Parker Finn’s follow-up to his 2022 directorial debut, the smartly marketed breakout horror hit Smile, ramps up the grisly, face-mashing violence, the jump scares (it’s as though half the audience have jack-in-a-box springs attached to their buttocks) and the running time. And while this last element certainly could have been whittled down a little, Smile 2 is horribly entertaining stuff. It’s carried by a stellar performance from Naomi Scott as Skye Riley, a troubled pop goddess battling all kinds of demons (including literal ones). The special effects are bracingly revolting, the malevolent smiles as creepy as ever. And the film has the added bonus of some killer choreography, in every sense of the word.
In UK and Irish cinemas
