The sequel builds on what worked in its hit predecessor

Oct. 16 – It would be easy to dismiss “Smile” as just another seasonal scare fest.

However, there was something deeper going on with the 2022 supernatural horror movie that caused him to see others around him smiling in the most terrifying and maniacal ways. Within days, the increasingly haunted person commits suicide, allowing the parasite to jump to another person who witnessed the death.

Sure, smiling might be seen as showy, but overall, writer-director Parker Finn’s film clearly has something to say about mental health struggles.

Audiences certainly didn’t dismiss “Smile,” a film that grossed over $200 million worldwide on a reported budget of well under $20 million. This kind of return on investment causes the studio to greenlight a sequel, and just over two years later, “Smile 2” hits theaters this week.

Armed with what our eyes tell us is a much larger budget, Finn of Bath has once again created a film that is both highly entertaining and consistently disturbing – a step up from ‘Smile’. “Smile 2” is funny and absurd at points, and disturbing and heartbreaking at others.

The story picks up six days after the events of “Smile,” in which the entity jumps from deceased psychiatrist Rose Cotter (unseen “Smile” star Sosie Bacon) to her ex-boyfriend, police officer Joel (returning Kyle Gallner). He has a plan to get rid of the problem in the most productive way possible, but – and this shouldn’t be too much of a spoiler – not everything goes according to plan.

Finn soon introduces the film’s main character, global pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott). Away from the spotlight after a car accident with her actor boyfriend Paul (Ray Nicholson) and widely publicized drug and alcohol abuse, the singer embarks on a world tour.

Physically and mentally scarred by the accident, she feels the pressure of a high-stakes endeavor – exacerbated by her controlling manager and mom, Elizabeth (Rosemarie DeWitt) – and struggles with back pain, but Skye doesn’t know that her real problems are right around the corner.

In search of painkillers, he visits his high school friend, Lewis (Lukas Gage, “The White Lotus”). She finds him maniacal, and soon the young man is – you guessed it – smiling and using heavy training weights in a way that is not recommended.

Not wanting anyone to know she was with Lewis when he killed himself, she does not report the suicide to the authorities. Then she begins to mentally unravel when she meets a young girl at a fan meeting who smiles widely at her.

Things become more and more smiley and disturbing, and Skye reaches out to her friend Gemma (Dylan Gelula, “Dream Script”) when she has nowhere else to turn.

But her true ally may be Morris (Peter Jacobson, “Home”), a stranger who is acutely aware of the evil she faces and wants to help her.

British singer and actor Scott, who starred in both “Charlie’s Angels” and the live-action version of “Aladdin” in 2019, is utterly fascinating at the center of “Smile,” throwing herself completely into Skye and all her problems. The character has learned to swallow bottles of water whenever she feels the need to use it – Voss gets some top-notch product placement in the film – but that’s just the tip of the iceberg of what appears to be the physical demands of the role.

Equally, if not more, impressive is the structure and execution of Finn’s film. He continues to use unusual and even disorienting camera movements – including more reverse shots – to great effect. “Smile 2” is always visually interesting, but it goes much deeper with creative sequences and jump scares that, even though you know they’re coming, come out a little differently than you expect.

And if you want to see more parallels to non-supernatural mental struggles, they’re here, with Skye, in great pain, telling her mother at one point that she can’t know what it’s like to be inside her head.

Lasting just over two hours, “Smile 2” extended its waiting time, even by a few (extremely uncomfortable) minutes.

Some may find it frustrating that – and this is undoubtedly intentional – it becomes increasingly difficult to separate Skye’s imagined horrors from reality. But hey, that’s part of the wild ride.

If nothing else, you have to appreciate how dark this issue is for the mainstream. It’s DARK.

We won’t go into its ending, but it shouldn’t be too much of a spoiler to say there’s room for the series to continue, and Finn recently said he’s interested in continuing to expand his not-so-happy universe.

Due to its apparently higher cost, “Smile 2” may not provide the same return on investment as its predecessor, but given its high quality, it’s almost certain that it will perform well enough that we haven’t seen the last of them upside down legs, frowning.

“Smile 2”

Where: Theaters.

When: October 18.

Rating: R for bloody and violent content, gruesome images, language and drug use.

Duration: 2 hours 7 minutes.

Stars (of four): 3.