As a long-time horror fan, I was more impressed by the 2022 movie Smile than many others from the past few years. Written and directed by Parker Finn and based on his short film Laura Hasn't Slept, Smile sees Dr. Rose Cotter's (Sosie Bacon) life ruined when is cursed by an entity that makes people shoot her evil and terrifying grins. Thanks to its strong supernatural story, well-written characters, and genuine scares, it was no wonder that Smile 2 was greenlit.
Horror fans like myself expect Smile 2 to be as great as the original, and after watching the fun and creepy trailer, I have no doubt that it will be. However, I have some thoughts about what Smile 2 can do in order to be just as successful as Finn's incredible debut flick.
What Does Smile 2 Need To Do To Be As Impressive As The Original?
I want Smile 2 to have a shocking and mysterious ending that sets up a third movie and proves the curse will never leave. The demon in Smile is sickening to look at and truly gets under audiences' skins, and they will definitely be just as terrible in the sequel. While it's unlikely that the horror sequel would have a happy ending, I think it's important that the final scene is scary and tragic.
Smile 2 stars Naomi Scott as a singer named Skye Riley who is chased by the curse. Scream 7 doesn't need a high body count and neither does Smile 2. The story is focused on how the curse affects one particular person and that shouldn't change. While no one wants to become invested in a main character's life and then watch them get killed in the final scene, it wouldn't make sense if Skye got out alive.
At the very least, the ending needs to show Skye passing on the curse to someone else, and that person could be the main character for a third movie. Since the sequel is doing something different by telling a scary story about a pop star, which isn't a character typically shown in the horror genre, it would be great if the franchise continued.
In a December 2022 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Parker Finn shared why he wrote such a dark ending for Smile. He said:
"From very early on when I was developing the script, I felt a very strong draw towards allowing the film to find its worst logical conclusion. It felt right for the story that I was telling, and I was hoping it would feel earned."
Finn continued:
"I wanted to do the thing that the audience didn’t want to happen, but it was also important to me to be able to reach an emotional catharsis before we take that very dark turn. So I was kind of hoping to have my cake and eat it, too."
While some horror movies that are like Smile shy away from such a sad conclusion, it would have felt strange if Rose had survived and gone on with her life as if nothing horrifying had happened. While Smile 2 hasn't come out yet and I don't know much about Skye's story, I would have to guess that the same thing will be true of her. I look forward to learning more about Skye and seeing her go on tour and promote herself while seeing creepy grins everywhere that she goes. Horror movies don't typically focus on topics like celebrity and fame (besides the awkward Scream 3, which isn't a fan favorite), and I think it's a great idea to make Skye a pop singer.
What Is Known About Smile 2?
Horror fans should know the cast for Smile 2, which features a few familiar faces. Smile 2 stars Naomi Scott as main character Skye Riley along with Lukas Gage, Rosemarie Dewitt, Ray Nicholson, Dylan Gelula, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Raúl Castillo, Peter Jacobson, and Kyle Gallner. Fans will recognize Gallner, who played police officer Joel in Smile. Joel is a great bridge between the original horror movie and the sequel since he has been cursed with the mysterious and scary entity. It will be interesting to see how Joel interacts with Skye. Drew Barrymore also appears in Smile 2 as Skye goes on her talk show. It will be fun to see how Smile 2 can take the same demon as the first movie and put a new character in a heightened and emotional situation.
Smile 2 will be released on October 18th, 2024, which is perfect since it's just in time for Halloween. I'm sure I'm not the only one who makes a list of slasher movies to watch each October and looks forward to the cozy yet creepy vibes. I'm certain Smile 2 will live up to the promise of the genuinely haunting original.