For years, the quality of horror films has been debated as we move further and further from the classics, such asA Nightmare on Elm Street,Halloween,The Shining, orFriday the 13th. However, there are still some gems that are released in the modern age, likeHereditary,Talk to Me, andSmile.
Speaking ofSmile, the film has been highly successful commercially, grossing a staggering $217 million on a $17 million budget. The picture certainly deserved success because of its novel approach tothe horror genre, and a sequel is currently in the works by Paramount Pictures.
While the film concluded on a high note, leaving much to be desired, no one expected a sequel. Now, this brings us to the question of whetherSmile 2can live up to its predecessor’s critical and commercial success. So, here’s how we thinkSmile 2can actually work.
Smile 2 Should Delve Deeper Into the Curse
Smile, as with manypsychological horror films, begins erratically but provides a very convincing yet frightening conclusion to the built-up storyline. Near the film’s conclusion, Rose eventually encounters the smile demon, which resembles a semi-humanoid with gigantic jaws and blood-filled skin.
It eventually takes over Rose’s body, and she burns herself to death while passing on her curse to Joel. In the end, there was no explanation of how the Smile demon originated and why the curse was passed down to others rather than simply haunting those who were subjected to severe trauma.
IfSmile 2has anything to offer that would pique viewers' interest, it will be the origin of the curse and how previous victims have dealt with it or attempted to cope with it. In addition, it should also provide a clear explanation of whether the curse can be broken or simply something that will haunt the world for the rest of its existence.
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Joel Could Be an Interesting Protagonist in Smile 2
Sosie Bacon’s role in the horror moviewas clearly one ofSmile’s major selling points. Her character adds a whole new layer of depth to the plot, with her unresolved feelings concerning her mother’s death constantly eating her alive, making the smile demon’s takeover easier. On the other hand, no one believed Rose’s claims about the curse except for Joel, making him the best character in the film alongside her.
Regrettably, the film ends with Joel becoming the latest victim of the entity. As a result, this opens up new possibilities for the upcoming sequel, in which he will most likely become the focus of attention, battling the smile curse and trying to find a means to end it. With his character already undergoing significant development in the first film, it is apparent that he would be a solid lead character in the sequel.
Having said that, it will be intriguing to see how the character is used in the next installment.Smile 2should dive a little more into Joel’s past and build upon his backstory and relationship with Rose, gradually revealing a way to break the curse.
Smile 2 Should Find New Ways To Distinguish Itself From the Original
Smilehas maintained a sense of mystery since the beginning, with the characters' strange behaviorsand brutal deaths. However, it is later revealed that they are all under a curse that will pass on to the others unless someone finds a way to break it. If filmmakers chose to repeat the same thing all over again, it would become redundant.
So, instead of focusing on another character and writing a similar story,Smile 2must avoid the smile gimmick and create a fresh story. Thankfully, Parker Finn, the writer and director ofSmile, has revealed his intention to takeSmile 2in an entirely different direction.
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Although he made it a self-contained story with no intention of making a sequel, the filmmaker states that he purposely left a few unresolved matters, implying that the sequel would build on the prior film while separating itself by a wide margin. Nonetheless, we’ve seen many brilliant filmmakers make mistakeswith poor sequels, soSmile2 may need to deviate significantly from the first film to genuinely stand out.
Smilehad an element of surprise in which viewers were unaware of the demon’s existence. So, it would take much more than the entity’s beginnings to makeSmile 2successful. For one thing, the writers could make the entity scarier by having it do things it didn’t do in the first film, such as influencing more than one victim at a time.
Unlike the prequel, where the story primarily revolved around Rose and her trauma,Smile 2can make something more out of the entity’s storyline, similar to howHereditarytakes audiences on a disturbing ridewith the climactic sequence.
Stream Smile on Paramount+
If you love everything horror-related, check out MovieWeb’s video below featuring the most rewatchable horror movies of all time.
