Smile 2
Liam

Review by Liam Pro

Smile 2 2024

★★★★

Watched 08 Dec 2024

While I didn't hate the first film, I didn't love it and Parker Finn has definitely improved on it here. It's not perfect but I only had one real pressing issue and that was the length, you edited this down a bit, streamline it a little and it would be excellent.

As it is when Smile 2 works, which is most of the time, it's a blast. The cold opening does a great job of passing the baton from one film to another and also setting the tone for this film, it's tense, nasty but also with a dark sense of humour. Also, it establishes early that Finn will be deploying lots of moments of visual flair and nifty camera work. It never feels over directed, I think he does a good job of tapping into the insanity and having that come out in the camera movements.

There are some great deaths here, quite nasty and gory stuff, sicko approved. One thing I really enjoyed was how funny this was, especially when that old lady gets elbowed onto the table, I cackled. It's just so much fun, very self-aware in a way that never feels smug.

Also, special mention has to go to Naomi Scott, who I thought was utterly brilliant here. A lot of the horror in this film has a somewhat silly edge but Scott sells the genuine terror of maybe losing your mind extremely well, it actually gets a little unsettling in spots.

Overall, I really dug this one.

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