There’s more to “Smile 2” than just another creepy grin.
It takes director Parker Finn a long time, however, to get the story to crack. As a result, we’re never quite sure where the evil spirits are headed.
Like M. Night Shyamalan’s “Trap,” this digs into the life of a pop star. She’s back from a car accident and a meltdown that made fans eager for more – anything more – about that questionable personal life.
To get back on track, Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) visits an old classmate (Lukas Gage) who looks like he has dipped into the drugs he’s selling. In truth, he’s under the spell of some evil force. Rather than tell folks (like her mom-ager or best friend), Skye keeps it to herself and begins freaking out, particularly when fans turn up with that same demented smile.
Finn keeps the audience guessing about a connection but isn’t afraid to show violence in all its bloody glory. Faces deteriorate, bones stick out, folks die. From a gore standpoint, it’s brutal. But Skye’s demons aren’t necessarily obvious. Nor is she able to understand what might be causing them.
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Finn succeeds with sound effects, dropping them in here and there just enough to make you think you’re a closed door away from a creepy smile.
Scott handles the paranoia well. A better film could have been made from this situation, had it not been part of the “Smile” franchise.
Moments with the audience are chilling; a flashback to her old boyfriend is just as unnerving as you’d think.
The force, though, moves some places and not others. When it comes down to an abandoned Pizza Hut and a hunch, “Smile 2” has overstayed its welcome. It’s like a better film was attached to a so-so horror one.
Scott dominates (and comes away with a fairly good performance). She handles the pop star pose well but, like the leading character in “Trap,” has this awful habit of going places alone. If Taylor Swift has taught us one thing, it’s never leave home without an entourage. That way, if there’s an evil force afoot, someone else could deal with the fallout (or help when you’re the target).
“Smile 2” looks darker than it should. Because this isn’t a horror film that requires dark basements and night visits, it could be tempting during daylight and get even more traction.
Best friend Gemma (Dylan Gelula) seems like a load; mom (Rosemarie DeWitt) is one step away from a bus-and-truck company of “Gypsy.”
Because they seem to be no help, she relies on an outsider who introduces the Pizza Hut subplot.
That raises questions but the film’s ending is one for the ages, particularly what it could mean for those who frequent concerts without evil forces repellant.
You'd think a smile should be shared. But not always.
Movies in a minute with film critic Bruce Miller
Movies in a Minute: Smile 2
Movies in a Minute: "Saturday Night"
Movies in a Minute: "Joker: Folie `a Deux"
Movies in a Minute: "Megalopolis"
Movies in a Minute: "Transformers One"
Movies in a Minute: "Speak No Evil"
Movies in a Minute: "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice"
Movies in a Minute: "Reagan"
Movies in a Minute: "Blink Twice"
Movies in a Minute "Alien: Romulus"
Movies in a Minute: "It Ends With Us"
Movies in a Minute: "Trap"
Movies in a Minute: "Deadpool & Wolverine"
Movies in a Minute: "Twisters"
Movies in a Minute "Maxxxine"
Movies in a Minute "Despicable Me 4"
Movies in a Minute "A Quiet Place: Day One"
Movies in a Minute: "Thelma"
Movies in a Minute: "Inside Out 2"
Movies in a Minute "Bad Boys: Ride or Die"
Movies in a Minute: "Jim Henson Idea Man”
Movies in a Minute: "Summer Camp"
Movies in a Minute: "The Blue Angels"
Movies in a Minute: "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes"
Movies in a Minute: "The Fall Guy"
Movies in a Minute: "Challengers"
Movies in a Minute: "Abigail"
Movies in a Minute: "Civil War"
Movies in a Minute: "Monkey Man"
Movies in a Minute: "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire"
Movies in a Minute: "Late Night With the Devil"
Movies in a Minute: "Snack Shack"
Movies in a Minute: "Cabrini"
Movies in a Minute "Dune: Part Two"
Movies in a Minute: "Drive-Away Dolls"
Movies in a Minute "Bob Marley: One Love"
Movies in a Minute: "Lisa Frankenstein”
Movies in a Minute: “The Greatest Night in Pop”
Movies in a Minute: "Poor Things"
Movies in a Minute: Best Actress nominee Sandra Huller
Movies in a Minute: "Mean Girls"
Movies in a Minute: "Anyone But You"
Movies in a Minute: "The Color Purple"
Movies in a Minute: "The Iron Claw"
Movies in a Minute: "Wonka"
Movies in a Minute: "May December"
Movies in a Minute: "Wish"
Movies in a Minute: "Next Goal Wins"
Movies in a Minute: "The Marvels"
Movies in a Minute: "The Holdovers"
Movies in a Minute: "Five Nights at Freddy's"
Movies in a Minute "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour"
Movies in a Minute: "Killers of the Flower Moon"
Movies in a Minute: "The Exorcist: Believer"
Movies in a Minute: "Fair Play"
Bruce Miller is editor of the Sioux City Journal.
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