Tom Hardy’s review published on Letterboxd:
I'm in the minority of people who actually enjoyed the first Smile, but Smile 2 is clearly a vast improvement over its predecessor in practically every single way. Expanding upon the same premise as the original, this one stays fresh by exploring the taxing pressure of fame. The constant anxiety that keeps building until the pop star periodically breaks keeps the audience on edge. Add to that this franchise's heavy reliance on jump scares and you get a really tense experience. The jump scares themselves are effective and earned; there is a good balance of building suspense and unexpected scares.
Naomi Scott is great in a role that seems like it would be so mentally exhausting. She joins a large group of other actresses who have given great horror performances this year but will go unrecognized come awards season: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Nell Tiger Free, Maika Monroe, Alisha Weir, Willa Fitzgerald, and Sydney Sweeney.
The cinematography is incredible and the camerawork is some of the best of the year. Call me crazy but, Academy genre bias aside, this deserves to be in contention for a Best Cinematography Oscar nom. There are so many excellent long takes, tracking shots, and pans that are used to heighten the suspense, which is the mark of a great horror film. The direction itself is firm and clear with its message and the film is paced really well. Overall, this is easily one of the more interesting horror films of the year and a must-watch for fans of the first.
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