Bruce Miller says "Smile 2" doesn't seem like a typical horror film and is filled with scenes of mental anguish and a performance by Naomi Scott that's easy to understand.

Pop stars sure know how to attract demons.

In "Trap," the Taylor-esque diva had a killer dad on her trail. Now, in "Smile 2," Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) has an odd spirit that wants to derail her first concerts following a car accident and a meltdown that made fans eager for more - anything more - about her questionable personal life.

To get back on track, Skye visits an old classmate (Lukas Gage) who looks like he has dipped into the drugs he's selling. In truth, he's under the spell of some evil force. Rather than tell folks (like her mom-ager or best friend), Skye keeps it to herself and begins freaking out, particularly when fans turn up with that same demented smile.

Director Parker Finn keeps the audience guessing about a connection but isn't afraid to show violence in all its bloody glory. Faces deteriorate, bones stick out, folks die. From a gore standpoint, it's brutal. But Skye's demons aren't necessarily obvious. Nor is she able to understand what might be causing them.

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Finn succeeds with sound effects, dropping them in here and there just enough to make you think you're a closed door away from a creepy smile.

Scott handles the paranoia well. A better film could have been made from this situation, had it not been part of the "Smile" franchise.

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Film Review - Smile 2

Lukas Gage in a scene from "Smile 2."

Moments with the audience are chilling; a flashback to her old boyfriend is just as unnerving as you'd think.

The force, though, moves some places and not others. When it comes down to an abandoned Pizza Hut and a hunch, "Smile 2" has overstayed its welcome. It's like a better film was attached to a so-so horror one.

Scott dominates (and comes away with a fairly good performance). She handles the pop star pose well but, like the leading character in "Trap," has this awful habit of going places alone. If Taylor Swift has taught us one thing, it's never leave home without an entourage. That way, if there's an evil force afoot, someone else could deal with the fallout (or help when you're the target).

Best friend Gemma (Dylan Gelula) seems like a load; mom (Rosemarie DeWitt) is one step away from a bus-and-truck company of "Gypsy."

Because they seem to be no help, she relies on an outsider who introduces the Pizza Hut subplot.

That raises questions but the film's ending is one for the ages, particularly what it could mean for those who frequent concerts without evil forces repellant.

Bruce Miller is editor of the Sioux City Journal.

Also this week

"Venom: The Last Dance"; "Heretic"; "The Substance"; "Here"; "Elevation": "The Return"; "Rumours"; "A Legend"; "Monster Summer."

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