The best scary movie in Smile 2 is reminiscent of an iconic (and terrifying) anime film

Necessarily, “Smile 2” is a remix of the original film from director Parker Finn. “Smile” ended with lead actress Rose (Sosie Bacon) succumbing to her curse; The smiling demon possessed and murdered her and handed himself over to Rose’s ex Joel (Kyle Gallner). After a cold beginning that clarifies Joel’s fate, “Smile 2” jumps to our second-round antihero: pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott).

The original “Smile” was about a therapist’s unraveling of their own mental health. By changing the protagonists, “Smile 2” takes up a new theme, but one that is as old as the films: the psychological torture of fame. It’s impossible to watch Skye without thinking of real female celebrities like Britney Spears, who were chewed up and spit out by tabloid media and impossible expectations.

Even before the smiling demon appears, Skye feels uneasy, as if she’s balancing on the top loop of a spiral. A recovering addict…