Take Two Tuesday!

Hello and Good Morning to my lovely Visionaries👋

Today is the first day of TAKE TWO TUESDAY!!! 

What is it? 

The day where we compare two movies, directors, or actors and analyze what makes them similar or different. Have you ever watched an amazing movie and tiredly searched for another that'll give you a similar feeling that one did?

Luckily you have your plot professor. Double trouble or double delight? Lets compare todays featured films!

Smile 2⭐🍿
Directed By: Parer Finn 
Released: October 18, 2024 
Box Office Success:

• Opened with $23 million domestically, surpassing its predecessor.

• Grossed over $56 million within a month.

Critical Acclaim:

• Naomi Scott won Best Performance in a Horror or Thriller at the Astra Film Awards.

• Praised as "smarter, scarier, and much better than the first movie."

In Smile 2, pop star Skye Riley becomes the latest victim of the Smile Entity as she prepares for a major tour. Struggling with sobriety and haunted by terrifying visions, Skye teams up with a nurse, Morris, to fight the curse. Their plan to stop her heart temporarily fails, leading to Skye’s tragic death and the entity’s continued cycle of torment. 

Never Let Go 🍿🎥
Directed By: Alexandre Aja 

Released: September 20, 2024
Box Office Performance:

• Domestic Gross: Approximately $10.3 million.

• Worldwide Gross: Approximately $16.6 million.

• Production Budget: Estimated at $20 million.

Critical Reception:

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 58% based on 120 reviews.

• Metacritic Score: 55/100 based on 35 critic reviews.

• Audience Score: 62% on Rotten Tomatoes.

A mother who is referred to as "Momma" throughout the film, isolates herself and her two sons, Nolan and Samuel, in a remote forest cabin, claiming a supernatural force called "The Evil" has essentially corrupted the outside world. As food becomes scarce, tensions rise which leads Nolan to question his mother's beliefs. After a series of tragic events, the boys discover that the outside world is intact. It reveals that Momma's apocalyptic claims were not entirely true. However, the film is open ended suggesting that "The Evil" may indeed be real and has affected Samuel.

I feel that never let go was approached in a real time narrative but ended with open ended. Throughout the film the pulling and tugging to reveal what-is actually going on and more importantly why. As it is revealed with haste, whether or not her son is still-being manipulated by the entity is unknown and up to the perception of the audience.

In Never Let Go, the filmmakers utilize darkness to enhance the horror elements during encounters with "The Evil." For instance, in the "Evil Is Clever" scene, the screen darkens as the entity's presence intensifies, creating a sense of dread and suspense. This technique effectively immerses the audience in the characters' fear and uncertainty.

On a different side of the same coin in Smile 2 where Skye was trying to flee from her home in realization that the entity is around her. the people surround her and essentially cover her with darkness. all alluding to very helpless moments. as there are similarities there are differences. Smile 2 directly addresses the supernatural nature of the antagonist, while Never Let Go creates doubt about whether "The Evil" is real or a false by Momma

Smile also leans into resolving its supernatural mystery, Never Let Go leaves more unanswered, making the audience question the true nature of its events.

Professor Perspective

What Smile 2 Did Better

• Scare Factor: The jump-scares and the sheer terror of the Smile Entity felt more intense.

• Character Depth: Skye Riley’s descent into madness was gripping and added a personal layer to the horror.

What Never Let Go Did Better

• Ambiguity: The open-ended nature of the story left me thinking long after the movie ended.

• Family Dynamic: The interpersonal relationships within Momma’s family added emotional stakes to the story.

While both films were highly engaging, Smile 2 edges out as my favorite for its chilling scares and compelling character arc. However, Never Let Go deserves credit for its psychological depth and eerie atmosphere.

What’s your take? Which movie resonated with you more? Let me know, and feel free to suggest other horror films for future comparisons!