Smile 2 · reception & legacy
2024 · Parker Finn
How Smile 2 has been received, argued over, and remembered.
The arc
Landed in October 2024 as that rarest thing — a horror sequel critics and audiences agreed beat the original — and its stock has only risen since, with Naomi Scott's performance becoming a rallying point in the annual 'horror never gets awards respect' conversation.
What's debated
The recurring fight is whether Naomi Scott gave one of the great snubbed performances of 2024 — and whether the film's go-for-broke final stretch is its masterstroke or the moment it tips over.
Its footprint
Skye Riley briefly existed as a real pop star: her original songs (actually sung by Naomi Scott) were released for real, and the franchise's signature stunt of planting eerily smiling people at live public events kept doing numbers online.
Where it stands
A Letterboxd darling of 2024 horror — routinely filed under 'sequels better than the original' and Exhibit A in the case for horror performances at the Oscars.