Smile 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the 2022 psychological horror hit, and it brings back the eerie supernatural curse that spreads through sinister smiles. The film picks up shortly after the events of the first movie, continuing to explore the terrifying force that haunts its victims with visions of disturbing smiles before driving them to madness and violent deaths.
The new protagonist, Lisa, a therapist who worked at the same hospital where Dr. Rose Cotter once treated patients, becomes drawn into the mystery after a series of bizarre suicides occurs among her patients. Like Rose, Lisa initially dismisses the incidents as mere coincidence until she begins experiencing hallucinations of people smiling unnaturally at her. Paranoia begins to grip her, as she starts to see the smiles everywhere—on strangers in the street, on her co-workers, even in her dreams.
Determined not to succumb to the same fate as Rose, Lisa dives into the investigation of the curse. She uncovers more details about its origins, tracing it back to a ritualistic event that took place centuries ago. The curse, it turns out, is not just an entity that spreads like a virus, but it feeds on trauma and guilt, latching onto those with unresolved emotional pain. This new revelation raises the stakes, as Lisa realizes that her own tragic past—haunted by the accidental death of her younger brother—makes her the perfect target for the curse.
As Lisa fights to survive, the film ups the ante with bone-chilling sequences. One standout moment occurs during a therapy session where a patient suddenly smiles at her, and the room begins to warp around them, trapping Lisa in a nightmarish, alternate reality. The curse grows more aggressive, taunting her with visions of her deceased brother, using her grief against her.
In the final act, Lisa attempts a desperate ritual to break the curse once and for all. But the shocking twist suggests that the curse is far more deeply rooted in human fear than she anticipated, leaving the audience with a haunting ending that sets up the potential for more sequels.
