Movie Review: The last word in horror sequels — “Smile 2”

“Smile 2” is a genuinely horrific plunge into terror.

Writer-director Parker Finn revives his 2022 creation with a sequel of real ambition. Dude spent a LOT of Paramount’s money on production values for an authentically artistic, high-minded, lowdown and gory fright fest so good it makes you ponder why everybody else in this justly maligned genre doesn’t try this hard.

And “Aladdin” co-star Naomi Scott gives herself over to this “universe,” this role and this experience with a career-making commitment that should make other filmmakers casting roles in any genre sit up and say “Why not Naomi?”

The picture’s so polished and cleverly executed that one does wonder how this franchise will top it. It’s kind of the last word on movies about the demonic presence that once you see its latest victim smile, you know you’re next and that you’re doomed.

Scott plays Skye Riley, a pop starlet set to come back from an accident that should have finished her physically, emotionally and professionally. She and her equally-stoned boyfriend had a car wreck and he was killed.

A year later, she’s got a new LP — “Too Much for One Heart” — to promote, complex dances to rehearse, lingering injuries to “power through” and damage control to do on Drew Barrymore’s chat show.

Skye doesn’t have rehab or twelve-step sponsors. She’s got her taskmaster mom (Rosemarie DeWitt of TV’s “Mad Men” and “The Boys”). And Mom is here to remind her of all her “responsibilities.”

Skye has been taught to gulp pricey Voss water anytime she’s stressed enough to figure she could use a chemical pick-me-up or calm-me-down. It doesn’t work. But checking in with her old drug dealer (Lukas Gage) turns out to be the mistake to end all mistakes.

Lewis is manic, hallucinating and dangerous. He pulls a samurai sword on her at the door. Perhaps the least believable moment in the movie is when Skye doesn’t flee the instant that blade’s not on her neck.

But that’s addiction for you. Maybe she’ll give him a bad Google review later.

Seeing Lewis smile before he bashes his own skull in seals Skye’s fate. Not that she knows this. Not right away.

“Smile 2″ tracks through over an hour of letting us see the problems this new smile” terror has to compete with in Skye’s harried mind.

Mom’s always reminding Naomi of all the people — dancers, backup singers, bookers, venue owners, road crew, her record company — “counting on you.” She’s loaded with guilt about her addiction, the accident, the fans she has to meet and greet and the best friend (Dylan Gelula of TV’s “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” “Loot” and “Hacks”) she cussed-out and dumped.

And now she’s having hallucinations — about Lewis, about Paul her actor-beau, about the end game some demented fan may have planned for her.

A prologue has shown us one man’s efforts to outsmart this curse by passing it on to drug dealers. We wait for the third act for Skye to have this threat explained to her by a stranger (Peter Jacobson), forcing her to ponder her fate, her responsibilities and just what she can do to change her dying-young-destiny.

Scott lets us see more than a pretty face with great dance chops. We see the insecurities of a short-shelf-life career, one marred by physical and emotional scars she’s got to hide to be a success. We drop into the loneliness of stardom, the pressures and limited options for people you can truly call on when the chips or down or you just need a real shoulder to cry on that doesn’t belong to someone on your payroll.

While the movie summons up memories of Britney and Demi and other pop stars troubled by their “success,”{ I found the middle acts in “Smile 2” to be a tad too indulgent and teasing. Suspense builds as Skye melts down, but writer-director Finn gets a little lost in the “Star is Reborn” aspects of Skye’s experience.

And twists and jolts aside, when the time comes to wrap all this up, Finn’s own options are limited by the genre he’s thriving in and the corner his story and universe’s “rules” have painted him into.

It’s still a good, grim and pitiless parable masquerading as a horror movie. It makes you remember to be good to those close to you. Show a little empathy, leave time for mental health days and distance yourself from people who can’t grasp that. Because all that taking care of your teeth does is ensure you have a killer smile.

Rating: R, gory gory GORY violence, drug abuse, profanity

Cast: Naomi Scott, Lukas Gage, Dylan Gelula, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson and Rosemarie DeWitt.

Credits: Scripted and directed by Parker Finn. A Paramount release.

Running time: 2:07