Smile 2 is smarter scarier and much better than the first movie
Smile 2 is smarter scarier and much better than the first movie The original Smile felt like a miracle when it was released in 2022: a well-crafted, decidedly solid horror movie plucked. From the obscure hell of direct-to-streaming release and turned into a genuine box-office hit. But for all its commercial success, Smile could never escape the fact that it started life as an excellent short film. That got stretched to feature length. The full-length movie has a few good scares, but it’s more a promise of something great than it is great on its own. For the sequel, writer-director Parker Finn makes good on every bit of that promise. Smile 2 is bigger, scarier, funnier, smarter, darker, and undeniably better than its predecessor. Smile 2 opens with a masked gunman taking a drug dealer hostage. Then desperately attempting to kill his captive while the hostage’s associate watches. It’s a clever reintroduction to the franchise’s homicidal virus, which manifests as a malicious ear...