Happy Death Day 2U (2019)

DIRECTED BY

Christopher Landon

STARRING

Jessica Rothe - Theresa “Tree” Gelbman

Israel Broussard - Carter Davis

Phi Vu - Ryan Phan

Suraj Sharma - Samar Ghosh

Sarah Yarkin - Dre Morgan

Ruby Modine - Lori Spengler

Rachel Matthews - Danielle Bouseman

Steve Zissis - Dean Bronson

Genre - Horror/Comedy/Science Fiction/Slasher

Running Time - 100 Minutes

PLOT

The day after the events of HAPPY DEATH DAY, Carter’s (Israel Broussard) roommate Ryan (Phi Vu) [the dude who kept barging into the room at the start of each time loop] experiences his own deja vu as he keeps reliving the same day over and over until he’s murdered by a similarly dressed killer. Ryan, unable to handle what’s going on, decides to confide in Carter and girlfriend Tree (Jessica Rothe), who relays her own experience with the loop. Through their conversation, Tree learns that Ryan has been building a machine called “Sissy” - an invention that has the ability to mess with the aspects of time. Upset by this information, Tree demands Ryan and his friends (Suraj Sharma and Sarah Bennani) to fix this mess so time is back to normal.

As Ryan tries to fix the time stream, something goes wrong. It sends Tree back to her birthday, where she experiences the same loop she lived in the first film. However, things have changed - as the people in her life are now experiencing different lives and different relationships than what she’s familiar with. Will Tree want to live in this new reality, or will Tree help Ryan fix this mess and go back to her old reality?

REVIEW

Making $125.5 million on a $4.8 million budget, 2017’s HAPPY DEATH DAY was a surprise success considering it was a PG-13 slasher. It also proved what a force Blumhouse is, as it continued its reputation as the biggest force in the horror movie industry at the moment. HAPPY DEATH DAY was a really fun film that proved that PG-13 slasher films can work if they’re marketed and executed well. However, I never wanted or expected a sequel to the film, as the GROUNDHOG DAY aspect is a great plot device for one film. When I learned that this was being released and seeing trailers for HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was presented in the same fashion as the first film, almost looking like a carbon copy but with a few differences. There was no way Blumhouse was doing an actual remake of a film that was barely two years old, right? Luckily, the sequel manages to be its own thing while using familiar aspects of the original film, making HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U worthy of a look if you enjoyed the first film.

Instead of original writer Scott Lobdell working on the script, returning director Christopher Landon steps up to grab the reins. I feel Landon’s approach to the sequel will either turn original fans away, or make current fans hungry for more. While the GROUNDHOG DAY plot device is still in play, it’s not really the focus this time around. Instead, Landon has gone for a more sci-fi approach in terms of quantum leaps, multiverses, and alternate realities affecting the characters this time around. While Tree is still suffering from a time loop, it takes place in alternate reality where the people she knows aren’t the same people from her original reality. And some people who weren’t present in her old one are now present in her new one, making her struggle with the decision to either go back to her old time, or just let things play out - both options causing her to make a huge sacrifice in the process. HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U plays with the whole BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II and SLIDING DOORS idea of different realities being created due to the choices that are made. And it does it for laughs as it tries to explain why Tree is stuck in this loop to begin with.

And don’t get me wrong - HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U is definitely a funny film that totally embraces the silliness and comedic aspects of its story. It feels like those 80s sci-fi comedies, like WEIRD SCIENCE, where the science aspect is played for laughs while trying to build a universe for the franchise to stand on for multiple sequels [it’s gonna happen so don’t roll your eyes]. Watching Tree suffer through different loops is hilarious, as she’s obviously grown tired of this whole deal and just wants to move on with her life. While her personality doesn’t change like it does in the first film, her struggle with dealing with the new reality thrusted upon her makes her mature as well. Unfortunately I don’t think it’s done as strongly as in the first film, but it’s there to see and understand if you’re a fan of the first film. The funniest moments [and moments that may trigger some people] are when Tree decides that she’s tired of being murdered, instead committing suicide in various ways that result in pretty cool visual transitions back to Carter’s bed. And there’s a lot of slapstick comedy, especially during the last act, where our characters try and pull off a heist against the Dean of the college. It’s done really well and I laughed at the silliness of it all. I also liked the emotional moments as well, where Tree doesn’t know whether she wants to keep living in the past or get rid of her fear of facing an unpredictable future. It’s mainly due to the strong writing for these moments and Jessica Rothe’s performance, managing to bring some gravitas to a sequel that surprisingly earns it. The writing isn’t as good as the first film, to be honest, but when it works, it really works.

I think the story fails when it comes to the horror aspect of the film. If you’re expecting a slasher film like the last movie, you’ll be seriously disappointed. I don’t mind that the focus is more on the comedy and science fiction aspect of the story, since it gives the sequel a different feel [which is the right move]. But it sort of starts as a slasher film, quickly forgets that there’s even a killer around, and then decides to go back to the slasher aspect. It makes the film feel disjointed, as the horror stuff feels forced in because that’s how the film was marketed and that’s probably what fans of the first film expected. The new killer is easy to predict as well, sort of playing homage to SCREAM in a way. But the mystery didn’t really work for me like it did in the first film, making me wish there wasn’t a killer at all. HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U could have focused on the science aspect and giving us a commentary on how technology and playing God leads to mischief and trouble and I don't think I would have had much of an issue. I feel this is why some haven’t been too kind to this sequel, as they expected something similar to the first film. I’m happy for the differences in storytelling and tone, but don’t shoehorn in an aspect you don’t plan on developing to please everyone. It usually never works.

I did enjoy how the time loops were used though. I don’t think the events of the first film really needed an explanation, but I thought the sequel did a decent job giving us a reason why Tree was suffering for so long. It was a great use of the budget in recreating scenes from the first film, but making them feel different and giving Tree reasons to keep ending her life in order to save people, or figure out which timeline she wanted to stay in or return to. The new science characters added a lot of charm and humor to the whole film, making the sci-fi stuff easy to swallow and enjoy. I look forward to what the next film [hopefully they make one] has in store, judging by that cute mid-credits sequence that will focus on another supporting character rather than Tree this time around. Should be fun if the film does well enough.

The direction by Christopher Landon isn’t as focused as it was in the first film, but Landon still manages to visually please the audience with funny montages and decent special effects that add to the sequel’s charm. When the comedic tone is at play, it really works due to the film’s flow and colorful visuals. Landon also recreates the original scenes excellently, changing subtle things when you least expect it. Landon really makes HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U feel like a seamless continuation for a movie that didn’t need one, making a guarantee that you’ll need to watch both films to get the whole story. The only time the film doesn’t work is when the tone shifts into slasher mode. There are no tense moments or even scary ones. I felt the pacing in the final act that involved the horror aspect lacked, and felt forced and rushed. I appreciate that Landon wanted to broaden the franchise’s horizons and not contain these characters within a single genre. But I would have preferred if this sequel was either a sci-fi comedy or a straight up slasher film. The slasher aspect really worked in the first film, while it feels like an afterthought here. I felt that Landon had a lot of ambitious ideas that worked eighty-percent of the time.

The acting is just as good in HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U as it was in the first film. Jessica Rothe, once again, carries the film incredibly on her back as Tree. While her character doesn’t have as much growth in terms of maturity like in the first film, Rothe still manages to give more depth to a character that we’ve really grown to love over these two films. Rothe has a knack for comedy, hilariously showing frustration over having to repeat herself again in the time loop. She shares amazing chemistry with her co-stars and even gets to do some real emotional acting in the new timeline. She’s really become an actress to watch out for and is the main reason to watch both of these movies. The only other actress who really stood out is Rachel Matthews as Danielle. While playing the stereotypical snotty bitch in the first film, Matthews has more to do in the sequel. She has a great moment of comedy in the final act that felt kind of inappropriate, but I couldn’t help but giggle at the entire thing. Plus, she still excels at being a snob that you can’t help but feel charmed by. The other actors, especially the returning Israel Broussard, Phi Vu, and Ruby Modine do well with the differences they’re given, showing us new aspects of their characters that will probably continue in the next film [if it happens].

THE FINAL HOWL

While not as fresh or focused as the first film, HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U manages to be a surprisingly fun sequel that’s probably worth watching if you enjoyed the first movie. Jessica Rothe continues to carry the franchise well on her shoulders, showing us that she’s able to charm audiences no matter what genre of film she’s in. The 80s sci-fi comedic vibe gives the franchise a fresh coat of paint that no one was really expecting or asking for, yet it works for the most part by embracing the silliness of the film’s premise. The sequel, however, lacks a focus the first film had - especially with the horror aspect that feels shoehorned to please fans of the first film. If you’re looking for a slasher mystery, you’ll be seriously disappointed. While not as strong of a film as its predecessor, HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U has to be respected for thinking outside of the box and going into a new direction. I went in expecting a rehash of the first film and ended up getting something completely different, which I really admired about this sequel. Fans of the first film should give HAPPY DEATH 2U a shot. It may not work completely for everyone, but you have to respect the direction this franchise wants to go. 

SCORE

3 Howls Outta 4