Parker Finn's Smile made a major impact when it hit theaters in 2022 (originally slated for premiere on Paramount+ before wisely being pivoted to the
Parker Finn’s Smile made a major impact when it hit theaters in 2022 (originally slated for premiere on Paramount+ before wisely being pivoted to the big screen). That film starred a memorable Sosie Bacon as therapist Rose Cotter who witnesses a patient’s violent suicide, setting in motion an increasingly tense set of encounters. These include run-ins with maliciously smiling people, surreal and dangerous situations, and a climactic showdown with a grotesque smiling entity that feeds on trauma and seeks its spread. The entity’s visage is shocking, its effects personal and malevolent, and the film had some terrifying set pieces, creating a mysterious new supernatural creature to lose sleep over.
Superstar pop songstress Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) is coming off a tough year. A year ago, her career was bigger than ever, but substance abuse issues contributed to a haunting crash that killed her equally famous boyfriend, leaving Skye traumatized. One sober year later, Skye’s working towards a career comeback while building towards a massive tour. The pressures of the tour are admittedly a bit much, both emotionally and physically, and on one fateful night, Skye seeks out old acquaintance and drug dealer Lewis (Lukas Gage) to acquire painkillers, as the crash left Skye with lingering scars and bouts of excruciating pain. Drugs he has aplenty, but Skye gets more than she bargained for when he comes out smiling, violently killing himself in front of her eyes. She’s haunted by the death and by increasing encounters with eerily smiling people, heightening Skye’s paranoia and decreasing her sanity in equal measure. What’s a besieged pop star to do? And can she stop the haunting phenomena before it’s too late and she loses her sanity, or worse?
‘Smile 2’ Doesn’t Offer Many Answers About Its Lore
AUTHOR: The World Screen
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