In this episode of Cinema Callback, Andy and Michael discuss Smile 2 (2024), Parker Finn’s ambitious follow up to the surprise horror hit, expanding the franchise’s central curse into the world of celebrity, performance, and public scrutiny.

Through the show’s voice note conversation format, the hosts talk about the film’s heightened scale, its striking visual set pieces, and how it transforms psychological horror into a commentary on fame and self destruction. They explore the pressures facing its pop star protagonist, the blurred line between reality and perception, and how the film uses spectacle to reflect a mind in crisis.

They also discuss the film’s relationship to the original, its blend of mainstream horror and surreal imagery, and whether Smile 2 succeeds in deepening the mythology while retaining the personal terror that made the first film so effective.