Happy Death Day 2U (2019)

Although it took me more than a year to check it out, I loved Happy Death Day, which is the reason why I was really looking forward to catching up its sequel, Happy Death Day 2U, even though sequels usually end up being huge disappointments. 

The story opens with Ryan (Phi Vu) as he wakes up in his car, goes about his day and gets killed by someone wearing a creepy baby mask only to wake up in his car again and relive the same day. Turns out he's the one who created the loop that trapped Tree (Jessica Rothe) on the day of her birthday and when it tries to fix it, he screws up Tree's life again as she is yet again stuck on April 18, only this time around she finds herself in an alternate dimension, where Carter is dating her friend, Danielle (Rachel Matthews), her mother is still alive, and the killer, who is now after Tree's roommate, Lori (Ruby Modine), is someone else.

While its predecessor followed the Groundhog Day formula as Tree kept reliving the same day over and over again until she became a better person, Happy Death Day 2U pays homage to Back to the Future as it ventures in multiple timelines. Unfortunately, the filmmakers focused too much on making a clever film — the science stuff makes very little sense though — and completely forgot to write a plot that isn’t filled with holes and conveniences, that completely forgets about the killer and that doesn’t know when to end — the ending was quite satisfying, but then they decided to add another ending which kind of ruins the film. The subplot about Tree’s relationship with her mother is a very nice touch though as it adds an emotional side.

Thankfully, more thought was put into the characters and while the supporting characters are still a bit one-dimensional and stereotyped, Tree is developed further as she continues to grow while facing the same and yet different scenario of the first film. In addition, the characters are very fun and likeable, and it was really nice seeing minor characters from the previous movie make an appearance here.

Universal Pictures

The performances are still pretty good — Jessica Rothe gives a compelling and believable performance as Tree and brings plenty of humour to the film; the rest of the cast provides her solid support.

Another flaw of Happy Death Day 2U is that there isn’t a good balance of horror and comedy as there’s plenty of comedy and very little, nearly no horror. While the humour works most of the time, the few jump scares and scary scenarios throughout the film are not satisfying, even though the latter are always effective.

Ultimately, Happy Death Day 2U is not a bad film as it’s entertaining and funny, and has likeable characters and actors, but I sure was expecting more from the people who made Happy Death Day.
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Happy Death Day (2017)

I really wanted to see Happy Death Day when it came out because of the catchy title and good reviews I had read, but then, I don't remember why, I missed it and, like I always do, I forgot about it. And if it wasn't for the sequel released a couple of months ago, I still wouldn't have seen this.

The story follows Tree (Jessica Rothe), a self-centered college student and sorority sister who wakes up on the morning of her birthday with a terrible hangover, in the dorm room of a guy (Israel Broussard) she doesn't know. She quickly ditches him and goes on with her day. That night, on her way to a party, she is followed and killed by someone wearing a mask. Tree immediately wakes up in the same dorm room only to realise that she's living the same exact day. At first, she thinks she's experiencing deja vu but, when the night comes, she is killed again and yet again wakes up in the dorm room on her birthday, she realises she is stuck in a loop that will end only when she discovers who is trying to kill her.

Essentially, this is Groundhog Day with a horror twist as the young woman keeps reliving the same day over and over again until she discovers who the killer is and becomes a better person. Despite the repetitiveness, the story never gets dull nor predictable. On the contrary, it's very entertaining from start to finish and, although the ending and the killer's motive feel kind of rushed, the ending twist is a nice surprise.

The characters are a bit one-dimensional and stereotyped —the film's tone is never serious though so it's pretty clear the filmmakers are using them to poke fun at horrors and their clichés— but they are likeable nevertheless, especially Tree, who is the typical high-fashion, snobby sorority girl you are supposed to hate and yet can't help but love. Her character development is quite predictable as she goes from rude, superficial and egocentric to nice and caring, but it's handled very well, specifically thanks to Jessica Rothe who gives an amusing performance as she convincingly delivers Tree's growth. Israel Broussard provides good support as Carter Davis, the guy in whose bed Tree wakes up and who gives Tree advice on how to fix her problem.

Universal Pictures

Rothe's performance isn't the only funny aspect in Happy Death Day, there also are some genuinely funny moments, absurd situations and some quirky dialogues. As for the horror, it is delightfully balanced with the comedy —there's no gore and the elements aren't particularly scary and yet they are effective. Also, the film has such a gloomy and creepy atmosphere, and the soundtrack really adds to it. Ultimately, this is a very entertaining film that will keep you hooked from start to finish.