In Smile 2, Skye Riley is a pop star who is being hunted by the Entity, and one element of Skye’s past that the monster pulls on is the traumatic car accident she was in the year before. Released earlier in 2024, Smile 2 is the sequel to the 2022 horror hit, Smile. Both movies center on a horrifying creature called the Entity, which messes with its victims’ sanity by creating hallucinations of people smiling, until eventually, the victim takes their own life. The end of Smile 2 shows Skye’s devastating fate, but not before revealing her dark past.
Throughout Smile 2, it is clear that Skye is already quite unstable, even without the Smile Entity. From the beginning, audiences learn that she is recovering from a drug and alcohol addiction, and though she is sober, Skye’s injuries from her car accident make it so she needs painkillers to be functional. On top of that, her career as a pop star keeps her endlessly busy, and as a result, stressed. Without any strong support systems, Skye struggles to stay afloat, and the situation only grows more chaotic once the Entity is passed onto her via Louis.
Skye’s Car Crash Postponed Her Original Concert Tour
What Smile 2 First Reveals About The Car Crash
For most of Smile 2, audiences do not get the full story on Skye’s car crash. However, the most important details are provided. About a year before the start of Smile 2, Skye was in a car accident alongside her boyfriend, Paul Hudson. Both were addicted to drugs and alcohol at this point. Coming back from a party the night before Skye began her concert tour, the two got into a car accident. Skye suffered serious injuries, and the event caused her to get sober. By the time Smile 2 begins, Skye has finally recovered enough to resume her tour.
In this way, Skye’s fight with
Smile 2’s
Entity is about more than just her sanity; Skye could genuinely lose everything she has worked so hard to get, including her life.
In many ways, the car accident raises the stakes of Smile 2. Skye is not just a regular pop star going on a regular tour. She is a public figure who has gone through some significant controversies. Her addiction caused a serious blow to her career. Thus, the return of her concert tour is the way she will prove to audiences that she is still worth supporting. In this way, Skye’s fight with Smile 2’s Entity is about more than just her sanity; Skye could genuinely lose everything she has worked so hard to get, including her life.
Skye’s Boyfriend Paul Hudson Died In The Car Crash
How Paul Plays A Role In Smile 2
Aside from Skye’s own injuries, the most devastating part of her car accident is the fact that her boyfriend, Paul, died in the accident. During the car accident scene, audiences see that Paul was driving the car, and once the pair crashed, he suffered life-threatening injuries. Skye, wounded herself, had to witness Paul’s horrific death, just a few feet away though she could not do anything to help. Though Smile 2 doesn’t offer too much about Skye and Paul’s relationship, it is clear that this scenario traumatized Skye, even a year after it happened.
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Smile 2 actually brings Paul back into the plot in a genius way. Apart from the car accident itself, viewers see Paul during the scene where Skye is supposed to give a speech about children and music. Because of the Entity, Skye completely ruins the speech, and even worse, goes into a frenzy when the teleprompter reads Paul’s name. In the crowd, she sees Paul, and he’s smiling, though he doesn’t appear to anyone else. The reappearance of Paul is an awful blow for Skye’s mental health and her reputation. The Entity uses this weakness to its advantage.
Who Caused Skye’s Car Crash? What Really Happened In Smile 2
How The Car Accident Makes Smile 2 Different From Smile
One of the most climactic moments in Smile 2 is when the car accident finally plays out. It is revealed that Paul and Skye were both intoxicated and were fighting right before the accident. Both parties said some truly terrible things, and the car accident occurred because Skye pulled on the steering wheel, causing them to veer off a cliff. Paul had already been swerving the car, but it was Skye who ultimately caused them to go off course, and as a result, Paul died. Smile 2 shows that this was not an accident but a horrible chain of events.
Main Cast of Smile 2 | Character They Play |
|---|---|
Naomi Scott | Skye Riley |
Rosemarie DeWitt | Elizabeth Riley |
Ray Nicholson | Paul Hudson |
Dylan Gelula | Gemma |
Peter Jacobson | Morris |
Skye’s car accident is what sets her apart from Rose, the protagonist of Smile. Where the Entity haunts Rose via the death of her mother, which could somewhat be blamed on her, Skye’s crime is much more obvious. Rose was a child, and thus, cannot be blamed for her mother’s death. On the other hand, Skye knowingly pulled on the wheel, clearly hoping for a reaction. Because of this, Skye can almost be framed as a bad person. Though the viewers root for her, the movie proves again and again that Skye is not a particularly kind or friendly person.
How The Car Crash Haunts Skye Throughout Smile 2
The Car Crash Is What Clinches Skye’s Fate
Although the truth of the car accident does not come out until later in Smile 2, the event affects Skye throughout. Her injuries cause her pain throughout the movie, which makes it hard for her to work. Then, memories of the incident are brought back by the Entity, which wears significantly on her mental health. Moments like the speech with Paul are completely based on the accident and what Skye did. Without these scenes, Skye may have had a better chance at fighting back against the Entity, yet the demon simply had too much ammunition.
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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.
In the end, the car crash is what leads to Skye’s tragic Smile 2 end. Without the car accident, Skye would likely have been much more well-adjusted, even if she was still addicted to drugs and alcohol. She would not have had so much trauma in her past, and the stakes of her career may not have been so high. Plus, Skye never would have visited Lewis for painkillers if it hadn’t been for the car accident. Therefore, Smile 2 hinges on Skye’s car accident, and it makes the movie so much better.
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.
- Director
- Parker Finn
- Release Date
- October 18, 2024
- Runtime
- 132 minutes