Despite premiering two years after the first movie,Smile 2picks up just a week after the events ofSmile,and quickly shows how the franchise’s horrific Entity traveled from Rose toSmile 2’sprotagonist, Skye Riley. TheSmilemovies are a recent horror franchise directed by relative newcomer, Parker Finn. So far,the movies have revolved around an invisible force called the Entity, which possesses unassuming victims and terrorizes them with visionsof people smiling. AlthoughSmile 2follows some of the same beats asSmile,the movie successfully raises the stakes and expands the world of the franchise.
Though it would have been easy to makeSmile 2a completely separate story from the 2022 movie, the sequel includes various connections to the original film. These ties showcasehow exactly the events ofSmilelead into the events ofSmile 2.The most obvious correlation between the movies is the opening scene, in which Rose’s ex-boyfriend, Joel, returns in order togive the Entity to another victim. Without context, the scene can come across as somewhat confusing, but all the answers are hidden within that very first segment of the movie.
Joel Returns 6 Days After Smile’s Ending At The Beginning Of Smile 2
Why Joel Returns In Smile 2
AlthoughSmile 2centers on pop star Skye Riley, the movie actually begins by focusing on Joel. InSmile,Joel is introduced as Rose’s ex-boyfriend who is also a police officer. When Rose begins being haunted by the Entity, she enlists Joel’s help to try and figure out what the creature is and stop it, but the pair fail. Joel witnesses Rose’s deathat the end ofSmile.Now, at the start ofSmile 2,audiences see Joel driving into a quiet suburban neighborhood with weapons and a ski mask, stalking an unsuspecting victim.
Skye’s Audience
TBD
In reality,it makes sense that Joel would be the one to lead viewers fromSmiletoSmile 2because he is the next victimof the Entity. After seeing Rose’s death,the Entity would have begun haunting Joel, leaving him only a week before he would end up dead as well. Yet, because he learned about the Entity through Rose, he has a leg-up on the situation, as proven bySmile 2’sopening scene. ThoughSmile 2could have skipped over Joel’s demise, the movie decided to keep the line of victims short.
Joel’s Plan To Pass The Curse & Live Explained
The Smile Loophole Explained
Joel’s plan at the start ofSmile 2is an interesting one. Rather than letting himself be killed, he carries out a plan in which he follows a man, who is quickly revealed to be a criminal, into his home. Once inside,Joel attempts to kill the criminal in front of another murderer, hoping that this will then put the Entity into the witness. Clearly, Joel used his resources as a police officer to devise a plan that would not only save his life, but bring justice to criminals. Unfortunately though, this scheme didn’t work in Joel’s favor.
Why Joel Wasn’t The Main Character Of Smile 2
Joel did appear in Smile 2, but the Kyle Gallner character didn’t have a major role, and here’s why the original Smile character was sidelined.
The really unique aspect to Joel’s plan is the fact that he is taking advantage of theSmileloophole. In the first movie, Rose learns that the only way to pass on the Entity is to either take your own life in front of a witness or to commit a murder in front of a witness. Although no one wants to take their own life, the prospect of murdering someone is even more horrifying and consequential. Yet,because of Joel’s job as a cop, he has the wherewithal to use this loophole to his benefit.
How Joel’s Plan Goes Wrong In Smile 2’s Opening Scene
How Smile 2 Would Have Been Different If Joel Succeeded
Despite having all the tools necessary to escape the Entity, Joel’s ploy ends up failing in an unexpected way. Joel manages to kill one criminal in front of the other, but a shootout occurs and Joel accidentally kills the witness. Soon after,Joel discovers that a third person was in the room and saw the entire scene as well: small-time drug dealer Lewis. Thus, the Entity passes to him. However, when Joel tries to escape the house, finally free of the Entity, he runs into the road and is hit by a car and killed.
Joel would have successfully passed the monster to a criminal, and one could assume that he might pass the Entity along to other criminals.
If Joel’s scheme had actually gone to plan, it would have been a very compelling way to use the Entity. Joel would have successfully passed the monster to a criminal, and one could assume that he might pass the Entity along to other criminals. It seems that Joel saw this as the lesser of two evils. Plus, even if Joel still accidentally killed the second criminal, that could have been the end of the line for the Entity.Lewis’s presence is what truly ruined Joel’s plan, and could haveplayed a part in Joel’s death.
Why Joel Dies In The Beginning Of Smile 2
The Smile Franchise Thrives On A Lack Of Information
Ultimately, it makes sense that Joel was killed at the start ofSmile 2,even if it was disappointing. Joel’s death made it so that Lewis would not have anyone to turn to when he began being haunted by the Entity.Lewis was forced to go through the motions of the Entity without learning what was actually happeningto him. He had no one to turn to. If Joel had survived, there could have been a chance that Lewis could have tracked him down and gotten to the bottom of the issue.
7 Ways Smile 2 Sets Up Smile 3
Smile 2 brings audiences back to the terrifying world of the Entity through pop star Skye Riley, yet it also plants the seeds for another sequel.
There is also a sense of inevitability toSmilethat Joel’s death contributes to. Even though Joel freed himself from the Entity, he was killed anyway. This could have been because he was distracted by Lewis, butit also could be the movie’s way of saying that the Entity’s power is inevitable. Even when a victim escapes, they will continue to be haunted with the knowledge that the Entity exists. In the end,Smile 2proves that no one is safe from the clutches of the Entity, and the next movie in the franchise will only further prove this point.
Smile 2
Cast
Smile 2 is the sequel to the 2022 psychological horror film by director Parker Finn that centers on a therapist who witnesses a patient’s suicide, leading to a series of terrifying supernatural events. The sequel will see the return of Finn as director, with Paramount continuing distribution.
