With just a week remaining until the movie hits theaters, the first reactions to the ensemble Smile 2 cast includes Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Raúl Castillo, Dylan Gelula and Kyle Gallner reprising his role from the first film.

While reviews for the movie have not been published, critics have now begun to discuss their thoughts on the sequel on X, formerly known as Twitter. Many reviewers have praised Smile 2 for going much harder in scares than the first, alongside Parker Finn's uncompromising vision for the franchise's future. Check out select reactions below:

Screen Rant's own Tatiana Hullender intriguingly shared that the movie "alternates between making me scream and making me laugh", before going on to praise Scott as "pitch-perfect" and wanting a "full Skye Riley album immediately."

Perri Nemiroff writes that Parker Finn "ups his game in so many respects. A top-tier oner, a slew of extremely effective scare set pieces and body horror galore, all captured with style."

Dead Meat James states that "there were 4–5 scares AT LEAST that had me SCREAMING and swearing. The kind of jump scare that takes a minute to come down from."

Rachel Shatto says the film is "Just pure unfettered horror that ups the ante in every way. Gory, mean, and heartbreaking. Oh, and Naomi Scott is coming for Toni Collette's gig."

Russ Milheim says the sequel "really shines in its opening and final acts, where it paints an intriguing image of the franchise's future."

The Movie Podcast's Shahbaz states Smile 2 is "a TERRIFYING MASTERPIECE! Naomi Scott delivers a blood-chilling performance that will linger in your mind for days. Parker Finn’s direction drips with dread at every turn. My heart hasn’t raced this much in years!"

@filmcoolworld says that the movie "is the real deal. It’s a film about smiling people, but it’s ALSO a movie about trauma and how sometimes we have to “smile” despite the trauma."

CineMovieTV says that Finn "tops the original with relentless intensity & another great score that builds on the terror. It was exhausting."

Finally, Drew Taylor says the movie is "funnier, stranger, bigger and most importantly scarier than the original film, expanding the world without ever betraying what made the first film so special."

What the Early Reactions Mean for Smile 2

The Movie Looks To Be Learning The Right Lessons From The Original

The early reactions to Smile 2 paint a fairly similar portrait to how the original movie was received. While it's hard to discern what the full consensus of this sequel will be when no reviews have been published, the first film was generally well-reviewed and currently sits at an 80% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It was also a commercial success, grossing over $217 million on a $17 million budget, making it one of the highest-grossing horror movies of that year.

Because of this, a sequel was inevitable, and it's only fitting that Parker Finn would up everything that made the first movie so special. But it also looks like Naomi Scott's portrayal of Skye Riley will be much different than the original star of the first film, Sosie Bacon. The new setting could also add more elaborate scares and setpieces than in the first movie, including a one-shot that was teased by one of the reviewers above.

Kyle Gallner will reprise his role as Joel from the first movie, who is now afflicted with the curse that plagued Sosie Bacon's Rose before she set herself on fire.

The movie also seems to fully lean into its musical setting, with one reviewer discussing that the sequel features dance numbers. The original music was also a part of its clever marketing campaign, which d a completely different movie than what Smile 2 actually is. One reviewer also mentions that the movie paints an image of the franchise's future, which could mean more installments are coming. However, one must see the movie before fully knowing what Parker Finn has in store for Smile's future.

Our Take on Smile 2's Social Media Reactions

An Unsurprisingly Great Start For A Highly Anticipated Sequel

The word of mouth for Smile 2 will likely be crucial for its success, just like the first film was. While many are excited at the prospect of a sequel, it looks like a completely different installment than the first. If the reactions are positive enough and the reviews are in that same vein, then Smile 2 will likely take over the box office by storm. This will be great news for cinemas who were relying on Joker: Folie à Deux to carry the month of October, but ultimately flopped at the box office. Original horror has proven itself to be quite financially viable, especially when audiences like what they're seeing.

Source: Various (see above)