film styles. I noticed several times that the camera flipped upside down, especially when it showed where Skye was or even just on her face. This gave me the idea that her world was flipped upside down in a way. Right as things started getting better, they got even worse.

Also, the music added to the daunting and eerie tone of the film. It was not your typical Michael Myers theme song, but more so unsettling and shrilling clips of music in scenes during breaks in dialogue.

Regarding the acting, Scott embodied this role and played into the fact that she was literally being possessed by a demon. Previously, we have seen Scott in one of her more popular roles, Disney’s live action “Aladdin” portraying the strong-willed and powerful Jasmine. It is interesting to see the switch of the two characters, considering the movies are so different.

Rosemarie DeWitt who played Elizabeth Riley (Skye’s mom), really adapted the motherly instinct when playing this role. She took care of Skye showing concern and ingenuity.

And lastly, Dylan Gelula who played Gemma which is Skye’s best friend offered a little comedic relief to the frightening movie. When Skye tells her everything going on, she offers comfort for Skye and the audience as well.

Overall, the film was an amazing sequel to the first movie. Comparing the two, “Smile 2” was significantly more horrifying than “Smile.” I found myself grabbing my sister’s arm several times throughout the movie. As far as execution, it was also not identical to the original movie, which can be difficult when making a sequel. In the end, I definitely left the theater with a smile on my face.