"Smile 2" lands as unsettling grins are plastered on pumpkins and politicians alike as we approach Halloween and Election Day, and the psychotic, overly made-up leads of "Joker: Folie à Deux" have been putting up a brave face at their terrible box-office numbers.

Parker Finn follows his surprise 2022 hit about a malevolent spirit that jumps hosts via a diabolical grin, this time infecting a troubled pop star with a ton of trauma to feed on.

The new horror sequel from writer/director Parker Finn is a suitably bigger companion piece to its predecessor. Where Smile focused on the everyday traumas that people can carry with them, Smile 2 steps it up to the celebrity level,