'Smile 2' builds on the original movie — with mostly strong results

It’s always tough to make a sequel to a surprise hit, since movies like that are rarely planned with long-term franchise development in mind. That’s why writer-director Parker Finn returning for the follow-up to his 2022 horror sensation “Smile” seemed like a dubious prospect to me, especially with the weight of expectations that comes with attempting to duplicate such a singular success.

I’m relieved to say that “Smile 2” (which opens Friday in theaters) is a mostly satisfying step up for Finn and the burgeoning horror series, even if it doesn’t make a case for an ongoing “Smile” universe.

That’s a good thing, though — rather than focusing on unwieldy world-building, Finn instead tells another terrifying story with the same basic structure, but on a larger scale. The weakest parts of “Smile 2” involve the expansion of the series mythology, since its horrors are scariest when they remain unexplained.

The movie is most effective at delving into the mental breakdown of its protagonist, pop singer Skye Riley (Naomi Scott), who is burdened with the same curse that therapist Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) struggled against in the first movie.

‘Smile 2’ both rehashes and expands the original movie’s plot

“Smile 2” begins with a title card that reads “Six days later,” and the opening sequence features Kyle Gallner’s returning police detective character, in a direct continuation of his arc from the previous movie. That might prove a bit disorienting for viewers who haven’t watched “Smile” or don’t remember specific details from it, but Gallner’s appearance really just provides a bridge to the main storyline, which is self-contained enough to stand on its own.

The core concept of both movies is pretty simple, anyway, with elements borrowed from popular horror movies like “The Ring,” “Final Destination” and “It Follows.” A curse is passed from person to person via horrific apparent suicides, with the witness to each death becoming the next victim. For Skye, being in the wrong place at the wrong time when her drug dealer (Lukas Gage) meets his gruesome end means that she’s now cursed to see demented smiling figures wherever she goes, with only a week before she succumbs to the same fate.

That’s exactly what happened to Rose in the original, but Skye leads a much more high-profile life, and she’s also barely recovered from both a gnarly car accident and a serious cocaine addiction. Her controlling, passive-aggressive manager (Rosemarie DeWitt) is pressuring her to go back on tour, and it’s clear that she’s crumbling under the demands of her career, even before being invaded by an evil entity.

While Skye’s character arc resembles Rose’s — going from denial to acceptance to desperation and defiance — the showbiz setting gives it a different feel, allowing Finn to stage similar frights in new contexts. There are plenty of jump scares, but they rarely feel cheap, instead creating a sense of raw anxiety in the audience that matches Skye’s mental state.

‘Smile 2’ is better at emotional breakdowns than supernatural mythology

For much of the movie, the curse functions as a heightened version of what Skye is already dealing with, as she works to put her life and career back together following major trauma. Scott is excellent as the high-strung, insecure perfectionist, who dances through the chronic pain from her injuries, and is constantly guzzling bottles of water as a dubious therapeutic technique. “Smile 2” could fit alongside other dramas about the dark side of pop stardom for women, like “Her Smell,” “Vox Lux” and the 2018 version of “A Star Is Born.”

Of course, there’s more to it than that, and the third act escalates the horrors, as Skye becomes more frantic in her efforts to defeat the curse. Finn even introduces the horror-movie staple of the grizzled, mysterious expert who has the necessary knowledge to help the protagonist defeat the evil, and the scenes with Peter Jacobson as the haunted brother of a previous smile-curse victim are the least compelling aspect of the movie.

Jacobson’s presence leads directly into a muddled finale that finds Finn’s ambitions exceeding his abilities, and “Smile 2” ends with a confusing climax that relies too heavily on another plot device borrowed from one of its influences. Finn can’t quite capture the dreamlike vibe that such an abstract narrative turn requires.

Still, there are striking, unsettling images throughout the movie, and even if “Smile 2” may leave viewers a bit frustrated, it will also leave them shaken and unnerved, as a good horror movie should. That’s an impressive achievement for what looked like it could be a superfluous sequel — I just hope Finn knows how to quit while he’s ahead, and doesn’t risk ruining things with “Smile 3.”

LG 48" B4 Series 4K OLED TV: was $1,499 now $749 @ Best Buy
SAVE $750! If you're looking to watch movies at home with great picture quality, the LG B4 has a huge discount right now. This OLED TV supports Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and has improved picture quality thanks to LG's A8 processor. You also get four HDMI 2.1 ports and a 120Hz refresh rate. The 48-inch model is a Best Buy exclusive. View Deal

More from Tom's Guide

• The best drama movie you missed in theaters just arrived on streaming — and it’s 91% on Rotten Tomatoes
• 'Borderlands' isn’t the worst movie of the year, despite what the internet wants you to think
• This Apple TV Plus movie with Brad Pitt and George Clooney is one of my most anticipated releases this year — and it’s already getting a sequel