Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Smile 2?Smile 2introduces audiences and Skye Riley to a new character named Morris, but by the end, there are questions about whether Morris is real. For most ofSmile 2, viewers and Naomi Scott’s character go back and forth between seeing what appears to be happening to the popstar in the real world and the hallucinations that she has due to theSmile Curse. This follows how the first movie treated Rose’s perspective, and the sequel then has her meet Morris to be an ally in defeating the entity, much like how Rose had Joel.
Morris is featured as the brother of a previous victim of the curse who tracks down Skye to try and help her overcome the entity. His plan includes temporarily killing Skye so the entity does not have a way to pass to a new host traumatized by what they saw. However, whether Morris is real becomes a major question thanks toSmile 2’s endingand the reveal that more of the film than expected took place within Skye’s head. The big twist, including that Gemma was not really there, makes Morris' status even more uncertain.
Evidence Morris Is Real In Smile 2
There Are Some Hints Morris Is Real
WhileSmile 2does not confirm if Morris is real or not, there are some hints that suggest he is an actual person. The first sign of his legitimacy could be the way that he and Skye communicate. He always texts her, which is not something the Smile Curse does otherwise. The curse uses fake phone calls to trick Skye into believing Gemma is real, but she notably never texts Skye back. It would seemthe curse does not use texting as a form of communication or influence, which is a point in Morris' favor of being a real person.
Another piece of evidence suggesting he is real inSmile 2is Morris' planto take out the entity. His entire purpose in the movie is to be a character who can help Skye learn more about what she is dealing with, and that includes him suggesting that she should die temporarily. Since it’s unclear exactly how much ofSmile 2took place in Skye’s head,it would be strange if the curse was helping its target potentially break the chain. Morris' motivation to kill the entity could hint at his being real.
Morris' plan involved stopping Skye’s heart so that she “died” and the curse would not have a host to live off of, but she would then be brought back to life using a shot of adrenaline
It’s also worth noting that Morris is never even suggested to be part of the Smile Curse’s tricks. The movie has the entity take on the form of various people from Skye’s life, including her mom, the assistant, Gemma, and Paul Hudson. Each of these people have the typical creepy smile appearance at some point, but that never happens for Morris. The entity typically teases its victims with the possibility that the person they are with is not real, so the fact thatMorris never has a creepy smilesuggests he’s not there to mess with Skye’s mind.
Evidence Morris Is Not Real In Smile 2
Some Moments Suggest He’s Part Of The Curse
Just as there are some signs in favor of him being an actual person, there’s also some compelling arguments for why Morris is not real inSmile 2. One of the biggest is how the movie treats him at the end. He’s last seen leaving Skye in the freezer of the abandoned Pizza Hut, but that leads to the revelation that the Smile Curse is manipulating Skye’s reality. Since she’s next shown on stage at her concert, there is no resolution to Morris' story. The fact thathe disappears and isn’t seen againsuggests he was never really there.
Furthermore, Morris never interacts with anyone other than Skye. The lack of proof about what she really experienced after first encountering the Smile Curse makes his existence suspicious.Smile 2already used Gemma’s twist to show howcharacters that do not interact with people beyond Skye might not be real. Morris fits that bill, which makes it easier for him to be a creation of the curse and a means to manipulate Skye - even if it’s not in the usual sense.
It could actually be Morris' helpful personality that becomes the most significant quality to determine if he’s real or not. While it could be seen as a sign that he is real, there’s also an argument to be made that he’s a plant in Skye’s mind by the curse to help keep her calm. Just asSkye drinking Voss water bottlesis meant to help her feel a sense of control,the entity could have used Morris to help keep the artist distractedfrom realizing what was actually going on before it was time.
Why Smile 2 Doesn’t Confirm If Morris Is Real Or Not
The Movie Does Not Give A Straight Answer
With evidence on both sides of the argument,it is ultimately left up to each audience member to decide if Morris is real inSmile 2. That is clearly the intent of director Parker Finn by playing with the character in this fashion. It would have been very easy to confirm Morris' status one way or another directly, but the film never takes an opportunity to do this. This makes the character’s legitimacy an aspect of the movie that viewers can debate as a major discussion point instead of something that is answered like Gemma not being real.
Parker Finn has not commented on whether Morris is real in Smile 2
There is also the possibility that Parker Finn did not want to directly confirm if Morris is real because doing so would provide too many answers about the film as a whole.Smile 2’s big twistsat the end are meant to add intrigue to the film and leave audiences wondering what really happened and what didn’t. Seeing Skye’s mom alive confirmed that the kill sequence happened in her head, while knowing Gemma wasn’t real also means those sequences were manipulated.Whether Morris is real might answer too muchabout what actually happened.
Morris' Return In Smile 3 Would Answer If He Is Real
The Character Could Come Back Again
Without the definitive answer inSmile 2, whether Morris is real could still be determined by his return inSmile 3. The movie’s ending directly sets up how a third film can happen, possibly with the Smile Curse infecting multiple people at the same time thanks to the mass trauma from Skye’s death. IfSmile 3happens,there is a chance that Morris could returnin some capacity. Whether he is brought back to help whoever is infected next or because he himself became haunted by the curse, an answer would have to come.
7 Ways Smile 2 Sets Up Smile 3
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.
The certainty of Morris being real could be a reason why Morris does not return inSmile 3then. This really comes down to what Parker Finn wants to do with the franchise and how much of the mythology and lore he wants to explain. The first twoSmilemovies have provided some answers, but they have not explored the depths of the Smile Curse too greatly. Morris' return afterSmile 2would be a sign that this is changing, and revealing if he is real or part of the curse would go a long way.
