"Smile became a surprising success story in 2022, transitioning from a streaming release to a theatrical sensation, grossing $217m globally on a $17m budget."
"Parker Finn's original vision was stylish but flawed; while it attempted to juxtapose supernatural horror with trauma narrative, it struggled with tonal consistency and subtextmatic depth."
"In Smile 2, Finn cleverly shifts the focus from a psychiatrist to a pop star, melding addiction themes with the J-horror curse framework established in its predecessor."
"Despite the inevitable sequel, the challenge was how to creatively justify the continuation of a story revolving around a haunting yet familiar premise of cycle-triggered madness."
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