Naomi Scott did well; but too much repetitiveness

I think the opening scene is absolutely relevant! It shows Joel, the cop from Smile 1, trying to pass the curse onto the evil, murderous drug dealer. It’s clear he’s grappling with his own morality --he doesn’t want to kill someone who doesn’t deserve to die, so he finds someone who he thinks "deserves" it. This ties into the overarching theme of guilt and how people justify their actions under extreme circumstances. Joel's choice speaks volumes about the curse's corrupting influence and sets the tone for how it pushes people to make impossible decisions.

As for the idea of the movie being repetitive, I didn't feel that way because of the deep psychological layer behind Skye's journey. Her experience felt raw and personal --she's someone who’s lost everyone, and she believes she's cursed to destroy anyone who gets close to her. That freezer scene is a pivotal moment where she outright says she doesn't want to hurt anyone else, and she’s even willing to die to prevent it. That level of self-awareness and desperation made it compelling for me.

What really struck me was how much Skye had fought to get back on her feet, even after everything she'd been through: her back pain, the scars (both physical and emotional), and her struggles with addiction. She showed so much strength in clawing her way back, and just as she starts to make progress, the smile demon ruins it all. It’s heartbreaking to watch her lose the traction she worked so hard to gain: her mom’s trust slipping away, disappointing Darius, and being tormented in front of the press, her peers, coworkers, and fans.

For me, the movie didn’t feel repetitive because it was less about the supernatural horror itself and more about the unraveling of someone who had everything to lose. Watching her descent felt more impactful because we see just how much effort she’s putting in and how much she has to lose. That emotional weight kept me fully invested the whole time.

Naomi Scott sees something creepy as a result of the smiling demon, and she reacts with a wide-eyed facial expression of fear and/or scream. Then a few minutes later: Naomi Scott sees something creepy as a result of the smiling demon, and she reacts with a wide-eyed facial expression of fear and/or scream. And so forth etc. Literally, the plot was like this endless loop

Yeah this doesn't bring anything new to the Smile franchise which is disappointing, but it is an entertaining horror movie. 6,5/10

If they make a third one they should really try to do something new and different compared to Smile 1 and 2.

Naomi Scott did show her ass in this movie. She did an excellent job. But to me, it wasn't repetitive. I think the movie has thin writing. It's assumed (or are we sure) that everything is a hallucination to her. That gives the writer an excuse to do whatever, without any consequences in continuity and story. I think it was weak storytelling to cover weak writing.

I agree. Her acting was fantastic, however, the story wasn't strong enough to really hold my interest. The hallucinations, or what ever they were, just went on and on and on and did become a little boring after a while. The story also didn't stay true to the original. It started out to, but then went off as though it was a choreographed Broadway production, with many of the "smilers" posing. I thought that was ridiculous. And how many times can we watch someone repeatedly get hysterical?

I watched the whole movie but didn't enjoy it or stay engaged like I did with the original.