SMILE 2 TRAILER 1

The 1^st trailer for Smile 2 is finally here, widening the franchise’s scope and proving yet again that a smile can be creepier than any demon Hollywood’s VFX artists can muster.

Skye Riley (Naomi Watts) is a pop-star who witnesses the suicide of a supposedly mentally ill friend. Soon after, she notices a few…. strange smiles from people in her orbit. And not just from weird fans, this is something much more sinister.

To her horror, Skye learns she has become the next victim of a demon that relishes in driving its prey insane with hallucinations of people smiling, leading up to their impending death. And as her life rapidly spirals out of control, Skye must do everything she can to escape the demon’s clutches in this blood-soaked thrill ride.

The 1^st trailer for Smile 2 aims to do one thing: widen the franchise’s scale. And it succeeds masterfully. Where the 1^st film relished the quiet moments of a suburban neighborhood, the sequel throws the titular demon onto a worldwide platform. With setpieces and satirical humor more akin to a four-quadrant tentpole, the 1^st trailer for Smile 2 cements the franchise as one of Paramount’s newest crown jewels.

However, the plot and scares suffer as a result. Naomi Watts is magnetic as a pulpy scream queen, but is let down by dull writing and one-dimensional character beats. And while the cinematography feels bigger, it doesn’t feel better. The distinctive horror setpieces of the first film are lacking here, and the trailer’s rapid cuts don’t allow the franchise’s defining feature (creepy dead-eyed smiles) to develop the slow-burn tension they need.

All in all, Smile 2 may be a launching pad for Paramount’s newest indie horror franchise (the prospect of the Smiling demon being exposed to an entire concert audience is catnip for horror fans), but the 1^st trailer doesn’t induce hype for the film itself.

Smile 2 will be released theatrically in the US on October 18, 2024. The movie stars Naomi Watts and is directed by franchise creator Parker Finn.