Smile 2 is a supernatural psychological horror film written and directed by Parker Finn. It follows pop-star Skye Riley (played by Naomi Scott) who begins experiencing an escalating horror linked to a curse first introduced in the original film.
Detailed Summary
The Setup: Fame, Trauma and the Curse Returns
Skye Riley is a successful pop star preparing for a global tour. At the same time she is still grappling with a tragic car accident that killed her boyfriend and a struggle with painkiller addiction. Early on, she begins to experience unsettling visions and strange occurrences: reflection distortions, odd messages, an unnerving smile motif.
The Descent: Hallucinations, Isolation and the Researcher
Skye meets a nurse named Morris who has been tracking the so-called “Smile Entity” (the supernatural curse) and proposes a radical method: stop Skye’s heart temporarily so the parasite/curse has no host to jump to. Meanwhile, Skye’s relationships fray: her best friend Gemma becomes more distant, her mother/manager Elizabeth pushes her publicly, and the world of touring becomes a pressure cooker.
The False Hope: Attempting to End the Curse
In what appears to be the climax, Skye goes with Morris to a warehouse/freezer facility where they plan the “heart stop/resuscitate” method. Skye confronts hallucinations of her past: the accident, her mother, her own guilt. At one point – according to what she believes she experienced – she stabs her mother, who was alive earlier. She is told the plan will work: freeze her brain, stop her heart, restart it, breaking the cycle of the curse.
The Twist & Final Course: Reality Shifts
However, in the final stretch we learn that much of what we believed happened may have been an illusion. What appears real is the opening of Skye’s world tour concert. She is on stage, the audience cheering, her mother in the front row. The “warehouse plan” segment turns out to likely have been a hallucination engineered by the Smile Entity.
The Shock: Possession, Public Suicide and Epidemic
On stage, the Smile Entity takes full control of Skye’s body. It emerges grotesquely (we see it burst out of her) and forces her to impale herself with the microphone in front of thousands of fans. The spectacle becomes broadcast across the crowd, meaning the curse now passes from one host to many simultaneously.
Movie Ending
The film ends with Skye standing on stage, backed by her cheering crowd, bright lights and pop-star glam. As the smile entity reveals its true form and takes over, there is a sudden shift: Skye impales herself with her microphone (forcing it into her eye/face) in full view of the audience. The shot pulls back to show the reaction of the crowd, the horror dawning. It becomes clear that every person witnessing this event is now potentially cursed, the entity spreading like wildfire through direct exposure. There is no victorious resolution – Skye did not win, her attempt to break the cycle failed (or was undone), and the curse escalates dramatically in scale. The final image is of the crowd, the lights, and Skye’s empty smile. The credits begin and layered, distorted voices scream beneath the rolling names.
In short: The movie ends not by defeating the horror, but by amplifying it. The individual host model becomes a mass event. Skye’s fate is sealed, the audience becomes the next host-field, and the cycle is far from broken.
Are There Post-Credits Scenes?
No, there is no traditional post-credits scene in Smile 2. However, the end credits themselves are used as a horror device: overlapping screams, distorted voices of previous victims, audio cues that hint the curse continues. So while there’s nothing extra to wait for visually, the audio during credits is intentionally unsettling and part of the film’s design.
Type of Movie
This film is a supernatural psychological horror with strong thriller elements, slathered in pop-star/glam veneer. It combines the curse-mechanism horror of the first film with the spectacle of fame, music industry pressures, addiction and trauma. It leans heavily into psychological manipulation, reality-warping and body horror.
Cast
- Naomi Scott as Skye Riley (pop star, protagonist)
- Rosemarie DeWitt as Elizabeth Riley (Skye’s mother/manager)
- Lukas Gage as Lewis (Skye’s former classmate / drug contact)
- Miles Gutierrez-Riley as Joshua (assistant)
- Peter Jacobson as Morris (nurse/researcher)
- Ray Nicholson as Paul Hudson (Skye’s deceased boyfriend)
- Kyle Gallner reprises Joel (from the first film)
- Additional: Raúl Castillo (Darius), Dylan Gelula (Gemma)
Film Music and Composer
The musical score for Smile 2 was composed by Cristobal Tapia de Veer. The soundtrack was released digitally on October 25, 2024 via Lakeshore Records. The composer returned after scoring the first Smile film and brought a heightened level of dissonance, electronic manipulation, and vocal disturbances to match the larger scale and pop-star setting of this sequel.
Filming Locations
Key filming locations for Smile 2 included parts of New York’s Hudson Valley region: Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Wappingers Falls, Ellenville, and even Albany and New York City.
These settings offer a contrast between glitzy pop-star environments (urban, bright) and the more isolated, unsettling locales (small towns, industrial backdrops) which amplify Skye’s alienation and descent. For example, Wappingers Falls with its quiet creek and small-town feel underscores how isolation still finds her despite fame.
Awards and Nominations
While it didn’t win major awards, it received nominations for:
- 2025 Saturn Award: Best Horror Film
- 2025 Saturn Award: Best Film Music
- 2025 Saturn Award: Best Actress in a Film
- 2025 Saturn Award: Best Film Make Up
Behind the Scenes Insights
- Naomi Scott reportedly undertook pop-star training (singing, performance) for her role.
- The score by Cristobal Tapia de Veer uses experimental instrumentation (daxophone, analog synths) to create the horror-pop fusion.
- Filming in January-March 2024 in the Hudson Valley involved mixing small-town settings with concert-level production sets.
- The production executed intense practical/jump-scare sequences that some actors reported as genuinely unsettling.
- The marketing included viral/pop-star style tactics (e.g., official “Skye Riley” social accounts) to blur fiction/real for audience immersion.
Inspirations and References
- The film builds on the curse mechanism introduced in the original Smile (2022) and extends it into celebrity culture.
- Themes: trauma, addiction, fame, public performance pressure.
- Horror influences: body horror, the idea of possession/pandemic spread of supernatural evil (à la It Follows, The Ring).
- Pop-star setting evokes parallels to real world concerns of celebrity breakdowns and public spectacle.
Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes
While no full alternate ending has been officially confirmed, many viewers propose that the “freezer/warehouse” sequence was a hallucination (deleted or rewritten) and that the final concert scene supplanted it.
Some deleted scene mentions include an extended conversation between Skye and her mother, and a longer music-video style sequence (“Grieved You”) that did not appear in the final cut.
Book Adaptations and Differences
This film is not based on a book. It is a sequel to the 2022 film Smile and continues its original screenplay universe.
Memorable Scenes and Quotes
Key Scenes
- The opening car-crash consequence scene (Skye’s trauma kick-off).
- The freezer/warehouse heart-stop sequence where Skye thinks she’s about to end the curse.
- The final concert scene: the entity reveals itself, Skye stabs herself with the microphone in front of thousands, the curse spreads.
- The credits sequence with layered screams and distorted voices, turning the credits into a horror experience.
Iconic Quotes
- While the film is more visual and horror-driven than quote-heavy, one standout is when the entity (or its projection) taunts Skye: “Break a leg.” (used ironically at the concert).
- Another: Skye to her mother/manager: “I didn’t want people to see how ugly I am.” (ties into themes of performance and hidden trauma).
Easter Eggs and Hidden Details
- The end-credits audio: overlapping screams of previous victims, implying each voice is a past host.
- The concert stage’s rib-cage-like set design mirrors Skye’s inner entrapment (noted by reviewers).
- Several background shots show Skye’s tour poster reading “Smile” in distorted fonts, tying her public persona to the curse.
- In earlier scenes, glimpses of fans wearing the “Smile” grin mask (a nod to the first film) appear subtly.
Trivia
- The budget was approximately US $28 million and the global gross around US $138.1 million.
- Composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer is known for his innovative scoring of The White Lotus and Black Mirror.
- Some audience members reported the credits audio caused discomfort or anxiety due to its layered distressed vocal tracks.
- The sequel’s scale is substantially larger than the first film, incorporating large venue and concert-set pieces instead of small experimental order.
- The director Parker Finn intentionally made the protagonist a pop star to heighten the spectacle and emotional stakes of fame + trauma.
Why Watch?
If you like horror films that combine psychological dread, supernatural curse mechanics and a modern setting (celebrity/fame), Smile 2 offers a bold upgrade over standard jump-scare fare. The production values, score and twist ending make it memorable. Plus, if you enjoyed the original Smile, this sequel expands the mythology and raises the stakes dramatically.
Director’s Other Works
- Smile (2022) – original film that introduced the “Smile Entity” curse.
- (He has short films and earlier work, but Smile remains his breakout feature.)
