Even with the recent boom in horror films from Hollywood studios, it’s still a rare thing to find a film with a budget north of eight figures. That makes a movie like Smile 2 something of an extravagance among horror releases. Made for a whopping $28 million, writer-director Parker Finn returns to his own franchise with the goal of making something bigger, badder, and meaner than its predecessor. And how do we know he succeeded? Both Matts liked it.

Welcome to the Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) redemption tour. A year after surviving a high-profile car accident, Riley has a new lease on life and is ready to promote the hell out of her brand new album. But when a late night pop-in for some much-needed painkillers causes her to witness the suicide of a college friend — yeah, you guessed it, the Smile demon is back, and this time he’s ready to crown the next American idol. The second feature from franchise creator Finn, Smile 2 is bigger and bolder than its predecessor.

In this short excerpt from the episode, Matt Donato explains why Smile 2 is more indicative of Finn’s talents as a director than its predecessor:

“What we see in the costumes, what we see in every part of the stage element, it is so glamorous, and it is so attractive. You see where the attention is being spent and the money is going. But Finn does not sacrifice anything in doing that. He’s not a horror director that forgets that horror is important, or forgets the character development. He’s hitting all the quadrants that I want from this type of horror movie, and doing so in a very appealing fashion.”

The Smile 2 episode of the Certified Forgotten podcast is now available to stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, or the podcast platform of your choice.