When SMILE hit theaters two years ago, it caught moviegoers by surprise as one of the more original horror films to come along in years. Led by a strong performance from Sosie Bacon, it introduced ideas that easily set up sequels, and this weekend we’re getting just that in SMILE 2. This new entry features more of the same scares fans of the original will love, but in a very different sort of setting, and for some may serve as a commentary on the price of fame and society’s obsession with celebrity.

The sequel opens with Joel (Kyle Gallner, back from the first film) busting into a drug dealer house in the hopes of freeing himself from the smiling demon’s curse, since the only way to break free is to kill someone and give the burden over to a witness… but it doesn’t go well, or at least not how Joel planned, and the demon infects Lewis (Lukas Gage), a young man who was only there to buy drugs and found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. The story then shifts focus to superstar singer Skye Riley (Naomi Scott), a Taylor Swift/Lady Gaga-type figure who is preparing a comeback tour after a tragic car accident in which she lost her boyfriend. Skye’s mother (Rosemarie DeWitt) is very controlling of her, trying hard to get her back in the headspace of performing, and make sure she doesn’t fall back into using drugs, which is hard for Skye since she’s still in considerable pain from the accident. At one point Skye gives in to her anguish, and visits her drug connection, who happens to be the aforementioned Lewis. Little does she know that Lewis has been tormented by the smile demon for a week now, and is nearing the point where the demon is about to take his life. Once Skye witnesses the bizarre suicide, she is now the new carrier of the demon’s wrath, and finds herself seeing and experiencing strange things, which throws a major wrench into her plans for reviving her superstar career.

SMILE 2 definitely feels like a step up from the last film, which was fairly simple and low key in its presentation. The sequel is bigger and much more stylish in every way, frequently showing us the big budget-looking life of its protagonist, making us a fly on the wall for her celebrity life and high profile rehearsals. Naomi Scott is terrific in the lead, really capturing the look and feel of her character in a realistic and believable way, and all of her scenes in which she’s performing (whether prepping for a show or actually singing) are so convincing, it would be easy to think Skye Riley was a real life superstar. Scott has experience singing and performing outside of her acting, so she’s an inspired choice here, but her way of showing fear and stress is extremely effective and masterfully executed. As good as Sosie Bacon was in the first movie, Naomi Scott is equally good if not better in this one, it’s a star-making performance to be certain.

The supporting cast does well with their limited screen time, as this movie is really strongly focused on Scott. Lukas Gage delivers a memorable reading as Lewis, making the most of his short-but-effective scenes. Rosemarie DeWitt is great as the mother and manager (momager?) who is more concerned about Skye’s image than her mental health – there is definitely some subtext on the idea of celebrity being uncomfortable or coming at great cost, and how easy it is for someone famous to be surrounded with people who only want to use them for their fame. Dylan Gelula has some fun bits as Skye’s estranged best friend who becomes a confidant for her when things start getting crazy. But this is a story in which almost no one can be trusted, and our protagonist soon learns she can’t even believe her own mind anymore.

Writer/director Parker Finn (who also did the first SMILE) definitely shows growth as a filmmaker here through his presentation and unique flare with almost every shot. There are scenes in this movie that look and feel grand, like bigger and more ambitious than almost anything you’ve ever seen in a horror movie. Imagine A STAR IS BORN if it suddenly became a horror film, but still kept its grandiose presentation. I was quite impressed with how Finn staged the scenes here, and it shows he’s growing as a filmmaker and should be quite capable of handling larger productions as a result. That said, the pacing of the movie is at times surprisingly slow and meandering, and even frustrating. We know where all of this is headed thanks to the first film, so at times getting there seems to be dragged out a bit. The movie runs two hours and 7 minutes, and the final third of it does overstay its welcome a bit. That said, the ending of the movie is incredibly big, strong and ambitious, and really sets up a concept that will likely wow viewers in a major way. There are so many places they could go from here, and if nothing else, SMILE 2 allows for some major world building opportunities. I also have to give a well-deserved nod to the film’s music score by Cristobal Tapia de Veer, who also served as composer for the first movie. His music is so odd and unsettling, it really compliments the terrifying aspects of the film quite nicely.

As a sequel, SMILE 2 is impressive even if a little disjointed, and really feels like it’s trying to do something smart and fascinating instead of just repeating the first film’s beats. I think it’s safe to say it doesn’t top the first movie in terms of story or overall quality, but it’s entertaining and scary, and should serve as a satisfying journey for fans of the original. Let’s face it, horror sequels can be very hit or miss, but as long as the franchise is trying to do whatever it can to keep things interesting, there’s hope for future outings. Naomi Scott’s terrific performance here, and Parker Finn’s sleek style makes up for the film’s shortcomings, and definitely makes this entry worth a look.

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