Parker Finn proves that he can expand his concept over several films with Smile 2, but there’s still work to be done.

The idea that a sequel to Smile would arrive on our screens was an obvious one, especially after the movie’s enormous commercial success and its $200M box-office return against its $17M budget. Parker Finn’s film may not have been remarkably narrated or directed, but it at least had the charm of offering a strong concept horror film. A genre that’s enjoyed increasing success with A Quiet Place and, more recently, MEGAN and Afraid. However, to see Smile 2 come so soon, barely two years after the release of the first, is a surprise. It must be that Parker Finn (once again present as sole screenwriter on this second installment) quickly found inspiration.

Smile 2 picks up six days after the first installment, in a seamless sequence shot that bridges the gap between the two films. Finn rapidly introduces us to the climate in which his story unfolds, the world of celebrity and show business as it pertains to Skye Riley (Naomie Scott), a pop singer making a comeback tour after a tragic accident due to drug addiction.

Admittedly, this choice of script is a nice touch on the part of the filmmaker, forcing us into a world with a double smile—that of horror and death, and that of a music industry where smiling isn’t an option, it’s an obligation. This environment heightens Skye’s paranoia, as she succumbs more and more to the pressure of appointments, touring and her mother Elisabeth (Rosemarie DeWitt).

From the moment the singer experiences her dealer’s suicide with a gym weight in front of her eyes, the line between reality and imagination blurs considerably. From then on, every date, dance practice or public speech is an opportunity to see Skye descend a little further into monstrously smiling hallucinations. While this choice of narrative about the weight of celebrity is a good idea, Finn doesn’t seem to go far enough, or at least, seems to use it more for his own good rather than commenting on it in parallel.

From every angle, Smile 2 appears to be a bigger, more sophisticated and more frightening version of its predecessor. This is evidenced by the large-scale staging of concerts and the more refined way in which the camera distributes tension. This feeling is made particularly clear by the excellent performances of the cast, as well as the ingenious use of Skye’s dancers in a highly intricate sequence of choreography and direction.

But the fact remains that Smile 2 still takes a long time to unfold, and with a running time of 127 minutes, the lengths add up and make themselves felt. This sometimes-superfluous length is reinforced by a third act based on a twist that makes us wonder about the whole film we’ve just seen and its veracity. Of course, this leads to a nice twist in keeping with the film’s theme, but it calls Finn’s entire narrative into question too much, and makes us leave the theater without really being able to put our finger on what really happened. I think it’s up to individual tastes, but I’m sure many people will be confused by this ending, and may be unhappy with a director who’s playing with them and lying to them.

For the rest, Smile 2 doesn’t escape the same ambitious, but futile, colorful finale that plagued the end of the first film. Even if Parker Finn has managed to prove that he can keep his concept alive over several films, there are still a few improvements to be seen for a fully satisfying third opus.