(Credits: Paramount Pictures)

It begins with a smile. An eerie, stretched, skin-crawling smile. Not a warm one and not even a creepy clown smile. This is something worse. Something that sticks in your head long after the screen fades to black. And that is exactly what Smile 2 is doing right now: lingering in people’s minds and clawing its way back into the global Netflix top ten.

Currently ranked number nine on Netflix’s global charts, Smile 2 is not your usual horror sequel trying to cash in on a successful first part. It is very aware of what worked in the original. All it did was turn up the volume. More dread, more disturbing visuals and more of that psychological pressure that makes your chest feel tight while watching.

The film picks up in the same cursed universe as the original, where a demon passes from person to person, feeding off trauma and despair. This time, we follow Skye Riley, a pop star struggling with the weight of fame, past pain, and a sinister force creeping into her life. The entity, which disguises itself behind grinning faces, continues its parasitic trail. Now Skye must navigate both public scrutiny and private horrors to escape it.

What makes Smile 2 so unsettling is not just the jump scares but the emotional rot underneath. This is not a film about gore for gore’s sake. It is about how unresolved trauma grows like mould. Initially, it is silent and invisible, and then suddenly, it’s everywhere.

Like its predecessor, the sequel leans heavily into psychological horror. It is not afraid to sit in silence, to let your thoughts wander into dangerous places, or to stretch a single moment to unbearable lengths. It’s horror that creeps under your skin rather than punches you in the face. That restraint is what makes it all the more disturbing.

The direction by Parker Finn once again shows a filmmaker in full control of tension. There are scenes where nothing technically happens, yet you will find yourself digging your nails into your couch. The cinematography uses corners, mirrors, and subtle camera shifts to make you feel like something is always watching, and sometimes, it is.

Smile 2 is also surprisingly smart in how it blends horror with celebrity culture. By making the protagonist a global pop icon, the film explores how fame can be both a shield and a trap. Skye’s trauma becomes content for the public. Her paranoia becomes tabloid fodder. And all the while, the entity feeds off the very thing that isolates her: being seen but not understood.

Fans of the original will find satisfying callbacks and a deeper dive into the curse’s mythology. First-time viewers can still jump in and feel the full impact, though watching the first film definitely adds weight to the experience. If anything, Smile 2 stands out by refusing to become a carbon copy. It grows the story instead of just repeating it.

So, if you are looking for something to mess with your head this weekend, something that will have you checking reflections and second-guessing friendly grins, Smile 2 is waiting for you on Netflix. Just be warned, the smile is contagious.