Smile 2 is one of the more acclaimed mainstream horror sequels of 2024, but “one of the best horror films of the year” should be treated as a defensible critical view rather than an objective consensus. Parker Finn’s follow-up is bigger, bloodier, and more thematically ambitious, while Naomi Scott gives the film its clearest reason to watch. The trade-off is a 127-minute runtime, familiar curse mechanics, muddied mythology, and a divisive final act.
Yes—with an important qualification. Smile 2 is one of the more acclaimed mainstream horror sequels of 2024 and a defensible contender for horror fans’ year-end lists. It is larger, nastier, and more thematically ambitious than its predecessor, with Naomi Scott delivering the film’s strongest element as pop superstar Skye Riley. But “one of the best horror films of the year” describes the early critical conversation, not a unanimous consensus: Rotten Tomatoes’ early-review roundup reported an 86% critics score, while Metacritic listed a 67/100 average from 37 critics.
The result is an unusually effective but deliberately excessive sequel. Director and writer Parker Finn moves the franchise’s supernatural curse from the relative privacy of personal trauma into the public machinery of celebrity: concert stages, cameras, press attention, image management, addiction, relapse, and the demand to look fine while falling apart.
Smile 2 at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Release | 2024 |
| Writer-director | Parker Finn |
| Lead | Naomi Scott as Skye Riley |
| Principal cast | Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Dylan Gelula, Ray Nicholson, Raúl Castillo, and Kyle Gallner |
| U.S. wide release | October 18, 2024 |
| Runtime | 127 minutes |
| Rating | R for strong bloody violent content, grisly images, language throughout, and drug use |
Release and classification details are listed by The Numbers.
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What is Smile 2 about?
The sequel begins shortly after the events of the first Smile, briefly returning to Kyle Gallner’s Joel before shifting its attention to Skye Riley. Skye is a globally recognized singer preparing for a comeback tour, and the pressures surrounding that return give the curse a new environment in which to operate.
That change of setting is the sequel’s central creative decision. The original film used supernatural horror to examine trauma and the way suffering can pass from one person to another. Smile 2 places the same basic nightmare inside celebrity culture, where a person’s breakdown can become content, a performance can conceal genuine distress, and millions of strangers feel entitled to an explanation.
The film’s horror therefore operates on two levels. There is the literal Smile entity and its escalating attacks, but there is also the social horror of being watched while losing control. The Associated Press describes the film as a meditation on breakdowns in the public eye, while the Los Angeles Times connects the demon’s function to addiction and self-destructive pressure.
Naomi Scott is the reason the sequel works
Early reviews were most consistent in their praise of Naomi Scott. She has to play Skye as a performer who can project confidence and control, then expose the panic, physical deterioration, defiance, shame, and vulnerability underneath that image. The role also requires her to perform the fictional pop songs at the center of Skye’s professional comeback.
That combination makes the performance more demanding than a conventional horror lead. Scott cannot simply react to frightening events; she must make the audience believe in several competing versions of Skye at once. The polished pop star, the exhausted survivor, the person trying to maintain sobriety or stability, and the terrified woman questioning her own senses all need to coexist in the same performance.
Rotten Tomatoes’ first-reviews roundup repeatedly characterizes Scott’s work as daring, layered, revelatory, and career-defining. The Associated Press likewise highlights the range she brings to the part, while the Los Angeles Times treats the film as a major showcase for an actor who carries nearly every scene.
A bigger horror movie—not merely a repeat
Smile 2 expands the original concept in scale and in subject. Finn has more space for elaborate hallucinations, larger set pieces, aggressive sound design, grotesque physical violence, and body horror. The film understands that a pop concert is already a carefully controlled spectacle, so it can turn choreography, backup dancers, crowds, lighting, and stage movement into sources of unease.
One sequence involving demonic backup dancers has been singled out by the Associated Press for the way it combines choreographic precision with grotesque horror. The Los Angeles Times similarly praises the sequel’s booming sound design, bigger jump scares, elaborate delusions, and bloodier physical imagery. Rotten Tomatoes’ early coverage emphasizes the film’s ambition, increased gore, and expanded mythology.
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The sequel’s central tension: ambition versus excess
The same qualities that make Smile 2 impressive also produce its main weaknesses. At 127 minutes, it is a substantial commitment for a horror film built around uncertainty. As Skye’s experiences become more elaborate, the distinction between reality and hallucination can become less dramatically useful and more confusing.
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Several critics felt that the mythology becomes muddied, that the story is too long, or that the third act loses focus. The Associated Press argues that the screenplay appears to search for an ending, while the Los Angeles Times gives the final section credit for returning to the intended track even as it acknowledges that the film becomes phantasmagoric and somewhat out of control.
There is a second, more fundamental limitation: the sequel still relies on the curse mechanics established by the first film. The setting and themes are new, but viewers who found the original’s basic structure repetitive may not regard the follow-up as a radical reinvention. Some early reviews praised the expansion; others saw “more of the same,” with scares that no longer feel as fresh as they did in the first movie.
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That contradiction is the fairest way to understand the film. Smile 2 is more ambitious than its predecessor in subject, scale, and performance, while remaining recognizably a Smile movie in its supernatural machinery. Whether that is a strength or a weakness depends largely on how much repetition a viewer will tolerate in exchange for bigger set pieces and a more commanding lead performance.
What the critics’ scores actually mean
The available aggregates support “widely praised,” but not “universally acclaimed.” Rotten Tomatoes’ early coverage recorded an 86% critics score and collected several notices calling the movie one of the year’s best horror releases. Metacritic’s 67/100 from 37 critics paints a more measured picture: 26 positive reviews, 11 mixed reviews, and no negative reviews in the displayed breakdown.
Those numbers are not necessarily contradictory. Rotten Tomatoes’ percentage indicates how many reviews were broadly favorable, while Metacritic’s weighted-style average communicates the degree of enthusiasm. Together, they suggest that critics generally liked the sequel but differed over its runtime, mythology, formula, and final act.
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- Media Format: Blu-ray
- Studio: Universal Studios
- Country of Origin: USA
- Number of discs: 1
So the accurate verdict is that Smile 2 was one of 2024’s stronger studio horror releases and one of the more successful horror sequels in the early critical conversation. Calling it the single best horror film of 2024, or claiming that critics unanimously preferred it to the original, goes beyond the evidence.
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The sequel was commercially viable but did not reproduce the first film’s theatrical reach. According to The Numbers, Smile 2 opened in the United States and Canada to approximately $23.0 million, finished with about $69.0 million domestically, and reached roughly $138.0 million worldwide against an estimated $28 million production budget. Box Office Mojo reports a closely related worldwide total of approximately $138.1 million.
That worldwide result is substantially below the first Smile’s approximately $217.0 million global gross. Still, the sequel’s theatrical performance was meaningful relative to its reported budget, and its critical reception gave the franchise a stronger artistic foundation than a routine follow-up would have had.
Is a third Smile movie confirmed?
Not on the basis of the available research. The ending leaves room for future directions, and critics have disagreed about whether they want the mythology expanded or whether the uncertainty is better left to the imagination. That makes further franchise discussion reasonable, but it does not confirm a third film, a release date, or a production plan.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Should you watch Smile 2?
Watch it if:
- You want a mainstream horror sequel with an unusually committed lead performance.
- You enjoy body horror, large-scale hallucinations, loud sound design, and elaborate set pieces.
- You are interested in horror about celebrity, addiction, public scrutiny, and the performance of wellness.
- You appreciated the first Smile and want a more expansive version of its premise.
Approach with caution if:
- You dislike long horror films or endings that prioritize spectacle over clean explanation.
- You found the original’s curse structure too repetitive.
- You prefer psychological horror that maintains a stable distinction between reality and hallucination.
- Graphic violence, grisly imagery, drug use, or sustained distress around relapse and breakdown are difficult subjects for you.
For viewers who want to own the film, Paramount announced a Smile 2 4K Blu-ray edition with Dolby Vision/HDR, Dolby Atmos, and a Parker Finn commentary among its listed features. The announced 4K and Blu-ray date was January 21, 2025; The Numbers also lists a November 19, 2024 video release. Edition availability, retailer stock, and pricing can change, so check the specific format before buying. A 4K disc also requires compatible UHD playback hardware.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsSmile 2 is ultimately strongest when it treats fame as a horror environment rather than merely a backdrop. It does not escape every problem of the original, and its final stretch may test the patience of viewers who want tighter mythology. But Scott’s performance, Finn’s larger visual and sonic toolkit, and the shift from private trauma to public spectacle make this a substantial sequel rather than a disposable repeat.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Was Smile 2 one of the best horror films of 2024?
Yes, with qualifications. Early reviews were broadly favorable, and Rotten Tomatoes’ first-reviews coverage reported an 86% critics score. However, Metacritic’s 67/100 average from 37 critics indicates generally favorable rather than ecstatic consensus.
Who stars in Smile 2?
Naomi Scott plays Skye Riley, a globally famous singer preparing for a comeback tour. The sequel also features Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Dylan Gelula, Ray Nicholson, Raúl Castillo, and Kyle Gallner.
Is Smile 3 confirmed?
No third film, release date, or production plan is confirmed by the research available for this review. The ending leaves room for future franchise directions, but that is not confirmation of a sequel.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Smile 2 is a widely praised, ambitious horror sequel and a credible pick among 2024’s stronger genre releases—not an uncontested masterpiece. Naomi Scott’s performance and the film’s inventive celebrity-focused premise are major strengths; its 127-minute runtime, familiar curse mechanics, muddied mythology, and divisive third act are the principal reservations.
Quick Recap
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