Summary

2022’sSmilegave audiences a good idea of how its spooky curse works, but the trailer forSmile 2hints that a popular theory just may be right. Set for release in October 2024,Smile 2’scaststars Naomi Scott as Skye Riley, a pop star who is plagued with horrifying visions after she witnesses her friend take his own life. AlthoughSmile 2seems to follow a similar path as its predecessor, the sequel makes a few key changes. These distinctions could be a chance forSmile 2to confirm theories from the first movie, and provide more details about the curse.

Through the eyes of Sosie Bacon’s Rose in the first movie,Smileoffers a fairly strong understanding of how the movie’s entity works. After Rose sees a patient take her own life, she has hallucinations of people smiling at her, foretelling her own death. While Rose’s peers assume she is having a mental breakdown,Rose discovers that she is suffering from a cursepassed down by witnessing another infected person’s death.The ending ofSmileultimately hints that this terrifying plague is a result of trauma. Now,Smile 2will have the opportunity to prove whether audiences truly understandSmile’sscary affliction.

Smile Ending Explained

Breaking Down Rose’s Fate In Smile’s Ending & What It Really Means

Smile’s ending is brutal, but the shocking twist makes sense when taken in tandem with the rest of the horror movie’s messages about mental health.

Smile 2 Could End With Skye Passing The Curse On To Her Fanbase

Skye’s Profession Raises The Stakes

AlthoughSmile 2’strailerhints that Skye is suffering from the same evil that ended up killing Rose, her profession makes her and the sequel all the more interesting. Because she is a celebrity,Skye has access to far more peoplethan Rose ever did. During concerts, she faces massive crowds of people whenever she performs. This is incredibly dangerous considering that witnesses are a significant part ofSmile’scurse. In this way, Skye’s career as a musician means that the entity could reach even greater heights inSmile 2.

One scenario that could occur inSmile 2is that Skye curses her fans. The trailer shows Skye holding concerts and meet and greets, so there’sno reason why the end of the movie wouldn’t see Skye succumbing to the cursein front of a huge audience. This could make for a particularly horrifying scene. Plus, if this happened,Smile 2would answer major questions abouthowSmile’sentity works. In particular, audiences may learn whether the demon has motives of its own, or if it is controlled by the person it is attached to.

Naomi Scott as Skye Riley Posing in a Sparkly Outfit in Smile 2

Skye May Also Choose To Pass The Curse On Through Murder

Skye Could Follow A Different Path

Another avenue thatSmile 2could take is showing an infected person surviving. InSmile,it is revealed thatthe only way to survive the curse is by committing a murderin front of a witness. The evil would then leave the murderer and pass onto the witness. Although Rose refuses this option, Skye may have a different moral compass. Fearful for her life, Skye may choose to kill another person to escape the hex. In this way, Skye’s story could take a completely different turn than Rose’s did.

Smile 2will not be nearly as good if it feels like a reproduction of the original movie.

Naomi Scott as Skye Seeing a Figure in the Mirror Behind Her in Smile 2

It would be incredibly interesting to see Skye takeSmile’smurder route. This decision would tell a lot about who Skye is as a person, and may add a villainous tilt to her character. Unlike Rose, who wants to avoid hurting others as much as possible, Skye could show a more desperate, morally dark version of this story.Smile 2would benefit from using this storylinebecause it would make the sequel stand out.Smile 2will not be nearly as good if it feels like a reproduction of the original movie. However, the murder path could fix this problem.

Can The Smile Curse Pass To More Than One Person At A Time?

Smile 2 Can Answer 1 Big Question

Ultimately, the setup ofSmile 2indicates that one bigquestion could be answered: can the curse pass to more than one person? ThoughSmilesees the entity go from one person to the next,Smile 2has the chance to make it unstoppable. If Skye ends up taking her own life while performing a concert,audiences will definitively learn whether the curse passes to all witnesses, not just one. If the malady does affect an entire audience, then the entire human population could be in danger.

Smile 2is coming out on July 17, 2025.

ThoughSmile 2is still many months away, its premise is already very exciting. This movie can bring the same horrifying moments as its predecessor did, but on a much larger scale.Smilewill no longer be a story based on just one person’s story, but will encapsulate an enormous number of people. This could inevitably lead to aSmile 3or even4.For now though,Smile 2seems to be going in the right direction for this horror franchise.

Smile 2

Cast

Smile 2 is the sequel to the 2022 psychological horror film by director Parker Finn that centers on a therapist who witnesses a patient’s suicide, leading to a series of terrifying supernatural events. The sequel will see the return of Finn as director, with Paramount continuing distribution.

Smile 2 Official poster