On Sept. 30, Parker Finn directed the sequel to his award-winning “Smile.” Finn showcased his talents through the numerous awards he got, such as the Nominee SXSW Grand Jury Award and Winner Special Jury Award. “Smile 2” was one of the most profitable movies of the year. The movie crew of “Smile 2” had a budget of $28 million and converted that to over $130 million worldwide in gross revenue. 

“Smile 2” is the sequel to “Smile,” which was a huge hit in the thriller industry. “Smile 2” was unique in its own way, utilizing new outstanding visual effects and taking advantage of new and different lighting techniques to add to the deeper theme of thriller that the movie was trying to project.

The cinematography was a huge step-up from the original movie. The quality of the blood, characters, and personalities and the scene changes were spectacular. Sophomore Srihith Mudakala, one of the many captivated by the “Smile” franchise, thought the quality of the movie was significantly better. “The transitions were a lot smoother and there was a lot more suspense as a result of the videography,” Mudakala said. Parker Finn and his cinematic crew took big swings with how they utilized lighting and special effects during the making of “Smile 2,” especially in the scene where the “Smile Monster” came out of Skye’s body in the form of a demon dog-like creature.

Although the effects were mesmerizing on their own, the plot was where the real action was at. Skye Riley, played by Naomi Scott, is a popular pop star whose life takes the most twisted of turns, spiraling into a world of confusion, horror, and madness. An entity, known as the “Smile Monster,” takes over her life after she witnesses the death of her friend, Lewis Fregoli, played by Lukas Gage. The process of being cursed by the monster is not for the fainthearted. First, a new host must witness the death of a previous host. Once the monster takes over the new host, said host starts to hallucinate. Next, the monster feeds on the trauma and madness of past experiences of the new host. After it’s done feeding, the monster forces the host in front of a new host and kills the current host, starting the ripple effect. The bloody history shows only one truth: once possessed by the monster, the host dies. 

Skye’s hallucinations are nothing short of disorienting. She sees people where they don’t exist and smiles on unfamiliar faces, as well as her own friends. This leads her to think about the difference between what’s true and what is misleading. As Skye goes into this state of questioning again and again, a constant theme appears: What if she is experiencing a real event? This leads her down the path of madness in her character for the duration of the movie.

As the movie unfolds, “Smile 2” drags the audience into Skye’s unraveling reality, blurring the line between reality and illusory. The film itself does not rely on over-the-top jump scares to scare the audience; rather it builds a constant sense of suspense for the audience itself, leading them to question when the next jumpscare is going to project itself. Out of the vast number of jumpscares, there was only one which really stuck with the audience. Sophomore Kavin Sandhu, a fellow horror movie enthusiast, had strong opinions. “I remember during the video jumpscare, I think the second one, everyone in the theater jumped [from their seats],” Sandhu said. “Someone even screamed. During that scene, everyone was waiting, ready for the jumpscare to take place at the next turn of the camera.” 

When compared to other horror movies this year, like “Terrifier 3,” a popular watch for many, “Smile 2” wins in terms of realism and development. Unlike “Terrifier 3,” “Smile 2” had a narrative storyline. “Smile 2” rests at a comfortable 9.1/10 due to the smooth scenes, quality jumpscares, and horrifying plot that made the movie stand out from every other horror movie. On Rotten Tomatoes, “Smile 2” reposed at a solid 86%, making it one of the greatest psychological thriller/horror films of this century. The sequel successfully delivered an unnerving experience leaving its worldwide fans both electrified and disturbed. Sometimes, a smile is all it takes to keep you up at night.