Naomi Scott stars in filmmaker Parker Finn’s “Smile 2” (Photo Credit: 2024 Paramount Pictures).
(“Smile 2” trailer courtesy of Paramount Pictures)
Back in 1982, R&B band The Time released a song called “Wild and Loose,” written and produced by Prince.
While wild and loose definitely describes people in Prince’s camp back in the 1980s, wild and craaazy best describes the movie, “Smile 2.”
The craziness and wildness of “Smile 2” will have moviegoers turning their heads from the gory and bloody violence and questioning their own sanity up and until the film’s conclusion.
Stories of demons or parasites entering someone’s body, mind and/or spirit go back as far as biblical times.
Sure, horror movies have made those stories trendy.
But are they real?
And even if demonic spirits or parasites are not real, can the possibility of their existence be enough to drive a sane person insane?
Whether those spirits are real or not, something is definitely driving the folks in “Smile 2” bat sh*t crazy.
And it does not matter if the person is a low-level drug dealer or a global pop music sensation, once a person starts losing their mind it might become as hard as you know what to regain the lost sanity.
In “Smile 2,” pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) has truly lived the roller coaster life of an entertainer.
Her fanbase will remind many of Taylor Swift’s “Swifties” and Beyonce’s “Beyhive.”
However, success does not always mask a person’s real-life problems.
Furthermore, the fast life of the entertainment industry sometimes leads to substance abuse and other issues.
Unfortunately, Skye develops an alcohol and cocaine addiction.
Additionally, she is in a volatile relationship with another celebrity who has his own demons.
When a tragic incident almost derails Skye’s career, it takes a lot of healing to claw her way back up the celebrity ladder.
Thankfully, kicking her drug and alcohol problems helps her get her recording career back on track.
And remaining sober has led to her fanbase becoming more fervent than ever.
However, preparations for a comeback concert tour could become grueling for a pop performer who dances as much as she sings.
So, when Skye injures her back during rehearsal, narcotics might be her only salvation to get through the tour.
But because of her past substance abuse problems, Skye cannot get a doctor to prescribe her some much-needed pain relievers.
Without a legitimate pain pill prescription, Skye is only left with Tylenol to deal with her debilitating back concerns.
Luckily, or unluckily, Skye still has connections to the streets despite her level of fame.
When the back pain becomes too excruciating for Skye, she reaches out to high school friend Lewis (Lukas Gage) to get some Vicodin so that she can handle the rigors of the tour.
However, something is totally off with Lewis when Skye shows up at his apartment.
Although the two had texted about Skye stopping by the apartment to get some pills, Lewis appears shocked to see Skye at his doorstep.
Even more odd is the fact that Lewis answers the door wielding a sword as if he is trying to behead his opponent in a medieval war.
And when Lewis finally realizes that all his high school classmate wants is some pain pills, he heads back to his bedroom to make another dope sell.
But for some strange reason, Lewis takes forever to come out his bedroom.
And when Skye tries to check on him, he does not respond.
When Lewis finally comes out of the bedroom, he seems even weirder.
Lewis has an insanely odd smile or smirk on his face.
And when he picks up a 35-pound weight plate, things take a sinister turn.
After the incident at Lewis’ apartment, Skye begins acting extremely odd too.
She hears things that others do not hear.
She sees things that others do not see.
And she says things, on a public stage, that are inappropriate at best and extremely harsh and cruel at worst.
Although Skye has a great team of relatives, friends and staff that have her back, many seem more interested in her pulling off her world tour than figuring out what is wrong with her and getting her help.
When “Smile 2” ends, it might make moviegoers feel like they did if they ever watched “Shutter Island,” which starred Leonardo DiCaprio.
After sitting on the edge of their seats for approximately two hours, moviegoers will wonder what actually happened or if they themselves had lost their minds.
Did the protagonist imagine all this?
Or did some of this stuff actually happen?
Coming out of the theater with those questions only proves that filmmaker Parker Finn did his job.
“Smile 2” will keep moviegoers guessing.
The horror movie will keep people jumping up in their seats.
Unfortunately like many other horror films, “Smile 2” will make moviegoers laugh when the intention was to get them rattled like the scene where one of Skye’s demented and crazed fans appears butt-naked in her home with his poop-stained drawers strewn on her floor.
Despite the humor from that scene, whatever is haunting the mind and spirit of Skye is probably terrifying enough to make her poop in her own pants.
While “Smile 2” is not scary enough to make moviegoers poop in their pants, it will definitely make moviegoers extremely uneasy.
The acting is not fantastic.
But fantastic acting is not necessary in a horror movie.
What is necessary is a plot that is wild and crazy enough to make fans question whether they have lost their minds.
REGAL RATINGS
FOUR CROWNS=EXCELLENT
THREE CROWNS=GOOD
TWO CROWNS=AVERAGE
ONE CROWN=POOR
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