Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for Smile 2.Smile 2writer-director Parker Finn explains the film’s twisted ending and its impact on the future of the budding film series. Following Naomi Scott’s pop superstar, Skye Riley’s struggle with fame while being haunted by the Smile Entity, the horror sequel ends on a similar note as the original film. However, unlike Rose, who passes the curse on only one other person,Skye’sSmile 2journeyends on the stage in Madison Square Garden. Her death happens in front of thousands of people, who might or might not be broadcasting the curse to millions more through their smartphones.
Finn explains toEntertainment WeeklythatSmile 2ends “exactly where it should” with a “meta-feeling moment.” The director imagined “the most horrifying thing” by having Skye “on stage” when the Smile Entity wins, serving asa “commentary on celebrity platform and influence on the public"and an “exploration of the downfall of this pop star who’s unable to overcome the things that have been put upon her.” With future stories, the director hopes to keep telling “intimate, human melodramas"that are unexpected. Check out what the director said below:
For Skye, what I was chasing was this catharsis of her journey that ends so horribly, but it ends, for me, exactly where it should. It felt like the most horrifying thing I could possibly do was have her on stage, finally taken over by the Smile in front of 20,000 screaming fans. There’s a question of, is it being live-streamed? How big could it go? It felt intoxicating to me. I loved this feeling and power of the Smile, and this idea of the commentary on celebrity platform and influence on the public. She’s potentially passing this on, and the idea of, because of her platform and celebrity, how many people that can reach.
It was an exploration of the downfall of this pop star who’s unable to overcome the things that have been put upon her. What I love about the ending of this film is that I wanted to create this meta-feeling moment, where the audience in the arena is staring through the screen at the audience in the movie theater. I wanted to raise the question: Did we do this to Skye? By us coming back for a Smile 2, have we done this to her? It’s all intriguing to me, this idea of “Are we complicit in this?”
We’ll have to see how audiences react to Smile 2. I think that, in the way that we jump rails from Smile to Smile 2, if there were more Smile stories to tell in the future, I’d want to make sure we’re doing something that feels like,“Holy s—, I can’t believe this is where Smile is going.” The Smile films are so character-driven; it’s the reason I wanted to tell these intimate, human melodramas. I’d want to make sure that would be infused in any future Smile stories as well. There are a lot of interesting directions on where it could go. I’m staying mum on what could or could not happen, but I think it’d be really exciting.
What This Means for Smile 2 & Beyond
The Sequel Is Not Just A Horror Film
InSmile 2,the Entity takes Skye on a very different journey than it did with Rose the first time. Nearly the entire events in the film happened in Skye’s head, and with her being a public figure, her death had a much larger impact. Finn’s comment sheds light onthe deeper meaning behind Skye’s character arc and the hidden message he wished to tell through the film,being the impact of trauma and fame. The director’s comment also hints that while fans might think the know what the next film is about, the events inSmile 2might not have given out much clue.
Does Smile 2 Have A Post-Credits Scene?
Smile 2 pushes the horror franchise in a new direction, and it’s known if there is a post-credits scene teasing Smile 3 and the expanding future.
The budding film series also seems to have developedits own formula by telling “character-driven” storieswith a focus on “intimate, human melodramas.” Similar to the first two films, the futureSmileinstallments would center around one protagonist and take a deeper dive into their personal journey withthe Smile Entity.
Our Take on Smile 2’s Ending
The Entity Is Like A Virus
Skye goes through an entire journey trying to find a way to beat the Smile Entity. However,Smile 2’s final twistreveals that the Entity has manipulated her perception while leading her to its desired position on stage in order to spread the curse to thousands. The film gives a new look at the Entity’s power, and through Skye’s internal struggle,it also sheds light on how the Entity attacks people through their most painful traumas.
InSmile 2,the Entity taunts Skyeby having her relive the final moment before the car crash that killed her boyfriend Paul and left her with a scar. Throughout the film, Paul also appears several times with an evil smile. At some point, the Entity even takes the shape of Skye herself. This development marks a key difference from the first movie, and at the same time, indicates thatdifferent people can have completely different symptoms when infected. The Entity behaves like a virus, in a way.
